NOM BLOG

Is Nancy Pelosi Signalling A Messy, Major Platform Fight for Democrats Over SSM?

 

Alexander Burns Of Politico reports on news first published in the gay press:

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi supports a pro-gay marriage plank in the 2012 Democratic platform, her spokesman Drew Hammill confirms to POLITICO.

... The proposed plank states: "We support the full inclusion of all families in the life of our nation, with equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law, including the freedom to marry. Government has no business putting barriers in the path of people seeking to care for their family members, particularly in challenging economic times. We support the Respect for Marriage Act and the overturning of the federal so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and oppose discriminatory constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny the freedom to marry to loving and committed same-sex couples."

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tells Metro Weekly, "Leader Pelosi supports this language."

Obama currently supports much of the Freedom to Marry plank language -- outside of the marriage equality language itself. He has endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal DOMA, and opposes "divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same-sex couples." After several requests by Metro Weekly, however, the Obama campaign is yet to provide specific comment on the proposed platform language.

Burns continues:

Platform fights often fall into the sideshow category, but this one has the potential to be different; same-sex marriage is perhaps the most prominent issue on which the president's stated views and the official views of the Democratic Party are out of alignment with the party base and many of its prominent liberal officeholders.

The Democrat base supports redefining marriage? Does that include the majority of African Americans who have voted in favor of marriage in numerous states?

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