NOTE FROM PAM: This is Patrick’s continuation of the earlier thread by Linda_F. — where there was significant debate over whether Barack Obama needs to specifically counteract his statement that his personal belief is that marriage is between a man and a woman by making a public statement that he opposes the marriage amendments on the ballot this year in FL, CA, and AZ because they place civil rights on the ballot. For some of us it’s essential he do so regardless of the political impact because it’s the right thing to do, for others they are wary of bringing marriage equality to the forefront of the campaign in a critical election where the GOP is desperate to find anything to throw against the wall to win. Are there other prisms through which we can view the issues?

Sunday on Meet The Press, Tom Brokaw interviewed California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  

Among the topics they discussed was the recent decision by the CA Supreme Court that made same-sex marriage legal in the state.

Here is the excerpt:

MR. BROKAW: You have a lot of propositions on the ballot again this fall. One of them would mean a constitutional ban on gay marriages. Do you support that?

GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER: No, not at all. As a matter of fact, I think the Supreme Court made a decision there. It was apparently unconstitutional to stop anyone from getting married. It’s like 1948, the interracial marriage, when the Supreme Court of California has, you know, decided it was unconstitutional and then later on the Supreme Court of the United States followed, I think 10 or 12 years later. So I think it is, it’s good that California lead–is leading in this way. I personally believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. But at the same time I think that my, you know, belief, I don’t want to force on anyone else, so I think we should stay with the decision of the Supreme Court and move forward. There are so many other more important issues that we have to address in California. So I think to spend any time on this initiative I think is a waste of time.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25…

Amazing isn’t it?  This Republican with a heavy accent who sometimes has trouble finding the right word to use, managed to not only state his personal viewpoint, but also managed to support the decision of the court AND he equated the courts words to the historically significant decision that forever banned interracial marriage.

PLEASE note – read this slowly and carefully – I demand that Obama make a similar statement and that he go even further by suggesting that voters (perhaps even in all 3 states with amendments) make their voices heard by voting NO on these “waste(s) of time” as Schwarzenegger puts it.

Just like Schwarzenegger, Obama can say that he does not support marriage equality and that he also believes that these amendments should not pass.

Repeat after me:  saying NO to amendments does not  equate to a support of marriage equality for all.

Come on Obama – yes you can!!