President Vows to Fight for Marriage Amendment

FEMINIST WIRE, Nov. 8 — President Bush intends to persevere in his efforts to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, according to the Feminist Wire.

In an interview with Fox News Sunday on Nov. 7, Bush's chief strategist Karl Rove said the president will “absolutely” continue to push for a federal marriage amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

The proposed amendment did not pass in the House of Representatives in October and some senators believe it will not pass in the Senate now, even with the new Republican majority of 55, according to the Feminist Wire.

Suggesting on “Face the Nation” on Nov. 7 that the president would be making a mistake to try again, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was quoted as saying, “I don't think there's any evidence that suggests that a constitutional amendment is needed at this time.”

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., said on the same program that if there was another vote, “it probably [will] not pass.”

Hispanics Show Strong Support for Bush

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Nov. 8 — Forty-four percent of Hispanics voted for President Bush in the recent election, according to The New York Times. That's more support any Republican presidential candidate has received from Hispanics in at least 30 years.

Among those interviewed by The Times to explore the reasons behind to explore the reasons behind the vote was Les Dorrance, a Denver security guard who explained that conservative values on abortion and the sanctity of marriage were important issues that affected his vote for Bush.

Janet Murguia, executive director and chief operating officer of the nonpartisan civil rights group National Council of La Raza, said the Catholic Church played an important part. She said voters were influenced in Spanish-speaking parishes where abortion and embryonic stem-cell research were discussed in homilies and other communications.

University of New Mexico professor of political science F. Chris Garcia said in the story: “We are up for grabs. That is a good thing for Hispanics; we're going to be more influential in the future and a bigger target for both campaigns.”

Pharmacists Won't Fill Prescriptions on Moral Grounds

USA TODAY, Nov. 8 — Pharmacists in many states are refusing to fill prescriptions for contraceptives, and there is some government support for them, according to USA Today.

“The explosion in the number of legislative initiatives and the number of individuals who are just saying, ‘We're not going to fill that prescription for you because we don't believe in it’ is astonishing,” said Gloria Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in the story.

According to USA Today, the policy of the 50,000-member American Pharmacists Association is that pharmacists can refuse to fill prescriptions for moral reasons but must make arrangements for a patient to get the pills. Not all pharmacists make those arrangements, however.

The article also noted that the U.S. House of Representatives passed a provision in September that would prohibit federal funding for authorities that made health-care workers perform, pay for or make referrals for abortions.