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Does Pres. Obama Still Think Marriage Is A States’ Rights Issue?

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As the U.S. edges toward full 50-state marriage equality, the leader of the free world doesn’t “at this point” think it should be the law?

Many across the nation angrily scoffed this week when likely GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush, W’s brother, announced his belief that he in no way supports same-sex marriage, but that it is an issue that should be decided by the states. He added that the voters’ decisions should be “respected.”

Some no doubt will say that Bush’s position is a tiny bit similar to Hillary Clinton‘s. This past summer, the former Secretary of State and likely 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, told NPR that she, too, thinks same-sex marriage should be left to the states.

“For me, marriage has always been a matter left to the states… I fully endorse the efforts by activists to work state-by-state. In fact, that is what is working.”

Perhaps true, but that doesn’t mean it should be a state issue. In fact, it should not.

So what about President Barack Obama?

The President has proven to be, without question, one of the LGBT community’s most ardent advocates and supporters. His actions, comments, and policies have expanded the civil rights and equality of millions of LGBT people across the nation, and even, to a degree, around the world. 

He repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He supports same-sex marriage. He tried to get Congress to pass ENDA, and when it became clear that was impossible, he signed executive orders to protect LGBT people in the workplace of federal contractors.

President Obama has also appointed openly gay judges to the federal bench, and his attorney general, Eric Holder, recently stated that the federal government would now see transgender people as protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Obama also signed into law the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, he’s hosted annual LGBT pride celebrations in the White House, and he lifted the ban against people with HIV from entering the country.

The President ordered any hospital that accepts federal funds to treat all spouses or partners of LGBT people as if they were legally married, ensured the Family and Medical Leave Act included LGBT employees, and even before he was elected declared his belief that DOMA is unconstitutional. After he was elected, and before the Supreme Court had an opportunity to strike it down, the President announced he and the Attorney General would no longer defend it in court.

The list of his accomplishments and support is extremely long, so it may come as a huge surprise to many that today we learn President Obama, also, does not believe there should be a federal law protecting the right of all same-sex couples to marry.

MSNBC political reporter Alex Seitz-Wald, via Twitter this afternoon wrote that President Barack Obama does not yet support a nationwide law allowing, or protecting the right of same-sex couples to marry.

The tweet refers to Josh Earnest, Obama’s Press Secretary, and NBC reporter Peter Alexander.

Why is this disturbing? For starters, it allows Republicans to claim, once again – albeit falsely – they have the same, or similar, position on marriage as the President.

It’s antiquated, now that 36 states in fact have extended the right of marriage to same-sex couples.

And it’s embarrassing, one might think, given his unprecedented support to the LGBT community.

Is this the constitutional professor in him? Is it his repeatedly demonstrated belief that people ultimately will do the right thing if given the chance?

Or is this an error in judgment, or just evidence he’s very busy and hasn’t given this sufficient thought, considering he’s a bit busy leading the free world?

Whatever the reason, it is time for a nationwide law protecting the rights of same-sex couples to marry, don’t you think?

 

Photo: Chicago Pride 2012. Image via Flickr

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‘Lied Through His Teeth’: Senator Warns RFK Jr. Undermining Vaccine Will ‘Kill’ Kids

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May 16, 2025

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U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) is accusing Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of lying during his Senate testimony this week, and warning that the HHS chief’s efforts to destroy faith in the measles vaccine will lead to children dying.

“It’s not a small thing that Trump’s Cabinet thinks Congress and the American people are so dumb that they can tell brazen lies over and over. We can’t normalize this,” Senator Murphy urged.

“The way in which Trump and Trump’s cabinet lie through their teeth, unapologetically and brazenly, to Congress and the American people, is outrageous,” Murphy said in video (below) he posted online Friday. “And I really worry that we risk normalizing it by not calling it out when it happens.”

He called the exchange he had with RFK Jr. “maddening” and “heartbreaking,” and said the HHS Secretary “essentially says that he’s no longer recommending that families get the measles vaccine. That’s going to kill hundreds, if not thousands of kids in this country.”

Murphy then played a clip from Kennedy’s testimony (which NCRM covered earlier this week), and, he said, caught Kennedy in a lie.

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“By the way,” Kennedy told Murphy, “I said at the [House] hearing this morning that I was recommending the measles vaccine,” and told him to “look at the transcript.”

“So guess what I did?” Murphy says. “I went and checked the House transcript. It’s hours of testimony. I and my staff watched all of it, and guess what? Nowhere, nowhere in that transcript does he say he recommends the measles vaccine.”

“He lied through his teeth, and he did it because all of these MAGA sycophants have gotten used to lying. Donald Trump does it all the time, so they think they can do it as well. But we can’t normalize this because you can’t run a country if your leaders are lying to you every single day,” the Connecticut Democrat warned.

