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| Last Updated:
Mar 11, 2010 - 9:20:54 PM |
Summers Unequivocally Supports Abortion, Homosexual Civil Unions
 | | Pro-Life Scontras Addresses Audience |
Six Congressional District One candidates attended a debate at Space Gallery Wednesday evening, March 26, 2008. Republican Dean Scontras, and Democrats Adam Cote, Chellie Pingree, Steve Meister, Michael Brennan, and Ethan Strimling all are competing for their respective party's nominations in the June primaries.
Two stand-ins for absent candidates, Mark Mallon for Democrat Mark Lawrence and Ruth Summers for Republican Charles Summers, also attended. The seat will be vacated by Democrat Tom Allen, who is running for U.S. Senate this November.
While the format of the debate did not allow for all candidates to reply to a single question, there were several moments where Scontras had the opportunity to address key issues of interest to social conservatives and evangelical 'values voters.' Scontras was the only candidate asked directly by moderator Justin Ellis of the Portland Press Herald about his opinion on homosexual marriage.
"I would support a [U.S.] Constitutional Amendment on [traditional] marriage," Scontras said, after citing a study of how inner-city children in Baltimore responded extremely positively to having a married mother and father in the household.
"As for whether I support gay marriage: no, I do not," concluded Scontras. His response was met by silence by the overwhelmingly sympathetic Democrat-favoring audience of Portland-area residents.
At the end of the debate, each candidate got an opportunity to ask one other candidate a question. Scontras took the opportunity to ask Summers about both abortion and homosexual marriage, noting how the Summers campaign has accepted donations from pro-abortion groups.
 | | Pro-Abortion Summers Campaign Staff |
"Charlie [Summers] supports a woman's right to choose [abortion]," said his wife unequivocally. Ruth Summers went on to say that he believes women can do with their own bodies what they want.
Transitioning in her response to the issue of homosexual marriage, she said plainly that Charlie Summers supports homosexual civil unions. Turning to face a group of homosexuals in the audience which included EqualityMaine's Public Policy Director Darlene Huntress, Summers raised her voice and quipped, "[Homosexuals] should have the right to be as miserable as the rest of us [heterosexuals]."
The event attracted approximately 200 people, and was co-sponsored by the League of Young Voters and the Professional Firefighters of Maine. The 2 1/2 hour debate was televised live on the Portland Community Television Network. The Portland Press Herald and local network stations all had reporters and television crews present. It was held at a downtown Portland art gallery and music venue, Space Gallery.
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