President Obama has decided that he will endorse same-sex marriage, the New York Times is reporting. The endorsement comes after Vice President Biden supported same-sex marriage on Sunday during a talk show interview.
Advisers are saying that Obama was intending on announcing his position before September, when the Democratic party will nominate him for re-election. However, his supporters felt that he wouldn’t publicly support gay marriage, and he would rely on gay voters supporting him for repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The president also disavowed a federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Obama is believed to have taken caution in regards to same sex marriage, as he may have an unpredictable fallout from taking a clear stand on such a politically charged social issue. But his closest allies said the timing of announcing his support was the only thing in question, and Biden’s unexpected remarks are believed to have accelerated his announcement.
It was initially believed that Obama would make his announcement on Monday, when he’s scheduled to appear on ABC’s ‘The View.’ However, the pressure was building for him to make the announcement sooner.
The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, received multiple questions from skeptical reporters about Obama’s stance. After the president’s meeting with his aides on Tuesday, Dan Pfeiffer, the president’s communications director, contacted ABC. He offered Robin Roberts of ‘Good Morning America’ an exclusive interview with Obama, to discuss the issue.
Written by: Karen Benardello
