President Obama ‘Disappointed’ With The Passage Of Amendment One

[Tx4obama]

President Obama expressed his disapproval with the North Carolina ballot measure that amends the state constitution to ban same sex marriage before Tuesday’s vote, and on the night it passed into law by a wide margin the Obama campaign once expressed the president’s dismay.

From the Washington Blade:

Cameron French, North Carolina press secretary for Obama for America, said the president is “disappointed” with the passage of Amendment One.

“The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples,” French said. “He believes the North Carolina measure singles out and discriminates against committed gay and lesbian couples, which is why he did not support it. President Obama has long believed that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections as straight couples and is disappointed in the passage of this amendment. On a federal level, he has ended the legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act and extended key benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.”

-snip-

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/obama-disappointed-with-passage-of-amendment-one

[LonePirate]

1. I call bullshit on that statement. I don't think he cares one way or another.

[bigwillq]

3. I read that and said "really, Obama said that?"

I agree with you.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. “The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits..."

I don't believe that anymore. It's a sad day. I continue to hope for a day when a President will stand up for what is right and not be afraid of electoral backlash. We've seen that idea destroyed (see NJ). Equal rights for everyone. The fact that what should be a non-issue continues to be an issue for both parties to neglect depresses the hell out of me.

[bigwillq]

4. I rec this post.

Yea. And I "like" it too.


Wrong site, I know, but we can pretend, right?! The president pretends all the time!

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. Yes we can!

[bigwillq]

7. That was SOOOOO 2008.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. I'm just 2000 and late.

[bigwillq]

9. Sing it, Fergie!

[Plantaganet]

6. Dang.

If only he could have done something beforehand to prevent this from happening.

Ah, well. Eleven-dimensional chess and all that...

[Tx4obama]

14. From March 2012

From March 2012

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002432175

and

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/16/obama-amendment-one-north-carolina-gay-marriage_n_1354302.html

[Pab Sungenis]

10. The time to be disappointed

was when your words might have made a difference.

And if you're so disappointed then move the convention out of North Caucasia.

[bigwillq]

11. Can Obama not attend the convention?

Does he have to attend in order to accept?

It would be a bold move if he just doesn't show up. The party could still go on, just not without him.

[Pab Sungenis]

12. No nominee showed up before Teddy Roosevelt

And THAT was at the Progressive convention in 1912. It wasn't until FDR went to his convention that a nominee was present; before that an official committee would visit the nominee to inform him of his selection.

[bigwillq]

13. Ok. Thanks for the info.

I did a quick Google search but came up empty. A real quick one.

Thanks.

[freshwest]

15. I am so sorry this passed. I hope that some couple affected by this unConstitutional law will appeal

It all the way to the Supreme Court as it clearly violates the 14th Amendment. I don't live in an area like that, we just passed same sex marriage although the GOP, Tea Party, Paulies, Fundies are trying to overturn it. We have state laws protecting people, they will fail.

Obama had said before he did not want the bill in N.C. to pass and it seemed there was progress being made in N.C.

This must go to court, it cannot stand.

It reminded me of this case a while back, that should have proven to anyone the injustice of this, and the injustice does not apply to just a minority of people. Probably most people here know what was done in this story, and Obama on hearing of it passed an executive order that was within his scope to help.

I talked with many people who were very concerned on hearing about the case and encouraged by the executive order, and much relieved by it.

Here are some the latest links I've found on this heartbreakingly cruel story, that generated the executive order:

NCLR Launches Visibility Campaign to Expose Tragic Case Where Sonoma County Separated Elderly Gay Couple, Sold Off All Belongings

Long-term partners had taken necessary steps to protect relationship in time of crisis

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/04/19/858870/-NCLR-Launches-Campaign-on-Behalf-of-Clay-Harold

Settlement reached in case of gay couple kept apart during man’s last days

By Zachary Green July 23, 2010

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/culture/settlement-reached-in-case-of-gay-couple-kept-apart-during-mans-last-days/2464/

Because the state did not recognize their love and friendship. This could happen to anyone who is old and infirm and does happen to straights as well.

So we need realize what is done to them will be done to all. It really is not about 'gay' rights. It's human rights. We can stand up now or go down later.

Here is the executive order to address this by hospitals. It really relieved me and my close friends:

Obama Orders Hospital Gay Visitation Rights
James Joyner Friday, April 16, 2010

The big news overnight is that President Obama has ordered hospitals to allow partners of gays and lesbians to visit and be allowed to make critical decisions.

Michael Schear, WaPo: “Obama extends hospital visitation rights to same-sex partners of gays”

President Obama mandated Thursday that nearly all hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and respect patients’ choices about who may make critical health-care decisions for them, perhaps the most significant step so far in his efforts to expand the rights of gay Americans...

Administration officials and gay activists, who have been quietly working together on the issue, said the new rule will affect any hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid funding, a move that covers the vast majority of the nation’s health-care institutions. Obama’s order will start a rule-making process at HHS that could take several months, officials said.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/obama_orders_hospital_gay_visitation_rights/

Once again, I am so sorry that this thing was passed. We live in a bubble at times and I thought that the momentum was going in favor of human rights in N.C.

[Behind the Aegis]

16. I feel so comforted now.

[Tarheel_Dem]

17. Reading through this thread, perhaps the president shouldn't have said anything.

Of course, he would be lambasted for that too. I'm not sure what the president could have done to ward off this fiasco. If he says something, "it's just pretty words". And if he says nothing? "Oh, he doesn't care". His constant critics get to have it both ways.

You know who didn't care? It's the people who allowed themselves to be convinced by some of our most vocal critics on the left, that they were "disillusioned", that not enough had been done in 18 mos. to warrant their vote.

I think everyone on this board is disappointed at the passage of this travesty, but issuing a statement to that effect seems to be cause for condemnation. Go figure.

[freshwest]

23. Yes, it enabled the teabaggers to eliminate civil rights. GOP = Guns, God and Gays forever.

Depressing.

[Maven]

18. Who gives a shit what he's "disappointed" in

What did he do to help stop it?

[xchrom]

19. +1

[SANMU]

20. Spam deleted by OKNancy (MIR Team)

[SANMU]

21. Spam deleted by OKNancy (MIR Team)

[littlewolf]

22. If he is so disappointed why then

did he duck out of a campaign stop
when it showed that the amendment
was likely to pass ...

he could have led the fight ...

[Tx4obama]

25. Pretty quiet in here... n/t