Republicans and the radical religious right wing have staged an all-too-expected freak out over the news today that President Obama now support same-sex marriage.

The headline at Fox News’ Fox Nation reads:

OBAMA FLIP FLOPS, DECLARES WAR ON MARRIAGE

which must have been too extreme for even Fox, because later they changed it to:

OBAMA FLIP FLOPS ON GAY MARRIAGE

Meanwhile, the “regular” Fox News site labeled the news “URGENT,” and ran anti-Obama stories under the main title.

Predictably, Brian Brown, NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, president’s statement gleefully includes: “God is the author of marriage, and we will not let an activist politician like Barack Obama who is beholden to gay marriage activists for campaign financing to turn marriage into something political that can be redefined according to presidential whim.”

“President Obama has now made the definition of marriage a defining issue in the presidential contest, especially in swing states like Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Nevada. Voters in all these states, and over two dozen more, have adopted state constitutional amendments defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. President Obama says that although he personally supports gay marriage, he still supports the concept of states deciding the issue on their own. However, that is completely disingenuous. His administration is already trying to dismantle the nation’s marriage laws by refusing to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. All the state marriage amendments and laws are at risk under a president who actively wants to change the definition of marriage. NOM will work ceaselessly in these swing states and across the nation to preserve traditional marriage because it is profoundly in the public good to do so. God is the author of marriage, and we will not let an activist politician like Barack Obama who is beholden to gay marriage activists for campaign financing to turn marriage into something political that can be redefined according to presidential whim. The definition of marriage was already headed for the ballot in four states this fall; now it will be one of the defining issues of the presidential election. No state in this country has ever voted for gay marriage. Just yesterday North Carolina voters sent a clear message that America wants to preserve marriage. We intend to win the marriage debate this November.”

Calling Obama’s comments “a day late and a dollar short,” the gay Republican group, Log Cabin Republicans surprisingly came out with a very negative statement:

“That the president has chosen today, when LGBT Americans are mourning the passage of Amendment One, to finally speak up for marriage equality is offensive and callous,” said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director. “Log Cabin Republicans appreciate that President Obama has finally come in line with leaders like Vice President Dick Cheney on this issue, but LGBT Americans are right to be angry that this calculated announcement comes too late to be of any use to the people of North Carolina, or any of the other states that have addressed this issue on his watch. This administration has manipulated LGBT families for political gain as much as anybody, and after his campaign’s ridiculous contortions to deny support for marriage equality this week he does not deserve praise for an announcement that comes a day late and a dollar short.”

Eric Cantor’s spokesperson let his personal feelings known via Twitter:

With the economy in stagnation and crippling amounts of debt, the President seeks to further divide America by launching in a culture war.

and

once again the President refuses to put economy and jobs first. All of our focus should start there according to vast majority

and

Too bad the president doesn’t think a lot of other pressing issues should be handled by states instead of Federal govt.

AmericaBlog founder John Aravosis’s response:

Your culture war is my life.

And isn’t that the problem with so much that the modern Republican party stands for. They’ve turned all of our lives into one big culture war.

Access to affordable health care is a culture war.

Jobs are a culture war.

Protecting the environment is a culture war.

Student loans are a culture war.

Civil rights are a culture war.

What isn’t a culture war to these people?

Bryan Fischer, the public face of the certified anti-gay hate group, American Family Association, today via Twitter said:

Romney for natural marriage, Obama for unnatural marriage. For social conservatives, choice is now quite clear.

Peter LaBarbera, head of the anti-gay hate group Americans For Truth About Homosexuality wrote a lot on Twitter:

The Gay Hate Machine rages: how dare we challenge their “great moment” w/ Pres. Obama embracing perversion-based “marriage”!

Give me a break: the President is thrusting his Religious Left ideology (now inc. faux “marriage”) into our Democracy.

and this:

W/ his embrace of phony “gay marriage,” Obama outs himself as a soulless panderer w/ no core beliefs. He mocks his own Christian profession

Christian profession? What does that even mean?

Gay Tea Party group GOProud released this statement:

“It is good to see that after intense political pressure that President Obama has finally come around to the Dick Cheney position on marriage equality.  I am sure, however, the President’s newly discovered support for marriage is cold comfort to the gay couples in North Carolina.  The President waited until after North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.”

“This is hardly a profile in courage by President Obama.  For years now, President Obama has tried his hardest to have it both ways on this issue.

“The real kudos here goes to LGBT activists and their allies who finally forced the President into yielding on this issue.”

Fellow anti-gay hate leader, FRC President Tony Perkins issued the following statement:

“The President’s announcement today that he supports legalizing same-sex marriage finally brings his words in sync with his actions. From opposing state marriage amendments to refusing to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DoMA) to giving taxpayer funded marriage benefits to same-sex couples, the President has undermined the spirit if not the letter of the law.

“As demonstrated by yesterday’s overwhelming vote in North Carolina, redefining marriage remains outside the mainstream of American politics, especially in the critical battleground states and among minority voters. In North Carolina, the amendment received more than 60 percent of the vote in majority-black counties.

“Considering that ten of the sixteen battleground states have marriage amendments that could be overturned by the President’s new policy position on marriage, today’s announcement almost ensures that marriage will again be a major issue in the presidential election.

“The President has provided a clear contrast between him and his challenger Mitt Romney. Romney, who has signed a pledge to support a marriage protection amendment to the U.S. Constitution, may have been handed the key to social conservative support by President Obama.”