Cruz talks out of both sides of his mouth on gay marriage

ThinkProgress.com reported this week that “Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz ended a seven-stop tour of Iowa on Tuesday with extended comments against marriage equality and transgender-inclusive policies, which he said represented a ‘time of crisis’ in America.”

According to the website, his remarks came in response to a question from Randy DeLong at one of his events, who expressed concern with the “moral decay in this country.”

“Cruz assured DeLong that his presidency would not endorse the Supreme Court’s ruling that same-sex marriage is a Constitutional right, calling it ‘fundamentally illegitimate, lawless, and unconstitutional.’”

But other GOP presidential contenders spent the weekend attacking Cruz on many issues, which all together said, No, you can’t trust Ted. TrusTED is one of Cruz’ campaign slogans, widely displayed at his rallies.

As far as fighting marriage equality, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won Iowa's caucus in 2008, said Cruz “has seized on reports that Cruz told a group of New York donors last year that he wouldn't make fighting gay marriage a priority if elected. That's in sharp contrast with his public promises to fight the Supreme Court's decision,” reported the Associated Press.

Politico.com reported, “… in December, behind closed doors at a big-dollar Manhattan fundraiser, the quickly ascending presidential candidate assured a Republican gay-rights supporter that a Cruz administration would not make fighting same-sex marriage a top priority.

“In a recording provided to POLITICO, Cruz answers a flat ‘No’ when asked whether fighting gay marriage is a ‘top-three priority,’ an answer that pleased his socially moderate hosts but could surprise some of his evangelical backers.”

“Priority or not, Cruz on Tuesday mounted a spirited defense of his views on marriage — that it should only occur between a man and a woman,” according to ThinkProgress. “The American people, he said, are on his side.

“’The American people all overwhelming disagree with [same-sex marriage],’ he said, arguing that polls that show majority support for marriage equality — like this one from the Pew Research Center and this one from Gallup — are ‘skewed.’

“’You can write a poll in a way that will get the results you want if they’re skewed,’ Cruz said. ‘But when people of states have actually gone to the ballot box, they’ve voted to protect traditional marriage.’ Before the Supreme Court’s ruling, more than half of all states in the America had banned same-sex marriage, either through ballot initiatives or legislation.”

The Associated Press continued with Huckabee’s remarks, writing, "’He's saying one thing to a group of folks in Marshalltown (Iowa), something totally different to a group of folks in Manhattan,’ said Huckabee spokesman Hogan Gidley. ‘Voters want someone they can trust. And it is painfully obvious at this point that Ted Cruz can't be trusted.’”

Cruz should know better than to belittle a Supreme Court decision. Not only does he have a law degree from Harvard, he served as a clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

The Gayly – January 31, 2016 @ 3:35 p.m.