I always wonder if there is any evidence that these gay best friends are real. I remember Santorum, Palin, Bachmann, and others all saying they have gay friends who don’t mind their political views. I always want the reporter to ask for evidence and to interview what those friends actually think. I’m sure that some homophobic politicians have gay friends, but I’m guessing that many times those friends are made up, or they are acquaintances who act civil but hold the politician in contempt and make fun of them behind their back.
Glad he came out so to speak as it is a human right but forgive me for being cynical as to his timing. It’s a purely political move. He could (and should) have said the exact same thing when he won big in '08 and had both houses.
You dont know that Romney did it.
You realize Romney already owned up to it and apologized, right?
You can’t take Romney’s word for what Romney’s done.
Did Romney said he deliberately assaulted someone because they’re gay? Sorry if I missed it.
If that’s the case I guess he’s got some explaining to do - and he gets held to the same scrutiny as Obama. What’s his positions been on gays throughout the years? Has he bashed them?
Nah he just did some crack.
I dont much like Romney but I have to be fair at least, unlike some of the one sided bs I see around here.
Bingo. But politics has a funny way of making supporters jump up and down and drool over nothing. The mainstream media, if I didnt know better, are talking about Superman today. It’s incredible. (Links above in a prior post about his bravery and courage and another anchor getting chills over it)
It is definitely at least a somewhat political move. And yes, maybe it would have been good if he had said the same thing earlier. But it’s not like he’s done nothing for gay rights before now. This article has a good summary of what he’s accomplished on the LGBT front.
You do realize this is a change from his previous position? It is a big deal for the President to say he thinks that SSM is ok. I’m sorry ti isn’t bold enough for some people, but it is a big change, for a sitting President to say he supports it. Hopefully his stance evolves more, but getting past the philosophical difference with the concept is far more important than a discussion of federalism.
It looks like I spoke too broadly. He apologized for various “hijinks and pranks” that “went too far” in his youth, but said he didn’t remember the haircut incident and that he wasn’t aware of the sexual orientation of anyone involved. It apparently made a hell of an impression on his old friends, because four or five of them agree it happened as reported (and that the kid was an outcast because he was seen as gay). It does bespeak a creepy kind of cruelty to do something like that, but it’s also true that it was more than 45 years ago and people do sometimes grow up. All things considered I’d rather talk about his lack of interest in gay rights as he panders to conservatives today.
Cocaine, not crack (interesting switch) and that wasn’t discovered by reporters - that’s something Obama wrote about on his own. You tend to be treated differently when you acknowledge something yourself rather than denying or minimizing or self-servingly admitting it when other people hear about it. Notwithstanding that doing drugs yourself is a bit different than scaring the shit out of somebody else. The big relevation in the biography is apparently that Obama created some composite characters in his memoir. That might be a devastating discovery if Obama hadn’t made a note of it in the foreword of the book.
When will we be getting to that portion of the evening’s events? 
A white Democrat could do this without seriously risking those votes. Obama has no worries.
Interesting article from The Nation: “Conservatives, Romney, Caught Off Guard On Gay Marriage.”
I am not a lawyer, a tax accountant, or an insurance guy. But I thought legal marriage was already secular, and always has been. I get the same legal and economic benefits from my marriage, regardless of whether the wedding ceremony was performed at a Mormon temple, an Elvis chapel, or a non-religious justice of the peace. Don’t I? When I was married, I received a formal-looking form with an embossed stamp from the county clerk, as well as a flowery certificate from the church that performed the ceremony. They are two very different documents. The debate doesn’t seem to be about whether we can “force churches who are unwilling to perform weddings for gay people to do so”. Nearly everyone would agree that Mormons should not be legally required to open the doors of their temples to gay couples. The debate is about whether same-sex couples ought to be allowed to be legally married.
Jimmy Carter: I did flip-flop on that, and I apologize for saying that my only flip-flop was on the Kelly matter. Uh, but, uh… I-I’m flip-flopping this very moment on the issue of flip-flopping! And, uh, I honestly believe that, uh, by apologizing as quickly as I am right now, I’m saving myself the embarrassment that normally accompanies flip-flopping. [buzzer sounds]
Hah! I love me some Shep Smith. How has he avoided being fired? 
Amen. And maybe that’s starting to happen:
Maybe the shame of their position is helping to feed this. I think it’s great that homophobia is now “politically incorrect”.
Here’s what it’s all about! 
Awesome toon!
Over i Eve’s closed thread, Martin Hyde says this:
I’m thinking that at 20 years the core issues that historically define the party are the culture wars.
<Marv Albert>Yesss!!</ma>