President Barack Obama is moving in the
right direction on gay marriage, Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin has
said.
Baldwin, 50, could become the first
openly gay U.S. senator.
After
reminding Baldwin that Obama, who supports civil unions for gay and
lesbian couples, has said he's “evolving” on gay marriage, The
New York Times' Sunday
Magazine in an interview titled Is This Our First Gay
Senator? asked Baldwin: “Would
you respect his support on the issue if you thought it was based on
an electoral calculation?”
“Look,
he is moving in the right direction on this issue,” Baldwin
replied. “He's been crucial in equality efforts like the repeal of
Don't Ask, Don't Tell and signing the Matthew Shepard hate crimes
prevention act. I have no idea what goes on in another person's
mind. As a legislator, I need to be good at persuading people,
counting votes and getting to 50 percent plus one. I don't go back
and say, 'Why did this person get to the right position?' It's only
'Are you yes or are you no?'”
On
Friday, Obama appeared to move a bit closer in that direction when he
came out against a proposed constitutional amendment in North
Carolina which would ban gay marriage.
According
to a recent poll, Baldwin is within 2 percentage points of former
Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, considered the front-runner in the
race for the seat being vacated by Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl.