STF NA MÍDIA

consultation could put the
reforms back on track. It will
be the first time that any British
government has formally
looked at full marriage rights
for gay and lesbian couples.
"I am delighted to confirm
that early next year, this government
will begin a formal
consultation on equal civil
marriage for same-sex couples,"
said Featherstone.
"This would allow us to make
any legislative changes
before the end of this parliament,"
she said.
"We will be working closely
with all those who have an
interest in the area to understand
their views ahead of the
formal consultation."
The change would affect
England and Wales but not
Scotland or Northern Ireland.
The proposal to enable full
equality of civil marriage and
civil partnerships for samesex
couples has been welcomed
in the past by Quakers,
Liberal Jews and Unitarians
but the Anglicans and the
Roman Catholics have been
less enthusiastic. Leading
figures in the Church of England
have been uncomfortable
with the idea that civil
partnerships should be equated
with full marriage.
The House of Bishops has
taken a consistent view that
vicars should not provide
services of blessing for those
who register civil partnerships
as it would lead to inconsistencies
and confusion.
Conservative evangelical
groups, such as Affinity and
the Christian Institute, have
even demanded protection
against legal action for refusing
to host civil partnerships.
Eight British couples filed a
joint legal application to the
European court of human
rights in February seeking to
overturn the twin bans on
gay civil marriages and heterosexual
civil partnerships.
A Church of England spokesperson
said: "The Church
of England s view remains
that marriage is a life-long
relationship entered into
between a man and a woman."
JUSTIÇA NO EXTERIOR •
THE NEW YORK TIMES (US) • EDITORIALS, OP-ED AND LED • 17/9/2011
How the Big Money Finds a Way In
By EDUARDO PORTER
Companies, unions and other
interest groups poured about
$300 million into campaign
ads in the 2010 Congressional
elections after the Supreme
Court’s Citizens United
decision opened the sluices
to unlimited spending by
independent groups. That
will look like a trickle compared
with the gusher coming
in 2012.
Gov. Rick Perry’s supporters
have created a group called
Make Us Great Again, which
plans to spend up to $55 million
to help him win the Republican
presidential nomination.
Unions and other
supporters of Democrats, too,
are starting to funnel money
into independent groups like
Priorities USA Action, which
has raised $3.2 million for
the presidential race and
plans to raise much more.
These groups, which are not
supposed to coordinate with
candidates’ campaigns or the
political parties, are called
Super PACs, but the label
doesn’t much matter. The
point is that in the past several
years outside groups —
using various types of financing
vehicles — have accounted
for a growing share
of the money spent in federal
elections.
The first chart shows the
steady rise in total spending
in federal elections in both
presidential and nonpresidential
years over the last decade.
Over that time, money
spent by outside groups jum-
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