Hillary Clinton in 2004: Traditional Marriage a ‘Bedrock Principle’

Barack Obama is not the only Democrat whose views have “evolved” on same sex marriage: Hillary Clinton, who now holds that the Supreme Court should declare a constitutional right to gay marriage, taking the matter away from the states, argued in 2004 for the “sanctity of marriage” and stated she was committed to “the fundamental bedrock principle that exists between a man and a woman.”

She also asserted that marriage’s “primary, principal role during those millennia has been the raising and socializing of children.”

Clinton was speaking during a 2004 Senate floor debate regarding her opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment when she pontificated about marriage’s sanctity. The amendment aimed to change the Constitution to state that marriage should be between a man and a woman, which she opposed, calling it a state matter, not a federal one. She lectured:

I believe that marriage is not just a bond but a sacred bond between a man and a woman. I have had occasion in my life to defend marriage, to stand up for marriage, to believe in the hard work and challenge of marriage. So I take umbrage at anyone who might suggest that those of us who worry about amending the Constitution are less committed to the sanctity of marriage, or to the fundamental bedrock principle that exists between a man and a woman, going back into the mists of history as one of the founding, foundational institutions of history and humanity and civilization, and that its primary, principal role during those millennia has been the raising and socializing of children for the society into which they are to become adults.

On Monday, senior Clinton spokeswoman Karen Finney blamed the media for Clinton’s vicissitudes on same-sex marriage. Before a commercial break, MSNBC’s Craig Melvin said, “When you come back, next time I do want to talk about the timing of the same-sex marriage change of heart, next time.” Finney responded, “No change of heart… [She] was asked a different question than she was asked before, but I’ll tell you.” Later that day on MSNBC, Finney said, “Last week there was a question about where she was on marriage equality, which she’s had a consistent position on that — despite the way it was reported.”