Washington News

Obama Says He Supports Gay Marriage President Obama's remarks regarding his evolution on the question of marriage dominated yesterday's news cycle, including the lead segments on all three network newscasts yesterday evening and front-page articles in all the major papers.
ABC World News reported, "We begin with a historic interview hours ago. President Obama speaking exclusively to ABC's Robin Roberts and announcing something that no US President has ever said: that he supports same-sex marriage. For years, he only endorsed civil unions, claiming his position on the polarizing question of marriage was still, quote, 'evolving.' Then last weekend, Vice President Biden surprised everyone by seeming to endorse gay marriage. And today, the President himself told Robin how and why his own thinking has changed." President Obama: "I have always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. ... At a certain point, I have just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."
Scott Pelley, on the CBS Evening News, said the President's "stand on same-sex marriage completed its evolution today, changing from opposition to support. In 2004, running for the US Senate, he said marriage should be between a man and a woman."
The AP says the President "declared his unequivocal support for gay marriage...a historic announcement that gave the polarizing social issue a more prominent role in the 2012 race for the White House." According to the AP, in his ABC interview, the President "blended the personal and the presidential," stating that "'it wouldn't dawn' on his daughters, Sasha and Malia, that some of their friends' parents would be treated differently than others," and adding that he "thought about 'those soldiers or airmen or Marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf, and yet feel constrained even though now that "don't ask, don't tell" is gone.'"
The President is said to have wanted to withhold the announcement until later in the campaign, but "his hand was forced" by Vice President Biden's apparent endorsement of gay marriage over the weekend. Norah O'Donnell, on the CBS Evening News, reported that that Obama's "advisers admit it was not the President's plan to announce his support for same-sex marriage today," but, "ironically, his hand was forced by his own Vice President." On NBC Nightly News, Chuck Todd added, "Aides admit this was not the week they planned on going public."
All the major outlets are reporting that Mitt Romney's position is now directly at odds with the President's and therefore analysts predict that the President's shift will make the issue of gay marriage more prominent in the general election. At the opening of NBC Nightly News, Brian Williams said, "Public acceptance of [same-sex marriage] has risen sharply in the last decade, but still it's an issue where the country is now evenly split; and now it takes place alongside jobs and economy among issues that will be fought over all the way to November." Similarly, Scott Pelley, on the CBS Evening News, said the President's "declaration...could change the race for the White House by injecting a contentious social issue."
Obama's Shift Deemed A "Political Gamble" Asked, on ABC World News, if his shift on gay marriage will "cost the President in November?" George Stephanopoulos replied, "It could. It's a little bit of risk there, particularly among...older voters in key states like Ohio, Wisconsin maybe Iowa. On the other hand, it could help energize the younger voters, and the White House is counting on that." According to Stephanopoulos, "The voters seem to punish whoever brings this issue up the most and seems to be driving it the hardest."
USA Today , in an article titled "In Political Gamble, Obama Supports Gay Marriage," says the President "electrified his liberal base, incensed cultural conservatives and may have ensured that a debate on social issues will play a part in the debate ahead of the November election." What little direct criticism there is of the President's position in today's coverage comes from prominent conservative social activists such as Ralph Reed, who the Wall Street Journal quotes as saying, "This is an unanticipated gift to the Romney campaign" that is "certain to fuel a record turnout of voters of faith."
Adam Nagourney, in the New York Times , says, "As George W. Bush demonstrated in 2004, when his campaign engineered initiatives against gay marriage in a series of swing states, opponents are far more likely to vote on these issues than supporters. ... And however much national attitudes may be shifting, the issue remains highly contentious among black and Latino voters, two groups central to Mr. Obama's success."
Polling Indicates Marriage Shift Could Weaken Obama In Swing States According to Politico , the President "appears to have gone against the safest read of polling data on gay marriage, with support for legalization underwater in a handful of swing states and among key Obama constituencies like Hispanics and black voters. In Ohio, a forthcoming PPP survey exclusively shared with Politico, shows 35 percent of voters support same sex marriage according, with 52 percent opposed"; while in Pennsylvania, "a March PPP poll put opposition to gay marriage at 50 percent, with only 38 percent approval." Politico adds, "Same-sex marriage is also opposed by a plurality of voters in Iowa and Virginia in PPP polls."
Chris Cillizza, in a post for the Washington Post's The Fix blog, says the President's "decision...comes with real political risk. ... Key subgroups like white voters (53 percent support legalization/43 percent oppose it) and voters aged 40-49 (52 percent support) are only narrowly on board with legalization."
Obama And His Advisors Reportedly Are "Deeply Annoyed" By Biden Politico reports that "Biden's remarks on 'Meet the Press' deeply annoyed Obama's team, people close to the situation tell POLITICO, because it aggrandized his role at the expense of Obama's yeoman efforts on behalf of the [gay] community and pushed up the timing of a sensitive announcement." Politico continues, "Nor did it tickle anyone, from Obama on down, that Biden -- who backed the Defense of Marriage Act while serving in the Senate in the 1990s -- seemed to be getting more credit in the LGBT community than a president who has actually taken steps to repeal" DOMA, and "it chafed Obama's team that Biden had, at times, privately argued for the president to hold off on his support of marriage equality to avoid a backlash among Catholic voters in battleground states."
Romney Says He Opposes Gay Marriage, But Supports "Domestic Partnership Benefits" Jake Tapper, on ABC World News, reported, "Campaigning in Oklahoma this afternoon, Mitt Romney says he disagrees with the President's new position," but, according to Tapper, Romney "spoke gingerly." Romney: "My view is that marriage itself is a relationship between a man and a woman. That's my own preference. I know other people have differing view. ... This is a very tender and sensitive topic as are many social issues."
The Hill reported that "in an interview with a local television station," Romney said, "When these issues were raised in my state of Massachusetts, I indicated my view, which is I do not favor marriage between people of the same gender, and I do not favor civil unions if they are identical to marriage other than by name. My view is the domestic partnership benefits, hospital visitation rights, and the like are appropriate but that the others are not."

