Obama's Same-sex 'Marriage' Position: Who Knows?

President Obama spent a few hours rubbing elbows with wealthy supporters of homosexual rights Thursday night in New York, but stopped short of endorsing same-sex marriage, instead, calling for equal rights for gay couples.

"This is clearly, financially, a very important group for the president."

For background, read Obama Knows America Opposes Gay Agenda and also read Homosexualists to Buy White House, Say Media



UPDATE 6/30/11: Obama again rides fence on "gay marriage" (video):


-- From "Despite pressure from activists, Obama sidesteps gay-marriage debate" by Perry Bacon Jr., Washington Post 6/23/11

As a few in the crowd shouted “marriage” and “Do you support it?” at him, President Obama on Thursday evening avoided taking a position on a measure being considered by the New York state legislature that would legalize gay marriage [that passed late Friday evening]. Instead he said, “I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country.”

“We’re going to keep on fighting until the law no longer treats committed partners who’ve been together for decades like they’re strangers,” Obama told a crowd of more than 600, many of whom had come from other states to attend his first fundraiser specifically for gays in the 2012 election cycle.

It was not clear how many people in the room were shouting at Obama on gay marriage. But they were loud, at one point yelling “marriage” enough times that the president stopped speaking and said, “I hear you guys.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Obama extols gay rights, stays neutral on gay marriage" by David Jackson, USA TODAY 6/24/11

The president said New York "is doing exactly what democracies are supposed to do," debating tough issues and proving "the power of our democratic system."

"It's not always pretty," Obama said. "There are setbacks. There are frustrations. But in grappling with tough and, at times, emotional issues in legislatures and in courts and at the ballot box, and, yes, around the dinner table and in the office hallways, and sometimes even in the Oval Office, slowly but surely we find the way forward."

In terms of outright advocacy, Obama cited efforts on partner benefits, repeal of the military's restriction on gays and his administration's refusal to make legal arguments on behalf of the Defense of Marriage Act, which strictly defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "President enters N.Y. same-sex marriage fray" posted at CBS News 6/24/11

Most of his words were met with applause from a packed room of 600 well-heeled gay and lesbian campaign donors. But mid-speech, members of the audience began chanting, "Marriage. Marriage. Marriage," protesting over what Mr. Obama didn't offer -- an endorsement of same-sex marriage.

The president replied to their chants, "I heard you guys."

The president openly supports civil unions for gay couples, but not gay marriage, a position The White House describes as "evolving." Some at the fundraiser said it's not evolving fast enough.

Politico White House reporter Julie Mason said of the president's position, "He doesn't want to alienate some moderates who are not really comfortable with the president taking that strong a stand on gay marriage. So it's a bit of a political calculation. Also, I'm just not sure he personally believes it. He has never indicated that has."

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Obama 'Evolving' but Stops Short of Endorsing Same-Sex Marriage" by Paul Stanley, Christian Post Reporter 6/24/11

The president’s comments were given as the New York Senate is one vote shy of legalizing same-sex marriage [but, in fact, did pass late Friday evening]. The state’s Assembly passed the bill by a vote of 80-63 last week. As of this afternoon, supporters are still one vote shy of passage.

Obama spent the first half of his speech talking about typical issues such as jobs, the killing of Osama bin Laden and issues relating to the middle “class.” Although his aides continue to use the term “evolving” when they reference the president’s position on same-sex marriage, Obama stopped short of endorsing gay marriage.

Obama is often described as the most “gay-friendly president in history,” a phrase formally used to describe President Clinton, so many in the audience were looking for more.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also read Obama's Advancement of the Gay Agenda Enumerated for a list of 39 accomplishments by the Obama Administration in advancing the Gay Agenda.

Tea Party is Racist Christians, says NPR Exec

"The Tea Party is fanatically involved in people's personal lives and very fundamental Christian — I wouldn't even call it Christian. It's this weird evangelical kind of move."
— Ron Schiller, Senior VP for Development, National Public Radio

UPDATE 3/10/11: NPR president and CEO Vivian Schiller resigns in wake of anti-Christian comments

-- From "NPR exec: tea party is ‘scary,’ ‘racist’" by Keach Hagey, Politico 3/8/11

James O’Keefe, master of the video sting, targets NPR this time, in a pretty damaging interview with Ron Schiller, NPR’s senior vice president for development, and Betsy Liley, senior director of institutional giving.

