WASHINGTON -- Friday's U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage across the country gave Democrats running for president a rallying cry, while Republicans disagreed with resignation, vitriol or somewhere in between.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was conciliatory, saying:
"In a country as diverse as ours, good people who have opposing views should be able to live side by side. It is now crucial that as a country we protect religious freedom and the right of conscience and also not discriminate."
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., sounded ready to move on from this legal fight:
"While I disagree with this decision, we live in a republic and must abide by the law. As we look ahead, it must be a priority of the next president to nominate judges and justices committed to applying the Constitution as written and originally understood."
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, meanwhile, sounded like he was preparing for armed insurrection:
"I will not acquiesce to an imperial court any more than our Founders acquiesced to an imperial British monarch. We must resist and reject judicial tyranny, not retreat."
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was not going that far, as he vowed to appoint conservative justices if elected and spoke of the religious liberty fight to come:
"I call on the president and all governors to join me in reassuring millions of Americans that the government will not force them to participate in activities that violate their deeply held religious beliefs. No one wants to live in a country where the government coerces people to act in opposition to their conscience. We will continue to fight for the freedoms of all Americans."
Democrats were in a celebratory mood. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley even went down to the Supreme Court to join in.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community's battles go beyond marriage:
"For too many LGBT Americans who are subjected to discriminatory laws, true equality is still just out of reach. While we celebrate today, our work won't be finished until every American can not only marry, but live, work, pray, learn and raise a family free from discrimination and prejudice. We cannot settle for anything less."
Clinton in recent days has used the issue to fire up supporters. When her campaign sent out an email asking backers to "tell us why you're a part of this campaign," Kevin Lowery, of Milton, wrote back.
Lowery told the Clinton camp he is glad Clinton supports protections for gay couples, considering that he had married his husband in New York City a couple years ago, but the union still was not recognized in Georgia.
Clinton replied Thursday with a blast email to all of her supporters quoting from Lowery's letter and adding: "Any day now, the Supreme Court will decide whether or not to recognize marriages across the country. Like millions of people, I’m waiting and hoping. And I’m thinking of families like Kevin’s."
In a phone interview, Lowery said he was surprised by Clinton's reply.
"I feel like people like her operate in an entirely different world than I do," Lowery said. "To be brought into such close connection, it’s probably one of the coolest things I've ever felt, one of the closest things I've felt to ever meeting a celebrity."
Then came Friday's even bigger news.
"I feel like I'm on Cloud Nine," Lowery said.
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