Mueller, Clapper Address Thwarted Underwear Bomb Plot Coverage of the underwear bomb plot foiled by the CIA continued to receive significant media attention last night, garnering five minutes and thirty seconds of broadcast television reporting. FBI Director Robert Mueller's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee is cited extensively throughout the reports. In particular, Mueller opening remarks on AQAP and its role in the thwarted plot are heavily quoted. Most sources noted that his testimony, which was previously scheduled, took on heightened significance as DNI James Clapper called for a review of the bomb plot leak.
ABC World News reported, "Tonight, the FBI studying that new kind of bomb by Al Qaeda, the plot foiled by the double agent." AQAP bomb-maker, Ibrahim al Asiri, "the man behind" the behind the plot "is still in hiding, still at work. Reportedly hoping to surgically implant explosives in people and even pets." In his testimony before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday, FBI Director Robert Mueller is shown discussing the AQAP threat: "Al Qaeda affiliates, in the Arabian Peninsula represent the top counter terrorism threat to the nation."
The CBS Evening News reported, "Infiltrating the ranks of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is dangerous, high stakes, but it is what intelligence officers told us resulted in information that was invaluable. The source is described as a Saudi national recruited by the Saudi intelligence service as far back as two years ago. His information was shared with the CIA, his true identity only known to a handful."

