A quick one for today, and I'll probably come back with more over the weekend. This one pisses me off:
From an interview of President Barack Obama by Brian Williams of NBC, in response to William's question: "Do gay and lesbian couples who wish to marry have a friend in the White House?"
"I think gays and lesbians have a friend in the White House because I've consistently committed myself to civil unions, making sure that they have to visit each other in hospitals, that they are able to access benefits, that they have a whole host of legal rights that they currently do not have. I don't think it makes sense for the federal government to get in the business of determining what marriage is. That isn't traditionally the federal government's role."
As Pam Spaulding notes, the short translation is "No." This answer, from a constitutional scholar, is so full of holes that you could make cheese with it -- except the holes are too big.
First, he's endorsing once again second-class status for same-sex couples. Second, the federal government is already in the business of determining what marriage is: have you heard of DOMA, Mr. President? The law that you pledged to repeal and so far have done nothing about? And I mean nothing.
And note how he hems and haws his way through this one -- as though the question caught him flat. After the grillings that everyone in the administration in a position to make a comment on gay issues have been going through in recent weeks, how is that possible?
It's deja vu all over again: ask a simple question, and the president doesn't have an answer.
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