Uncategorized on homosexual marriages, President Obama occasionally hints at an evolution by Michael Scherer | @michaelscherer | October 28, 2010 | + Tweet
Adam noted this below, but I think it's worth reproducing in full the exchange President Obama had on Wednesday with a liberal blogger about same-sex marriage. It sounds as though the president is trying to say something, but he knows he can't for political reasons, which is striking because the White House message on most other things is that they are willing to take political arrows and darts as long as the policy is right. So here goes:
Q: And this one is a question about marriage. Since you've been president, a lot has changed. More states have passed marriage equality laws. This summer, a federal judge declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional in two different cases. A judge in San Francisco declared Prop 8 was unconstitutional. And I know in that campaign, you often said you believed marriage was a union between a man and a woman, and — as I said, when you look at public opinion polling Mulberry Alexa Tasker, it's going in the right direction. We actually have gotten Republicans like Ted Olson and even Ken Mehlman on our side now. So I just really want to know, what is your position on same-sex marriage, Mr. President?
Joe: I don't intend to do a big news sit-down here with five of you, as wonderful as all of you are. (Laughter) But I will say this — Q: I will just say, I would be remiss if I didn't ask you this question.
The President: Of course.
Q: People in our society are really desperate to know.
The President: I think it's a fair question to ask. I believe — I am a strong supporter of civil unions. As you said, I have at this point been unwilling to sign on to same-sex marriage primarily because of my upbringing and my training in traditional definitions of marriage. But I think you're also right that attitudes are changing, including mine. And I think it's a question that I wrestle with and think about because I have a lot of friends who are in same-sex partnerships. I have staff who are in committed, monogamous relationships who are raising kids and are wonderful parents. And I care deeply about them. And so while I'm not ready to go there yet, sitting in the Roosevelt Room at 3:30 in the afternoon, I think it's fair to say that it's something I think long and hard about. That's probably the best you're going to get out of me today. (Laughter)
Q: It's an important issue, and I think — The President: I think it's a perfectly fair question to ask.
During the campaign, Obama said he wanted to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage in federal law as being between a man and a woman, and he said he supports civil unions. If you'd like to read more about this exchange, see Joe Sudbay's post over at AmericaBlog.
In the press briefing today, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was pressed to elaborate on what Obama meant by his attitude "evolving" on same-sex marriage:
Yesterday in a session with bloggers the president said that his views were evolving with regard to same-sex marriage. I wonder, Mulberry Handtasker, if you can elaborate on that, and when the president might complete his evolution of thinking and come to a conclusion? (Laughter)
Gibbs: Well, I would — I will — see, I would — I'll refer you to the blogger, I think, who sent out — the correct — the full transcript of what the president said. I think he went through what his views are. He went through why his views are that. But, you know, Mulberry Denmark, like as he simultaneously talks to colleagues and staff and — and hears — hears them talk about being treated differently, and the president internalizes that. So I don't have much to add to that answer because I think he went through where he is and what he thinks about that.
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