The positions of President Barack Obama
and Mitt Romney on gay marriage are being spotlighted after Vice
President Joe Biden's Sunday remarks on the subject.
Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press,
Biden told host David Gregory that he is “absolutely comfortable”
with gay couples marrying, then added that “The president sets the
policy.”
The remarks suggest that Biden was
endorsing marriage equality since President Barack Obama does not,
though the president does support civil unions for gay couples and is
opposed to marriage bans.
But in a statement released shortly
after Biden's interview aired, an aide rolled back his apparent
endorsement, saying the vice president's views are still “evolving.”
In an interview with CNN anchor Piers
Morgan, Obama adviser David Axelrod insisted that Obama and Biden
share the same views on the issue and it is Romney who differs.
“I feel, Piers, that on the policy
the vice president was describing there that they are in complete
accord,” Axelrod said. “That is the president's policy, he
believes that heterosexual couples, gay couples should have the same
legal rights. And, of course, that's why we've stopped appealing the
DOMA case. Because he believes it's unconstitutional for states not
to recognize – the government not to recognize – marriages that
are legally recognized by the states. What the vice president was
stating there was very much in keeping with that policy.”
When pressed by Morgan, Axelrod added
that Obama is opposed to marriage bans, then added: “By the way,
this is a big distinction between him and Governor Romney.”
Axelrod noted that Romney supports a
federal amendment banning gay marriage. (The video is embedded in
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