O’Keefe’s compatriots, Shaughn Adeleye and Simon Templar, posed as members of a Muslim group with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood that wants to give NPR $5 million in light of the recent Republican threats to defund public broadcasting.

In the course of a lunch at Café Milano, Schiller presents himself as a liberal who thinks the tea party is “scary” and that there are not enough Muslim voices on the American airwaves, nodding as his lunchmates say they are glad NPR allows Hamas's and Hezbollah's views to be heard.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "James O'Keefe records former NPR executives on secret video" by Melissa Bell, Washington Post 3/8/11

In the video, NPR Foundation's senior VP for development Ron Schiller and senior director of institutional giving Betsy Liley talk to the donors about Juan Williams, anti-intellectualism and the tea party, which Schiller calls "a weird evangelical kind of move ... seriously racist."

"James O'Keefe catches NPR fundraiser talking exactly like a conservative nightmare of what NPR sounds like," Dave Weigel at Slate wrote on Twitter after posting the video.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "NPR Executive Caught Calling Tea Partiers ‘Racist’" by Brian Stelter, New York Times, 3/8/11

On the videotape, Mr. Schiller tells people posing as Muslim philanthropists that the Republican party has been “hijacked” by the Tea Party and that Tea Party supporters are “seriously racist, racist people.” Mr. Schiller indicates that he is sharing his personal point of view, not NPR’s.

On the secretly recorded video, Mr. Schiller, whose job is to solicit non-federal funding for NPR, says he feels that the organization would be better without the federal funds. He also says that some stations could “go dark” without the funds.

Mr. Schiller [said], “I think what we all believe is if we don’t have Muslim voices in our schools, on the air, I mean, it’s the same thing we faced as a nation when we didn’t have female voices.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

Also CLICK HERE to read the saga of the secularists vs. the Christian Tea Party movement (follow successive embedded links).

Obama 'In Bed' with Homosexuals for 2012

Eyeing low public approval ratings, the Obama campaign has opted to discard the presidential oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution" with regard to the Defense of Marriage Act, in favor of cash from the homosexualists.

Read previous article Same-sex 'Marriage' Via Purchasing of Politicians (How does a minority view representing about 3% of the population gain control in Congress? Follow the money . . . of Tim Gill.)

UPDATE 3/14/11: Homosexualists press Obama for more

-- From "DOMA move helps President Obama with gays" by Josh Gerstein, Politico 3/1/11

President Barack Obama’s decision to stop fighting lawsuits challenging the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA] has dramatically warmed his relationship with gay and lesbian activists — clearing the way for the president and Democrats to fundraise aggressively in the gay community in the crucial lead-up to his 2012 reelection bid.

“The mood has gotten a lot better,” said DNC Treasurer Andrew Tobias, who is gay and has long been a key leader for the party in the LGBT community. “More and more, people are recognizing that we’ve made some very real gains and have a president and a party eager to make some more very real gains.”

The praise is a sharp contrast from the complaints and protests from the gay community that marked much of Obama’s first two years in office. Frustrated activists grew restless over snail’s-pace progress on agenda items like the repeal of the military’s ban on gays in uniform, and they watched with alarm as the Justice Department tried to justify keeping benefits from same-sex couples — a key effect of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Some gay Democratic donors organized boycotts. Others picketed fundraisers Obama headlined, and even heckled him at public events.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "In Defense of the Defense of Marriage Act" by David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey, Wall Street Journal 3/2/11

Marriage is unlike any other governmental benefit. License to marry carries with it far more than mere permission, as in obtaining a license to drive or practice a profession. The reason that gay-rights supporters are so determined to achieve equal status for same-sex unions, and the reason that so many others vigorously oppose that recognition, is that marriage is an affirmative statement of societal approval.

DOMA recognizes and protects the unique constitutional role of the states in deciding these issues. It is through the democratic process within the states that a genuine and lasting resolution to the question of same-sex marriage can and should be found.

Inviting a comprehensive judicial resolution of the issues surrounding same-sex marriage, which is what the administration has done by announcing that it will no longer defend the law, is the worst of all possible solutions. There is a political process taking place that has secured, and doubtless will continue to secure, the ability of same-sex couples to marry in many states. Shutting down that process through a judicial ruling will end all possibility of compromise. And like Roe v. Wade's effort to finally "solve" the abortion debate, it will divide our society on this issue for decades to come.

