Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) called it "awesome" Tuesday that favoring same-sex marriage could be viewed as politically expedient, saying it shows advancement in people's perspective on the issue.
"As someone that represents one of the largest LGBT communities in the country, I think it's actually awesome that we've come so far in advancing the rights of the LGBT community that people would question that it's a good thing politically for the president of the United States to come out for marriage equality," said Wasserman Schultz on MSNBC.
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CBS News/New York Times poll released Monday found that most Americans believe President Obama publicly endorsed same-sex marriage for political reasons. Twenty-four percent of those surveyed thought Obama came forward because he felt it was the right thing to do, while 67 percent thought he was politically motivated.
The Florida congresswoman told MSNBC that although she thinks the poll represents progress in society, she argued that Obama made his announcement for personal reasons.
"This is the civil-rights issue of our generation. President Obama came out for marriage equality because he believes in it personally. He believes that no one should be discriminated against and that the laws of our country should reflect an opportunity for equality for all Americans," she said.
Obama became the first U.S. president to support marriages between same-sex couples, making his announcement in an ABC News interview Wednesday. Vice President Biden's remarks last Sunday that he was comfortable with same-sex marriage put political pressure on the president to explain his previously stated "evolving" views.
