CNN Continues Cheerleading for Obama and Gay Marriage; 10 Guests Support His New Position, 2 Oppose It
After President Obama publicly supported gay marriage on Wednesday, CNN continued
its cheerleading well into Wednesday evening.
During CNN's 6-9 p.m. coverage, 9 of the guests voiced their support of
President Obama's position on-air, while only two objected. Another
guest, Mike Signorile, did not give verbal support but writes for the
Huffington Post "Gay Voices" blog and has called for President Obama to "kick down the closet door" and publicly support same-sex marriage.
In contrast, only two of the guests voiced their disapproval of President Obama's position. And CNN's Piers Morgan had some nasty words for one of them – Bill Donohue of the Catholic League – behind his back.
All in all, from 3 p.m. through the 9 p.m. hour, CNN hosted 15 guests in favor of the President's new position and just three opposed to it.
Guests included Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), openly-gay New York Times
columnist Frank Bruni, gay musician Clay Aiken, and members of pro-gay
organizations like GOProud, the Log Cabin Republicans, and the Human
Rights Campaign.
CNN had some sweet words for Frank, Aiken and Bruni. "Chairman Frank,
good to talk to you again, sir. It's been a while and I'm glad it's
under circumstances like this," Erin Burnett said to Frank. "I love it,"
she gushed when he showed her his ring.
Piers Morgan trumpeted the "extraordinary" day. "Yes, I mean, it was,
it was a seismic, historic moment. I mean one of the biggest, I would
say, in terms of any kind of social, civil issues since the Civil Rights
Movement."
"It just exploded all around the world, all corners of the planet,"
Morgan continued. "And I think that that showed the importance of it,
the significance of it."
Meanwhile, Morgan had some harsh words for Bill Donohue, who opposed
Obama's position, and for the North Carolinians who had voted for
Amendment 1.
"I just find it extraordinary that in North Carolina, your state," he
said to Clay Aiken, "that people feel strongly enough when there's
economic crisis, there are wars, there's famine, they want to go out and
vote for their right to absolutely guarantee two loving gay people
can't get married. What is wrong with them? I mean seriously?"
Of all the guests, the following either supported Obama's announcement
on-air, or were members of pro-gay organizations: Chris Barron, chairman
of GOProud; Alex Castellanos, Republican strategist; Donna Brazile,
Democratic strategist; Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.); Clarke Cooper,
executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans; Evan Wolfson, director
of FreedomtoMarry.org; Frank Bruni, op-ed columnist for the New York
Times; Chad Griffin, incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign;
Clay Aiken, singer; and Mike Signorile, editor at large for the HuffPo's
Gay Voices blog.
The two guests that opposed same-sex marriage were Pastor Dwayne Walker
of Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Bill
Donohue of the Catholic League.
