[Emphasis not in original but noted to highlight key comments --Webmaster]


GOOD MORNING AMERICA
New York, New York
October 26, 2004
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - CHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS

All right. Thanks, Tony. We're gonna turn again now to our exclusive
interview with President George W. Bush. Everybody knows it's now one of
the tightest presidential races ever. And over the weekend, I had some time
to spend with the president and the first lady at their ranch down in
Crawford, Texas. And we covered a wide range of personal, sensitive
subjects, including religion and their views of homosexuality.

CHARLES GIBSON: I want to ask you about one social issue, 'cause you gave
an answer that I thought was really interesting in the third debate. Bob
Schieffer asked you if you thought homosexuals were born that way ...

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES: Yeah.

CHARLES GIBSON: ... or became that way. And you said you didn't know.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Right. I don't.

CHARLES GIBSON: So, the possibility, it's a nature-nurture argument. So,
the possibility exists in your mind that it could be nature.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Sure.

CHARLES GIBSON: They could be born that way. If that's the case, just for
sake of argument, that's an unalterable characteristic for them. That's like
being black or being a woman. So, how can we deny them rights in any way to
a civil union that would allow, give them the same economic rights or health
rights or other things?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I don't think we should deny people rights to a
civil union, a legal arrangement, if that's when a state chooses to do so.

CHARLES GIBSON: But the (Republican Party) platform opposes it.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I don't. I view the definition of marriage different from legal arrangements that enable people to have rights. And I strongly believe that marriage ought to be defined as between, a union
between a man and a woman.

CHARLES GIBSON: So, the Republican platform on that point, as far as you're
concerned, is wrong?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Right.

CHARLES GIBSON: How about the constitutional amendment on marriage?

LAURA BUSH, FIRST LADY: Well, I think it gives the United States a chance
to debate the issue. I think it's an issue that people want to talk about.
But with respect to everyone involved, and with respect to people.

CHARLES GIBSON: Do you agree with him on the constitutional amendment?

LAURA BUSH: I'm not really sure about it. I think it's important to have
the debate.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Look, if, if you're, if you're interested in
preserving marriage as a union between a man and a woman, there is one way
to do so without the courts making the decisions, that's through the
constitutional process.

CHARLES GIBSON: Do we all worship the same God, Christian and Muslim?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I think we do.

CHARLES GIBSON: Do Christians and non-Christians and Muslims go to heaven
in your mind?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Yes, they do. We have different routes of getting there. But I will, I, I want you to understand, I want your listeners to understand, I don't get to decide who goes to heaven. The almighty God
decides who goes to heaven. And I am on my personal walk.