Barry, Come Out of the Closet

His position makes no sense, and isn't changing: Dana Milbank

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton fell over herself congratulating her home state on its “historic vote” in favor of gay marriage this week. “I’ve always believed that we would make progress because we were on the right side of equality and justice,” she declared. “Clinton left out one salient detail though,” writes Dana Milbank of the Washington Post : “She and her boss, President Obama, oppose legalizing gay marriage.” They say they believe gay couples should be equal, yet oppose giving them the 1,300 federal benefits straight couples enjoy. More»

Charles Krauthammer: If it's a civil right, how can he let states deny it?

(NEWSER) - Charles Krauthammer sees a "howling contradiction" in President Obama's new position on gay marriage. It's one thing to have "empathy" for the cause, he writes in the Washington Post , to feel badly for gay friends and acquaintances who can't legally marry. It's quite another to call it the next logical step in the civil rights battle, as the president did. If gay marriage is, in fact, a civil right, how can Obama abide any state denying it? More»

That honor goes to James Buchanan: Jim Loewen

(NEWSER) - Tina Brown would like you to think that our 44th commander in chief is the "First Gay President." Jim Loewen would like you to know that title actually belongs to our country's 15th leader, James Buchanan. After taking a moment to smack Newsweek for the "cheap sensationalism" of its buzzy cover, Loewen imparts a history lesson. "Buchanan was gay, before, during and after his four years in the White House," he writes for Salon . And the country was well aware of it. (Not convinced? Consider this line from an 1844 letter Buchanan wrote: "I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them.") More»

Decision could cause problems during election in key states

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s official embrace of gay marriage will certainly energize some of his supporters, but it’s also sure to give him grief in these seven states, as rounded up by Politico :

• North Carolina: As evidenced by the recently-passed constitutional amendment banning it, gay marriage is not very popular with voters here. And North Carolina is not only a swing state—it will also host this year’s Democratic National Convention.
• Florida: To put it bluntly, senior citizens don’t tend to like gay marriage. Plus, a high percentage of them vote, and a large number of them live in Florida. An anti-gay marriage amendment passed by a landslide in 2008.

Calls New York's gay marriage law 'very important'

(NEWSER) - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel hopes that the land of Lincoln will follow New York's lead on gay marriage, reports Politico . “I would hope that the state would move in that direction,” said Emanuel. “Tremendous progress has been made across the country on a value statement. And I think that’s very important.” But Emanuel avoided criticizing President Obama's avoidance of endorsing all-out marriage for gay couples. “Whatever perspective I have, I’ll share with him,” Emanuel said. More»