Arnie: Marriage-ban effort "a total waste of time"

Speaking today at the Log Cabin Republicans National Convention in San Diego, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the effort by anti-gay forces to amend the California Constitution to permanently ban same-sex marriage is "a total waste of time" and that he will fight against it.

Anti-gay activists claim they have collected almost enough voter signatures to put an initiative on the November ballot that would let voters directly amend the Constitution.

Schwarzenegger addressed the LGBT Republican convention for about 20 minutes, ending with a question-and-answer session with Log Cabin President Patrick Sammon.

Here's a transcript of the money quote from my audio tape:

Log Cabin Republicans President Patrick Sammon: "Our organization started here in California in 1978 and grew out of a ballot initiative -- the Briggs Initiative -- which would have prohibited gay and lesbian people from teaching in California public schools. And during that campaign, former Gov. Reagan spoke out against it. And here we are 30 years later and we're looking ahead to November, where there very well could be a ballot initiative that's meant to forever ban same-sex couples from having the same responsibilities through marriage that other couples do. Can we count on your opposition to this effort to ban gay people from having marriage equality?"

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Well, first of all, I think that it would never happen in California because I think that California people are much further along with that issue. And, number two, I will always be there to fight against that, because it would never happen. I think we need a constitutional amendment so that foreign-born citizens can run for president, but not about gay marriage. That's a total waste of time."

Photos by Rex Wockner
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