GOP Plans Votes to Put Democrats on the Spot
By Jim VandeHei and Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, March 2, 2004;
Republicans plan to use Congress to pull Sen. John F. Kerry and vulnerable Democrats into the cultural wars over gay rights, abortion and guns, envisioning a series of debates and votes that will highlight the candidates' positions on divisive issues, according to congressional aides and GOP officials.

The strategy will be on full display today, as Kerry (Mass.) and Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), the leading Democratic presidential candidates, plan to interrupt their Super Tuesday campaigning to fly to Washington for half a dozen votes on gun legislation, including liability protections for gun manufacturers.
Both men oppose the liability bill, placing them in their party's majority even though some prominent Democrats -- including Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) -- support the bill.



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SAN FRANCISCO
Gay wedding foes rally at City Hall
Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 3, 2004
As dozens of gay and lesbian couples continued their wedding march inside San Francisco City Hall on Tuesday, opponents of same-sex marriage held a boisterous rally outside.
Holding signs that read, "Repent America'' and "Homosexuality is a sin,'' the 50 or so demonstrators cited the Bible as their reference point in wanting to keep gays and lesbians from marrying.


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this is a true leader... we need more third party members like Jason West, we need a party like this... join the green party today..

N.Y. mayor to still marry gay couples
By MICHAEL HILL
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. -- New Paltz's mayor vowed to go ahead with up to two dozen same-sex weddings this weekend, despite being charged with 19 criminal counts and possibly facing jail time for marrying gay couples.
Jason West was scheduled to be in town court Wednesday night to answer charges that he married 19 couples knowing they did not have marriage licenses, a violation of the state's domestic relations law.