This is good news. It's also very odd. I'm finding it hard to believe that this many Democrats, including 22 Democratic Senators, would support including such a plank in the party platform when the President claims to be opposed to gay marriage. You'd think the last thing Obama would want is for the issue to come up this year if he's not planning on embracing it.
Then why are so many Democrats willing to speak out on this, when that's not something they traditionally do? Meaning, Senators don't normally do things to put their own party leader in a tough spot the year of his re-election campaign. So why are they doing it, why are they speaking out like this? Did the White House give them the nod, is Obama actually planning on doing something on marriage this year? I find it hard to believe that this many senior Democratic politicians are speaking out in favor of a marriage equality plank that will embarrass the President (if he doesn't come out in favor of marriage equality), unless they've gotten the President's blessing. And why would he give that, unless he's planning on coming out in favor of marriage equality (again) this year before the election?
Politico:
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — the chairman of the 2012 Democratic National Convention — said on Wednesday that he favors a gay marriage legalization plank in his party’s platform.
Villaraigosa publicly announced he backs the national party taking a stance on marriage equality, an issue he has long supported, at Wednesday’s POLITICO Playbook Breakfast. President Barack Obama doesn’t support legalization but has said his position is evolving.
During a wide-ranging interview, POLITICO’s Mike Allen at one point asked the recently selected chairman, “Do you think that the Democratic national platform should have a marriage equality plank?”
“I do, I think it’s basic to who we are,” Villaraigosa said. “I believe in family values and I believe that we all ought to be able to have a family and marry if you want to. I don’t think the government should be in that business of denying people the fundamental right to marry.”
