Politifact Deems Dem Attack On Jeb Bush’s Gay Marriage Claim ‘Mostly True’

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush listens to a speaker before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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Politifact has ruled by the Democratic National Committee that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) opposes same-sex marriage as “Mostly True.”

On Monday the Democratic National Committee blasted out a statement concerning Bush on a federal court ruling overturning Florida’s same sex marriage ban:

A federal court ruling to overturn Florida’s gay marriage ban will go into effect as soon as tonight – allowing LGBT couples across Florida to get married. It’s huge progress, and thankfully we’re seeing it in many states across the country.

But make no mistake about it: if Jeb Bush had his way, this progress for LGBT Floridians wouldn’t be happening. But I guess that’s unsurprising, considering in 2004 he supported his brother’s push for a federal constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality.

That statement follows Bush, a day earlier, saying that gay marriage should be handled at the state level, not the federal level. Bush has expressed a similar opinion before but The New York Times recently highlighted an email he had with a Floridian looking to join Bush’s administration. The Floridian asked if the fact that he’s gay would be an issue and Bush said “what you do in your private life is your business.”

That doesn’t change where Bush stands on same-sex marriage according to Politifact, though. Responding to the DNC’s statement, Politifact said “Bush repeatedly said that he opposed gay marriage, although he was reluctant at times to amend the state Constitution since it was already banned in state law.”

“He also opposed gay adults adopting children,” Politifact concluded. “Since leaving office, Bush said that he supports “traditional marriage,” though he has used a softer tone when asked about it. The statement is accurate but needs additional information, so we rate this statement Mostly True.”

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Notable Replies

  1. His attempts at being “nuanced” are pretty lame. Should be interesting to see him deal with this in the GOP clown car debates. Not much room for him to “evolve” quickly after the Primary and prior to the General Election, should he be the nominee. Of course, if SCOTUS does him a favor and takes the issue off the table this year, he can blather on about how he would have preferred a “local” solution, but now it is settled law, activist judges, blah, blah blah.

  2. Avatar for mantan mantan says:

    used a softer tone

    If only Hitler had known…

  3. “(W)hat you do in your private life is your business.”

    Except that, you know, me and my base can’t let you adopt kids, marry, teach children, and visit your non-spouse in the hospital. Oh, and you can’t have non-procreative sex. Other than that, whatever floats your boat!

  4. Discredited False Equivalency Peddler Deems Attack on Jeb Bush’s Gay Claim ‘Mostly True’

    (TPM headline edited for enhanced accuracy).

  5. State’s Raahhts now and forevah! Unless, you know, it involves things we don’t like.

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