The White House just announced that press secretary Jay Carney will not hold a daily briefing today.
There isn’t much going on over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue today, save for a Burt Bacharach concert in the East Room tonight.
This week, though, Carney has been mercilessly peppered by the press corps about President Obama’s “evolving” stance on gay marriage.
Last night, North Carolina voters voted 61-39 percent in favor of an amendment to the state’s constitution to ban recognition of gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships.
Obama’s campaign spokesman said the president is “disappointed” with the “divisive and discriminatory” ban.
The White House, in the wake of Vice President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan saying they support same-sex marriage, has tried to divert reporters to Obama’s record on other gay rights issues such as the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal (a challenge brought by Log Cabin Republicans) and the Justice Department’s non-defense of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act.
“I think it’s important to note, as I attempted to do yesterday, that what is abundantly clear is this president’s firm commitment to the protection of and securing of the same rights and obligations for LGBT citizens as other Americans enjoy,” Carney told reporters Tuesday. “He has been a strong proponent of LGBT rights, and I think that’s demonstrated by his record, which is unparalleled, as president in support of those rights.”
Tomorrow, Obama will travel to Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles for campaign events, staying overnight in L.A.
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