President Obama took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and one aspect of that responsibility is to defend the laws Congress enacts against constitutional attack if there is any reasonable defense to be made. There is such a defense to be made for DOMA.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Newt Gingrich: Obama Could Be Impeached Over Gay Marriage Reversal" by Paul Bedard, U.S.News & World Report 2/25/11

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich [said] . . . that if President Obama doesn't change his mind and order his Justice Department to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, Republicans in Congress should strike back and even consider impeachment proceedings.

"I believe the House Republicans next week should pass a resolution instructing the president to enforce the law and to obey his own constitutional oath, and they should say if he fails to do so that they will zero out [defund] the office of attorney general and take other steps as necessary until the president agrees to do his job," said Gingrich. "His job is to enforce the rule of law and for us to start replacing the rule of law with the rule of Obama is a very dangerous precedent."

The president's decision not to enforce the law that protects traditional marriage was a major policy switch and was seen as a bow to the gay community that has pushed hard to win the right to marriage in many states. Gays have been politically active for Obama, though some have been critical of his defense of traditional marriage.

. . . the president also gave another olive branch to the community, naming [Jeremy Bernard as] the first gay social secretary for the White House.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Conservative Group: Did Obama Justice Dept. Collaborate With Those Trying to Overturn California’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban?" by Susan Jones, CNSNews.com 3/2/11

A conservative advocacy group wants to know if the U.S. Justice Department had any behind-the-scenes correspondence or communication with various law firms and/or groups that are suing California over its voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage.

The Family Research Council has filed a freedom of information act (FOIA) request with the Justice Department, seeking any and all communications between Justice Department officials and various law firms or liberal advocacy groups that oppose, or are involved in the legal fight against either California’s Proposition 8 or the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

The FRC noted in its FOIA request that Attorney General Eric Holder – on Feb. 23 – held a news conference and then sent a letter to Congress announcing that the Obama administration would no longer defend the federal definition of marriage found in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Less than three hours after Holder’s announcement, litigants seeking to strike down California’s definition of traditional marriage filed a “motion to vacate stay” in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. That motion cited and/or quoted from Holder’s letter twice -- on pages 7 and 10.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "Obama’s homosexual America" by Jeffrey T. Kuhner, The Washington Times 2/24/11

Although he claims still to be “grappling” with the issue of same-sex marriage, the president is a radical social liberal. He supports “strong” civil unions for homosexuals. He claims that restrictions on homosexuals getting married are “discriminatory” and “homophobic.” He endorses abortion on demand - including the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion. He defends embryonic stem-cell research. He has nothing but kind things to say about euthanasia. In short, he champions the culture of death.

Mr. Obama’s stated goal is to transform America. The most destructive aspect is this revolution against traditional morality. He is trying to make homosexuality a permanent, legitimate feature of American life. . . . By abandoning DOMA, Mr. Obama is paving the way for the final assault on the last bastion of conservatism - the family.

[President Obama's] attack on DOMA is not only for political purposes. It is also ideological.

From its inception, the modern left has sought to destroy the traditional family. Marriage has been the bedrock institution of the Christian West; smash it, and the entire civilizational edifice comes crashing down.

The homosexual lifestyle signifies the triumph of neo-pagan Epicureanism.

To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.

Also read, Obama 'Throws Marriage Under the Bus'

Same-sex 'Marriage' Via Purchasing of Politicians

How does a minority view representing about 3% of the population gain control in Congress? Follow the money . . . of Tim Gill.

Read related article: Obama 'In Bed' with Homosexuals for 2012

UPDATE 7/11/12: Lesbian Political Action Committee to raise $millions$ to influence elections

UPDATE 7/19/11: Gay Lobby Purchases Same-sex 'Marriage' in New York

UPDATE 4/22/11: Tim Gill's national Gill Action Fund buying Republican votes in New York Senate to pass same-sex 'marriage'

-- From "Gay rights take center stage in N.Y." by Ben Smith & Byron Tau, Politico 12/14/10

[The] low-profile Colorado millionaire, Tim Gill, and other gay donors financed a quiet . . . campaign that helped unseat three incumbent [New York] state legislators and opened a new phase in the politics of the gay rights movement that could have an even larger impact on the 2012 cycle. Under the New York model, well-funded gay rights groups will seek to make support for same-sex marriage as mandatory in blue America as allegiance to the Second Amendment is in red America — and to make opposition just as politically suicidal.

. . . Bill Smith, the deputy executive director of the Gill Action Fund, the donor’s political arm . . . [said] “This is the first time we’re going to name names and say, ‘We’re coming to get you because you’re against marriage equality.’ “The point is, when you vote against marriage equality, there are consequences.”

