Barack Obama says he opposes a proposed California ballot initiative attempting to overrule a state Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage because it is "discriminatory."
"I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states," Obama wrote in a letter to a LGBT group in San Francisco.
Obama has previously said that the issue of gay marriage should be decided by the states.
The Illinois Democrat wrote that he supports "extending fully equal rights and benefits to same sex couples under both state and federal law," adding that he would like to see a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act and "Don't Ask Don't Tell."
Connecticut's long-time Sens. Joe Lieberman (I) and Chris Dodd (D) are suffering in the latest Quinnipiac University poll.
Lieberman has a job approval rating of 45 percent and a disapproval rating of 43 percent, which is his worst showing ever in Quinnipiac's poll.
"Sen. Lieberman's approval rating has dropped below 50 percent for the first time in 14 years of polling, with nearly two-thirds of Democrats giving him low marks, probably because he is campaigning for Sen. John McCain," wrote the poll's director, Douglas Schwartz, in an analysis.
Dodd has an approval rating of 51 percent and a disapproval rating of 34 percent, which is Dodd's worst showing in the Quinnipiac survey. Most voters -- 59 percent -- believe that reports that Dodd received special mortgages from Countrywide Financial deserves more investigation.
"Dodd's job approval is lukewarm at best, especially given his 28 years of service in the U.S. Senate, the longest in Connecticut history," Schwartz wrote. "This probably is a combination of his unsuccessful presidential bid and the mortgage scandal."
Dodd is up for re-election in 2010, while Lieberman's term ends in 2012.
John McCain released a web ad today promoting his support for President Bush's Colombia free trade agreement ahead of his trip to Colombia.
In the ad, McCain says free trade agreements with Latin American nations will help immigration problems in the U.S.
"With better jobs, more of them will be able to stay in their country," McCain says.
McCain says trade agreements will create more jobs "on both sides of the border." The Arizona senator will leave for Colombia today, visiting the country tonight and tomorrow.
President Bush sent the Colombia deal to Congress in April, but it has stalled amid opposition from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). See McCain's ad below:
President Bush last night granted more federal disaster assistance funds to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin to help them recover from flooding and storms that have ravaged the states this summer.
The federal government will now cover 90 percent of relief costs in those states, upping the level of funding from Bush's previous allotments of 75 percent, the White House announced last night.
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday defended retired Gen. Wesley Clark's remark questioning the pertinence of John McCain's military service to his ability to govern.
Rangel, on Fox News, said that McCain's service in Vietnam was "admirable"
"And we should spend the rest of our lives thanking people for doing that," Rangel said. "It doesn't have any connection at all in being a good senator, as being a good president."
Rangel was asked whether he was upset at Clark's remark Sunday that "riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down," as McCain had done, is not "a qualification to be president."
Rangel went onto say that his own four years of military service didn't make him a better congressman.
"I could have done so many things in life that probably could have been more productive in terms of being able to resolve legislative and other type of things," he said. "I think my training in law school better prepared me to be a lawmaker than getting shot in Korea, as I did in 1950. But I think that people who serve should be treated differently. I think people put their lives in harm's way."
About one in four Americans can be considered "swing voters," yet undecided or open to changing their minds in the presidential race, a new poll from Gallup/USA Today finds.
Of the 1,310 citizens surveyed June 15-19, the poll found that 23 percent either do not have a preference between Barack Obama and John McCain or may change their support.
According to the poll, six percent say they are undecided, eight percent say they support Obama but could change their minds, and nine percent say they support McCain but could switch before election day in November.
The poll also shows that Obama, who leads McCain in national polling, holds a greater advantage among voters who say they are certain of whom they will vote for. Obama holds a seven percentage point advantage--42 percent to 35 percent--among voters who say they are certain, while he held a two-point advantage--46 percent to 44 percent--in Gallup's daily tracking poll conducted at the same time (June 16, 17, and 19).
U.S. athletes involved in shooting competitions will be able to bring their guns to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, President Bush decreed today.
Bush temporarily lifted part of a ban on weapons exports to China, allowing the athletes to obtain temporary munitions export licenses and legally bring their guns to the games.
The order also applies to television networks, who will now be able to bring mobile high-definition cameras that contain military gyroscopes.
Bush announced his order in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the president of the Senate, Vice President Dick Cheney. See the letter here.
Barack Obama had a "terrific conversation" with former President Bill Clinton Monday, according to his campaign.
"Senator Obama had a terrific conversation with President Clinton and is honored to have his support in this campaign. He has always believed that Bill Clinton is one of this nation
Barack Obama's campaign will begin airing its second television ad of the general election tomorrow in 18 states, the campaign announced today.
The ad focuses on Obama's advocacy for workers. A narrator tells viewers Obama worked his way through college and Harvard law, turned down "big money offers" to work as a community organizer, and went on to advocate tax cuts for workers and welfare-to-work programs.
The 18 states where the ad will air are: Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia.
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