Reply #2: I don't see Schumer's comment as beyond where Kerry is

[karynnj]

The direct Schumer quote speaks of equity - something Kerry said even in the 1990s. In the indirect quote, it says that he is for the repeal of DOMA and now for same sex marriage. Kerry was always against DOMA and is backing actions to get it declared unconstitutional.

On the only legislation I can think of that provides some equity, Schumer joined the Leahy amendment over a year after Kerry - at a point where it had substantial support.

Sen Akaka, Daniel K. - 2/14/2008
Sen Boxer, Barbara - 9/11/2007
Sen Brown, Sherrod - 5/16/2007
Sen Cantwell, Maria - 9/16/2008
Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. - 7/23/2008
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. - 9/11/2008
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. - 9/8/2008
Sen Feingold, Russell D. - 5/14/2007
Sen Inouye, Daniel K. - 5/15/2007
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. - 8/3/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. - 9/4/2007
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. - 9/26/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert - 1/31/2008
Sen Murray, Patty - 9/20/2007
Sen Sanders, Bernard - 1/30/2008
Sen Schumer, Charles E. - 9/11/2008
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon - 9/4/2007
Sen Wyden, Ron - 5/7/2008

Kerry has said that gay marriage is settled law in MA and his comments in support of the MA couple use words like "husband", "mother-in-law" and married. If that is not support of gay marriage, What is? The comments of the MA man show that he thinks Kerry - who he likely spoke to - supports gay marriage. It was also true that when the MA legislature was working on getting a referendum on the ballot to eliminate the right to gay marriage - Kerry worked behind the scenes to get a critical vote - inclined to go the other way - against it.

The problem with Kerry is just that he has not said that he personally supports gay marriage, without any qualifications. It should be noted, that Schumer is NOT being held to that standard. Nor is Obama.

I wish John Kerry would make a clear cut statement - stronger even than the one he gave to Cambridge Paul - that unambiguously supported gay marriage, but I don't know that Schumer's actual unreported comment was even as strong as Kerry's to Cambridge Paul - where he explained why he was for civil unions with full rights (and he did speak in 2004 of that meaning federal rights) - that the law in MA had gone passed that and he supported that. (Convoluted, but in summary he supports gay marriage in MA.) Nothing in the article suggests that Schumer is willing to do anything in NY or on the federal level on this issue. (Something that people would demand of Kerry.)

The fact is that Kerry in 2004 took a stronger position than Clinton or Gore had - and Obama did not go any further - even though he is a generation younger (on an issue where opinion has changed radically) and from a less conservative religious background. Obama's church (Wright) was pro-gay rights and had not spoken against gay marriage.

I do get that you hold Kerry to a higher standard because he holds himself to higher standards. Here, though, it strikes me the way it struck me when DUers were accepting Edwards' comment that he was wrong on the IWR, while not accepting what I saw as the more deeply felt Kerry comments - again surrounded by actions.