Obama Campaign on Marriage Equality Balancing Act

This has been the news all day today.

You can imagine the folks behind the scenes of the campaign preparing to slice and dice every comma and period of each statement coming out so it doesn’t offend one group but also keeps support for others (and you know who I mean).

Good for Andrea Mitchell for patiently waiting to specifically ask the question she was getting to. What a pro.

Mitt Romney on gay rights – 1994

A letter was published today on the internet that came from then-senate candidate Mitt Romney that was written to the Log Cabin Republicans in 1994.

While we’ve all heard about Romney’s flip-flopping, the letter is kind of stunning in it’s clarity of how “then” Mitt Romney supported rights for gays and lesbians – specifically on the issues of gays in the military and ENDA (Employment Non-discrimination Act).

In the letter he promises – if elected – to co-sponsor ENDA and actually broaden the bill to include housing and credit, and the bill to create a federal panel to find ways to reduce gay and lesbian youth suicide.

He goes on to say that, regarding DADT, “it is the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation’s military.  That goal will only be reached when preventing discrimination against gays and lesbians is a mainstream concern, which is a goal we share.”

Where is this Mitt Romney today?  And what – other than political considerations – would change his mind on these subjects?

 Here’s a link to a PDF of the letter.

NBC’s Chuck Todd: Obama will support marriage equality “before the convention”

NBC Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd on Monday predicted that President Barack Obama would announce his support for marriage equality before the November election because LGBT donors had become more important to his campaign than Wall Street donors. 

“They are so sensitive to Biden doing this because, number one, gay money in this election has replaced Wall Street money,” Todd explained.  “What I keep being told is [President Barack Obama is] not ever going to announce his change in his position at a press conference. He’ll do it a more appropriate venue.”

NBC host David Gregory agreed: “I think they are moving this closer and closer to the edge, and things like this are going to happen, that they are going to find these opportunities where they are much more forward-leaning and it’s very difficult to walk back. So I don’t know how they ultimately choreograph this. But the expectation is if they get into a second term, that’s when it will be done.”

But Todd argued that support for marriage equality would come well before Obama’s second term.

“I think this forces the conversation,” the chief White House correspondent said. “I think they do it sooner. I think it will be before the convention.”
(source)

NC: Final ad opposing anti-gay Amendment One

Rise Up Against Amendment One

From the YouTube page: A chorus of voices have arisen over the past few months to warn North Carolinians of the harms of Amendment One.

Watch this video, share it, and vote AGAINST Amendment One on Tuesday, May 8th.

Polls aren’t looking good. When people understand exactly what the amendment does more oppose it than support it, but not enough folks seem to know all the facts. Ugh.

Gallup poll: President Obama leads Romney in swing states

In the first Gallup Swing States Poll since Romney became the presumptive GOP nominee, President Obama leads Romney 47%-45%.

Romney also seems to lag in the enthusiasm department: among who see themselves as “very” or “extremely” enthusiastic for their candidate, President Obama leads Romney 55%-46%.

The enthusiasm gap could be significant on election day in terms of “getting out the vote.”

We’ll see…

International Firefighters Day

Somehow, I missed the fact that Friday, May 4th, was International Firefighters Day!

How that happened I can’t begin to imagine, but I want to make sure I urge you all to thank a firemen for what they do.  They keep our communities safe and risk their lives doing it.

Happy belated International Firefighters Day! 

Plus, who doesn’t like looking at firemen?