Obama’s latt ‘evolutn’ on gay marriage: He lied about opposg , Axelrod says - The Washgton Post

Contents:

• THE 'EVOLUTN' OF OBAMA'S STANCE ON GAY MARRIAGE
• OBAMA'S GAY MARRIAGE NTROVERSY: 'I AM JT NOT VERY GOOD AT BULLSHTG'
• OBAMA’S LATT ‘EVOLUTN’ ON GAY MARRIAGE: HE LIED ABOUT OPPOSG , AXELROD SAYS
• AXELROD: OBAMA MISLED NATN WHEN HE OPPOSED GAY MARRIAGE IN 2008
• OBAMA SAYS HE DIDN'T MISLEAD ON GAY MARRIAGE

THE 'EVOLUTN' OF OBAMA'S STANCE ON GAY MARRIAGE

ABC broke to s daytime lp May 9, 2012, to announce a historic shift: the print of the Uned Stat clarg his personal support for gay marriage. While the print has nsistently supported civil rights for gay upl — pepperg his ments wh specifics such as hospal visatn, transfer of property and Social Secury benefs — his discsn of marriage has differed. I am not favor of gay marriage.

In 1996, as he ran for Illois state Senate, Chigo’s Outl gay newspaper asked ndidat to fill out a qutnnaire. Gay marriage? I am not a supporter of gay marriage as has been thrown about, primarily jt as a strategic issue.

OBAMA'S GAY MARRIAGE NTROVERSY: 'I AM JT NOT VERY GOOD AT BULLSHTG'

"(But) is my obligatn not only as an elected official a pluralistic society, but also as a Christian, to rema open to the possibily that my unwillgns to support gay marriage is misguid, jt as I nnot claim fallibily my support of abortn rights.

OBAMA’S LATT ‘EVOLUTN’ ON GAY MARRIAGE: HE LIED ABOUT OPPOSG , AXELROD SAYS

Still, a 2007 Democratic primary bate sponsored by a gay rights group and a gay-oriented ble TV channel, he spoke stead about his support for civil unns wh "all the benefs that are available for a legally sanctned marriage" — but not for legal regnn of "marriage" between same-sex upl.

He offered an explanatn that would prage his 2012 shift: "I thk that is an issue that I wrtle wh and thk about bee I have a whole host of iends who are gay partnerships. I've always been adamant that — gay and lbian — Amerins should be treated fairly and equally. And I had hated on gay marriage — part, bee I thought civil unns would be sufficient.

Obama, a nsistent supporter of civil rights for gay upl, neverthels said as early as 2004 and through 2008 that he didn’t support same-sex marriage.

AXELROD: OBAMA MISLED NATN WHEN HE OPPOSED GAY MARRIAGE IN 2008

Fox News, "OBAMA FLIP FLOPS ON GAY MARRIAGE, " May 9, 2012. POLITICO, "Evolve: Obama gay marriage quot, " May 9, 2012.

CNN Transcripts, "Anrson Cooper 360: Polics of Gay Marriage; Same-Sex Marriage Flip-Flop? MTV, "Barack Obama Answers Your Qutns About Gay Marriage, Payg For College, More, " Nov.

POLITICO's Unr the Radar blog, "Obama says he's evolvg on gay marriage, " Oct. Print Barack Obama told an ABC terviewer that he supports gay marriage.

OBAMA SAYS HE DIDN'T MISLEAD ON GAY MARRIAGE

Carolyn Kaster / APBy Wednday his views had evolved to the posn that gay and lbian rights advot had urged upon him sce 2004.

" At that time, he also dited that civil unns were aquate for gays and lbians. ”Acrdg to Chigo’s Daily Herald, while Obama was nng for Senate early 2004, he told the newspaper’s edorial board that the gay rights stggle was parable to the 1960s civil rights movement, sayg that his father and mother wouldn't have been allowed to marry some Southern stat. "So 's not as if I'm not sympathetic to the ia that … polics shouldn't get the way if somethg's right, " Obama told the then he add that gay rights advot had to make strategic cisns and phg for same-sex marriage wasn’t necsarily the bt strategy.

“What I also tell my gay and lbian iends is, look, if I was, you know, functng the early '60s tryg to get the Votg Rights Act passed and the Civil Rights Act passed, then I might not lead polilly wh, you know, tryg to reverse anti- miscegenatn laws.... But Obama's spokman, Robert Gibbs, said, "Barack Obama is opposed to gay marriage but believ civil unns as a policy, and sendly, our posn on a nstutnal amendment (limg marriage to heterosexuals) is exactly the same posn as Vice Print Dick Cheney's that 's unnecsary.