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| Obama seeks campaign cash after gay marriage endorsement - US politics live | Obama seeks campaign cash after gay marriage endorsement - US politics live |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 10.55am: So the incumbent president of the United States only got 59% in a West Virginia primary running against a convicted, imprisoned felon. Kyle Kondik of Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball says it's funny but not serious: | |
| We would make a joke about President Obama only taking 59% of the West Virginia primary vote against a federal prison inmate named Keith Judd, but every possible one was exhausted on Twitter by Wednesday morning. Suffice it to say, it was an embarrassing performance for the president, albeit in a state he has no chance of winning in November. | |
| And that's just it: West Virginians don't like Obama, they never have and they most likely never will. We could hypothesize on the reasons for that, but it's beside the point. Obama got crushed there in his 2008 primary against Hillary Clinton (67% to 26%), and he will be crushed there in the fall. | |
| 10.43am: When Mitt Romney was asked about allegations of homophobic bullying from his school days – mentioned below – he had "no recollection," according to his campaign. | |
| Romney on WAPO piece on pranks: "Back in high school I did some dumb things and if anybody was hurt by that or offended by that I apologize" | |
| Now he's changed his tune slightly. Maybe his memory has improved? | |
| 10.25am: Any rejoicing at President Obama's change of heart over same-sex marriage is not shared by Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee. | |
| As well as stuffing the military's defence bill with expensive projects – including $5bn for a missile defence system on the US's eastern seaboard that even the Pentagon doesn't want – the committee decided to do some grandstanding, as the AP reports: | |
| Conservative Republicans still angry with the end to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military pressed two measures. | |
| The committee, on a vote of 37-24, backed an amendment that barred same-sex marriages or "marriage-like" ceremonies on military installations. The panel also endorsed an amendment that said the military services should accommodate the rights of conscience of members of the services and chaplains who are morally or religiously opposed to expressions of human sexuality. | |
| Adam Smith, the leading Democratic representative on the committee, said: "Members of this committee are looking to turn back the clock and find new ways to discriminate against gay and lesbian service members." | |
| 10.10am: A brief history lesson from the archives of previous political campaigns by Mitt Romney: | 10.10am: A brief history lesson from the archives of previous political campaigns by Mitt Romney: |
| Romney: I'll Be Better Than Ted for Gay Rights. (The classics are classics for a reason.) twitter.com/dankennedy_nu/… | Romney: I'll Be Better Than Ted for Gay Rights. (The classics are classics for a reason.) twitter.com/dankennedy_nu/… |
| As Dan Kennedy notes sagely: the classics are classics for a reason. This comes from Mitt's 1994 Senate campaign against Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts. | As Dan Kennedy notes sagely: the classics are classics for a reason. This comes from Mitt's 1994 Senate campaign against Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts. |
| 9.45am: The fallout from President Obama's declaration of support for gay marriage continues to dominate US politics, with Democrats appearing to gain a windfall in campaign contributions as a result. | 9.45am: The fallout from President Obama's declaration of support for gay marriage continues to dominate US politics, with Democrats appearing to gain a windfall in campaign contributions as a result. |
| But Republicans are also using Obama's announcement as an opportunity to raise funds from their supporters and social conservatives, with some seeing it as an opportunity to drum up enthusiasm among the grassroots who have so far failed to embrace Mitt Romney's candidacy. | But Republicans are also using Obama's announcement as an opportunity to raise funds from their supporters and social conservatives, with some seeing it as an opportunity to drum up enthusiasm among the grassroots who have so far failed to embrace Mitt Romney's candidacy. |
| Here's a summary by Ryan Devereaux the latest news. | Here's a summary by Ryan Devereaux the latest news. |
| • Campaigners, political pundits and activists are picking over the fallout to Barack Obama's declaration that he is in favor of gay marriage. In a hastily-arranged ABC interview yesterday afternoon the president said: "At a certain point I just concluded, 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." At this point the president's statement is purely symbolic. But gay rights campaigners say it is a hugely important move. | • Campaigners, political pundits and activists are picking over the fallout to Barack Obama's declaration that he is in favor of gay marriage. In a hastily-arranged ABC interview yesterday afternoon the president said: "At a certain point I just concluded, 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." At this point the president's statement is purely symbolic. But gay rights campaigners say it is a hugely important move. |
| • Today the president will travel to Los Angeles, where he will attend a fundraiser at the home of actor George Clooney. Obama is expected to raise $12m for his re-election efforts from same-sex marriage supporters attending the $40,000-a-plate event. | • Today the president will travel to Los Angeles, where he will attend a fundraiser at the home of actor George Clooney. Obama is expected to raise $12m for his re-election efforts from same-sex marriage supporters attending the $40,000-a-plate event. |
| • Mitt Romney quickly responded to Obama's comment by reaffirming his opposition to legal recognition of same sex relationships. Acknowledging the issue is "a very tender and sensitive topic", Romney went on to say: "My view is the same as it's been from the beginning: I don't favour civil unions if it's identical to marriage, and I don't favour marriage between people of the same gender." | • Mitt Romney quickly responded to Obama's comment by reaffirming his opposition to legal recognition of same sex relationships. Acknowledging the issue is "a very tender and sensitive topic", Romney went on to say: "My view is the same as it's been from the beginning: I don't favour civil unions if it's identical to marriage, and I don't favour marriage between people of the same gender." |
| • The Washington Post has published a story recounting an incident of apparent homophobic bullying from Romney's youth. The story, which appears to have multiple sources, alleges Romney led a group of students in forcibly cutting the bleach-blond hair of a fellow student who was presumed to be gay. Romney's campaign said he had "no recollection" of the incident. | • The Washington Post has published a story recounting an incident of apparent homophobic bullying from Romney's youth. The story, which appears to have multiple sources, alleges Romney led a group of students in forcibly cutting the bleach-blond hair of a fellow student who was presumed to be gay. Romney's campaign said he had "no recollection" of the incident. |