Joe Biden took to Meet the Press on Sunday to remind all you Hillary-For-Veep-2012-ers why he still second-runs the show:
I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that, men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual women marrying men, all are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties, and quite frankly, I don't see much of a distinction beyond that.
That's as plain-bagel as it gets. Biden has a knack for breaking down political issues to commuter train language, though gay marriage doesn't really take much breaking down at this point; still, Hillary would probably sound like she was drafting a non-binding UN resolution by the end of that thought.
That having been said, notice that Biden didn't advance the administration's position on gay marriage, just his own, and it wasn't a wholehearted endorsement of anything but equal rights. He may or may not endorse gay marriage himself, but he doesn't think it's his or anybody's business to prohibit it. He's "comfortable" with it; Joe Biden is probably also pretty comfortable with non-alcoholic beer, deli mustard, the Nationals' pennant chances and the food court options at Union Station. Not progressivism at its most stalwart, but perfectly fine for the country's highest ranking bucket of warm spit.
Pundits, apparently having nothing better to talk about, went nutty contrasting Biden's position to Obama's "my spine position is still evolving." But this strikes me as less a sign of friction between the two men than another of Obama's baby steps toward marriage legalization in disguise. Let Biden say it, the plan goes, and if there's a backlash, it goes on el blooper reel. If there ISN'T a backlash, then the gay community gets a wink that the administration is slowly stepping their way. Call it Gaffetivism: the advancement of a serious and progressive policy via the most buffoonish figure around. If you're afraid of slipping in public, might as well pack your own banana peel.
Again, not progressivism at its finest, but not a bad minor political maneuver. It ain't "bold," though. Meanwhile, gay couples across the country will happily take an order of Biden's civil rights/civil liberties combo whenevs.
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