“RFK Jr. doesn’t support the measles vaccine, and he shouldn’t pretend that he does. He undermines the vaccine on a daily basis and whether we like his conspiracy theory positions or not, he should just be honest with the American people. They should all be honest with the American people, and none of us should normalize or get used to this amount of lying.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘It Meant Assassination’: Trump Blasts ‘Dirty Cop’ Comey for ‘8647’

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‘It Meant Assassination’: Trump Blasts ‘Dirty Cop’ Comey for ‘8647’

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May 16, 2025

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President Donald Trump is attacking the FBI Director he fired, Jim Comey, who is reportedly under investigation  over a photo of sea shells formed into the numbers 8647. Top Trump law enforcement and intelligence officials claim it is a call for the assassination of the 47th President, although “86” is generally understood to mean “reject” or “eject,” and, since the 1930s, in restaurant parlance, has meant a menu item is unavailable.

“He knew exactly what that meant,” President Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview that will air Friday evening. “A child knows what that meant.”

“If you’re the FBI Director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant ‘assassination.’ And it says it loud and clear,” Trump alleged.

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“Now, he wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant, and he did it for a reason, and he was hit so hard because people like me, and they like what’s happening with our country. Our country’s become respected again,” the President claimed. “And he’s calling for the assassination of the president.”

Baier interjected, saying: “Obviously, he apologized and said he —”

“Well, he apologized because he was hit,” Trump also claimed. “Look, he’s a very bad —”

When asked what he wants to see happen to the former Director of the FBI, Trump said he did not want to weigh in, and would let his Attorney General handle it.

“I don’t want to take a position on it because that’s gonna be up to Pam [Bondi] and all of the great people, but I will say this. I think it’s a terrible thing. And when you add his history to that, if he had a clean history, he doesn’t.”

“He’s a dirty cop. He’s a dirty cop. And if he had a clean history, I could understand if there was a leniency. But I’m going to let them make that decision.”

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Trump Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Fox News on Thursday night she thinks Comey should go to prison for posting the “8647” photo.

Asked, “Do you believe Comey should be in jail?” Gabbard replied, “I do.”

“Any other person with the position of influence that he has,” she added, “people who take very seriously what what a guy of his stature, his experience, and what the propaganda media has built him up to be?”

“I’m very concerned for the president’s life. We’ve already seen assassination attempts,” she continued. “I’m very concerned for his life, and James Comey, in my view, should be held accountable and put behind bars for this.”

But others commenting via social media were quick to point to a number of “86” posts apparently made by right wing influencers and even a former member of Congress, as well as T-shirts for sale during the Biden years.

Watch the video below or at this link.

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Image via Reuters

 

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‘Mad King’: Trump Teases ‘Fourth’ Term to U.S. Troops Overseas

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21 hours ago

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May 15, 2025

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During a rally-style appearance before uniformed U.S. troops in Qatar on Thursday, President Donald Trump—serving as their Commander-in-Chief—floated the idea of a “fourth” term and falsely claimed victory in the 2020 election he lost. The appearance drew swift criticism for blurring the line between military service and political theater.

“As you know, we won three elections, okay?” Trump told the largely silent troops (video below). “And some people want us to do a fourth. I don’t know—I’ll have to think about that.”

“You saw the new, the new hat. The hottest hat is, it says, ‘Trump 2028: We’re driving the left crazy.'”

“When you see that. We didn’t need that hat, but, uh, it was it’s been an amazing period of time,” he concluded.

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Noting that Trump was speaking “at the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East,” CNN reported that the President “thanked the U.S. troops for political support.”

“There’s – nobody been stronger than the military in terms of backing us, nobody,” Trump said. “So, I just want to thank you all very much. Great honor. Thank you very much.”

CBS News national security coordinating producer Jim LaPorta, who has reported extensively on the military, wrote: “If this was a rally, the president’s remarks would be fine. But in front of service members who are expected to be apolitical, many Defense Department officials would find these remarks inappropriate.”

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The Bulwark’s Sam Stein observed: “Treating the troops like they’re at a campaign rally and sowing doubt about the past and future of American elections — all in one soundbite.”

Democratic pollster and strategist Luke Martin called it “especially jarring to see Trump flirting with blowing a hole in the Constitution in front of an entire crowd of people who literally swore an oath to protect it with their life.”

Independent journalist Mike Rothschild noted: “Making a statement like this in front of active duty troops would have generated months of scandal, hearings, and resignations in years gone by. Now it’s just another Thursday with the Mad King.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

READ MORE: GOP Plan Redefines Dependent Child as ‘Under 7’—But Adds Loophole for Married Couples

 

Image via Reuters

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