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Newt Gingrich: I’m OK With How New York Enacted Its Same-Sex Marriage Law

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday yesterday, presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) said she supports New York’s right to institute marriage equality because “it’s state law. And the 10th amendment reserves to the states that right.” Fellow 2012 contender Newt Gingrich agreed, telling reporters in Indianola, Iowa on Saturday morning that the New York law is legitimate because it passed through the state legislature rather than going through the courts:

”Iowa was a very different case from New York. I mean, Iowa was seven judges deciding that they would arbitrarily overturn the laws and the culture of the state of Iowa which is fundamentally different. I mean New York at least, whether you agree or disagree with the outcome, it is in the elected process and it is in the legislature and it is with the governor and that’s the right venue.

“I helped sponsor the Defense of Marriage Act which basically doesn’t transfer automatically to all 50 states. I think the president should be, frankly, enforcing that act and I think we are drifting towards a terrible muddle which I think is going to be very, very difficult and painful to work our way out of.

“I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. I think that’s what marriage ought to be and I would like to find ways to defend that view as legitimately and effectively as possible.”

But Gingrich also supports a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, which, if it were ever enacted, would invalidate New York’s accomplishment.

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Despite his support for the process through which marriage became law, the thrice-divorced former speaker of the House had no praise for the outcome, predicting that the country was “drifting towards a terrible muddle which I think is going to be very, very difficult and painful to work our way out of.”