The New York campaign marks a sea change in the politics of same-sex marriage, one driven by a political context that — in Democratic-leaning states, at least — has changed dramatically in the past decade. In New York, for instance, the past half-decade has seen nearly every statewide Democrat shift his or her position into supporting full marriage equality, as public support in the most recent state polls hovers near 50 percent. Gill, a publicity-shy Coloradan who made his money in software, drew national attention in 2007, when The Atlantic revealed that he’d led a successful, stealth effort to unseat dozens of anti-gay state legislators across the country.

That has now changed.

Gay donors “came out of the closet with this,” said David Mixner, a veteran gay activist who called the New York campaign “transformational.”

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "The Growing Power of the Gay Rights Movement" by Joshua Green, senior editor of The Atlantic and Boston Globe columnist 12/14/10

What was interesting about Gill in 2007 was that he was the rare major donor content to remain anonymous; indeed, his political strategy of quietly jumping into races at the last moment with boatloads of money to defeat anti-gay politicians depended upon it. Gill's great success in the last few years was influencing the makeup of Iowa's state legislature, knocking off opponents and supporting gay rights' advocates (not all of them vocal), in anticipation of the Iowa Supreme Court ruling upholding gay marriage. By the time that happened, the legislature had become amenable enough to gay marriage--largely as a result of Gill's years-long effort--that no law overturning the decision could pass. The court's ruling stood.

[Gill's] group is openly targeting anti-gay pols, and in a very devious, clever, and effective sort of way--mostly on issues other than gay marriage, which is often more damaging to the target. More than anything, I think, the story is a marker of just how rapidly gay rights have gained acceptance in the last three years.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

From "N.Y. Marriage: Hey, You Never Know" by Julie Bolcer, [pro-homosexual] Advocate.com 12/17/10

Groups like the Tim Gill–financed PAC Fight Back New York, the Empire State Pride Agenda, and the Human Rights Campaign demonstrated their ability to harness money and human power toward the defeat of incumbents who voted against marriage equality [a.k.a. same-sex marriage]. Targeted efforts in November ended the careers of two long-term incumbents, a Republican from Queens and a Democrat from Buffalo. The Queens victory in particular, coupled with pro-equality candidates’ sweep of statewide offices, sends a signal to lawmakers in nearby neighborhoods that it is time to support the bill, or else.

To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.

They Will Never Know What Hit Them...

The software mogul Tim Gill has a mission: Stop the Rick Santorums of tomorrow before they get started. How a network of gay political donors is stealthily fighting sexual discrimination and reshaping American politics

-- From "They Won’t Know What Hit Them" by Joshua Green, The Atlantic - March 2007

A tough loss can be hard to swallow, and plenty of defeated politicians have been known to grumble about sinister conspiracies. When they are rising stars like Danny Carroll, the Republican speaker pro tempore of Iowa’s House of Representatives, and the loss is unexpected, the urge to blame unseen forces can be even stronger—and in Carroll’s case, it would have the additional distinction of being justified. Carroll was among the dozens of targets of a group of rich gay philanthropists who quietly joined forces last year, under the leadership of a reclusive Colorado technology mogul, to counter the tide of antigay politics in America that has generated, among other things, a succession of state ballot initiatives banning gay marriage. Carroll had sponsored such a bill in Iowa and guided it to passage in the state House of Representatives, the first step toward getting it on the ballot.

Like many other state legislatures last year, Iowa’s was narrowly divided. So all it would take to break the momentum toward a constitutional marriage ban was to tip a few close races. If Democrats took control of the House and Senate, however narrowly, the initiative would die, and with it the likelihood of further legislation limiting civil rights for gays and lesbians. And, fortuitously, Carroll’s own reelection race looked to be one of the closest. He represented the liberal college town of Grinnell and had won the last time around by just a handful of votes.

Over the summer, Carroll’s opponent started receiving checks from across the country—significant sums for a statehouse race, though none so large as to arouse suspicion (the gifts topped out at $1,000). Because they came from individuals and not from organizations, nothing identified the money as being “gay,” or even coordinated. Only a very astute political operative would have spotted the unusual number of out-of-state donors and pondered their interest in an obscure midwestern race. And only someone truly versed in the world of gay causes would have noticed a $1,000 contribution from Denver, Colorado, and been aware that its source, Tim Gill, is the country’s biggest gay donor, and the nexus of an aggressive new force in national politics.

Read the rest at the Atlantic.com