House Likely To Pass Deficit Reduction Bill Thursday The House is expected to pass a bill today that would "cut the deficit by $300 billion over 10 years," USA Today reports. The bill includes cuts aimed at preventing significant reductions in defense spending which are schedule to take effect in January. It is "likely to pass on the strength of GOP votes over strenuous Democratic opposition because it includes significant cuts to social programs such as Medicaid and food stamps but no new taxes." USA Today notes that the bill "will not pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, but it is a concrete step by House Republicans to rework the $1.2 trillion in across-the-board spending cuts -- split evenly between defense and non-defense spending over 10 years -- which will be triggered in January unless Congress acts to stop it."
Reid Says He Won't Stop Automatic Spending Cuts Without Tax Increases Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday offered what Politico calls "his strongest words yet," warning "that he is not prepared to stop automatic spending cuts in January unless Republicans accept a more 'balanced' approach to deficit reduction including revenues." Reid "took aim first at his House Republican adversaries but also appeared to lay down a new marker for his own party to hang tough behind the Budget Control Act as the strong medicine needed to jolt the political system toward some budget deal."

Campaign News

Mourdock Primary Win Could Put Lugar's Seat In Play Two broadcast networks reported Wednesday evening on Sen. Richard Lugar's Indiana Republican primary defeat as he sought a seventh term, while several major newspapers have analyses on the defeat, the next step for triumphant Tea Party activists, and the implications for the fall race in Indiana and Senate control next year.
The CBS Evening News reported, "Most folks can't remember a time when Indiana's Richard Lugar wasn't in the United States Senate, but this, his sixth term, will be his last. Lugar, an authority on foreign policy and a moderate Republican, lost in a primary yesterday to State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who was backed by the Tea Party movement. It is rare for incumbents to lose primary challenges like that."
NBC Nightly News reported Lugar, "one of the longest serving senators in this country, was trounced" by Mourdock. "After conceding defeat, the old school moderate unleashed a 1,400 word document examining these hyper-partisan times. He blamed outside groups that spent millions on ads against him saying their, quote, 'prime mission is to cleanse the Republican Party of those who stray from orthodoxy as they see it.'"
The Hill reports in its "Ballot Box" blog says Democratic prospects "for keeping control of the Senate has slightly improved" due to Mourdock's victory. Lugar "would have been all but unbeatable in a general election, while a match-up between Mourdock" and Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly, "two little-known candidates, is less predictable." The state "remains heavily Republican-leaning," but Donnelly "has some centrist credentials and held onto his House district in the 2010 Republican wave year. Plus, Mourdock has taken enough hard-right positions that he's vulnerable to Democratic attacks. The Hill moves this race to a 'toss-up.'"
The Washington Post says Mourdock's win "gave Democrats hope for claiming a seat they have not seriously contested in three decades. The sudden opening reflects a growing sense that the potential for big Republican gains has begun to ebb and that Democrats have a real chance of hanging on to their majority."

Romney Opens Leads In Both Trackers, But Down Badly In AP/GfK Poll. The Gallup daily presidential tracking poll shows Mitt Romney leading President Obama 47%-44%. That's unchanged from the previous day. The poll surveyed about 3,050 registered voters from May 2-8.
In the Rasmussen Reports daily tracker, Romney leads Obama 49%-44%. That's unchanged from the day before. The poll surveyed 1,500 likely voters from May 6-8.
However, an Associated Press /GfK poll of 1,004 adults, including 871 registered voters, taken May 3-7 shows Obama leading Romney 50%-42% among registered voters and 51%-41% among all adults. In a similar survey in mid-February, Obama led 51%-43% among adults.

Tonight's Clooney-Hosted Obama Fundraiser Expected To Gross $15 Million The Los Angeles Times reports, "One hundred and fifty wealthy Democrats will dine with President Obama at George Clooney's Studio City home Thursday night, at a party that organizers expect to gross $15 million for the president's re-election campaign -- the highest amount ever raised at such an event."
According to the New York Times , "For years, President Obama has largely been absent in Hollywood, a point of unhappiness with a community accustomed to the constant doting of Bill Clinton," but, "over the last few months, Mr. Obama and his representatives have held a series of meetings and telephone calls with some of the region's most influential donors and fund-raisers, reflecting Hollywood's new importance in the president's re-election campaign."

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!