Here's what VP Biden said about gay marriage, from Roll Call:
“I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual men and women marrying one another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties,” Biden said. "Frankly, I don't see much of a distinction beyond that."
"More and more Americans have come to understand what this is all about is a simple proposition: Who do you love? … And will you be loyal to the person you love? And that's what people are finding out is what all marriages at their root are about. Whether they're marriages of lesbians or gay men or heterosexuals," he said.Here's what the White House, via top adviser David Axelrod, is now claiming that Biden said:
On his personal Twitter account, Axelrod wrote that what Biden said "that all married couples should have exactly the same legal rights" is "precisely" the position of Obama.Wrong. Biden talked about the marriages of gays and lesbians being the same as heterosexual marriages. And Axelrod's attempt to back away from what the White House apparently sees as the radioactive nature of our civil rights is patently offensive.
So, in conclusion: 1. No one will believe Axelrod's denial. 2. The religious right already has been claiming that President Obama is for gay marriage, and they'll use this incident as further proof, regardless of Axelrod's denial. And, 3. Gays will find Axelrod's denial, and the odd claim that the President supports equal benefits for married gays while he doesn't support the prerequisite for us getting those benefits, marriage itself, hypocritical, political, and offensive.
So, to recap: All Axelrod's denial does is further tick the gays off while doing nothing to dispel the notion on the right that the President already embraces gay marriage.
Dumb dumb dumb.
