Delaware Sen. Tom Carper Endorses Marriage Equality

[JackBeck]

Source: BuzzFeed

WASHINGTON — Delaware Sen. Tom Carper became the latest senator to endorse marriage equality Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, he wrote:

As our society has changed and evolved, so too has the public's opinion on gay marriage – and so has mine. I pray every day for God to grant me the wisdom to do what is right. Through my prayers and conversations with my family and countless friends and Delawareans, I've been reminded of the power of one of my core values: the Golden Rule. It calls on us to treat others as we want to be treated. That means, to me, that all Americans ultimately should be free to marry the people they love and intend to share their lives with, regardless of their sexual orientation, and that's why today, after a great deal of soul searching, I'm endorsing marriage equality.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/delaware-sen-tom-carper-endorses-marriage-equality

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And then there were 7....

[Enrique]

1. when I hear politicians talking about how they prayed about something or other

I don't always believe them.

[oldhippydude]

3. most change because they feel the heat....

not because they saw the light..

[woodsprite]

4. Carper does seem to be a rather religious man

I attended church with him for years and was a Sunday School music teacher to his kids for awhile. His whole family fully participated in church. Politically I do think that he tries very hard to compromise between sides. He was one of the main people behind the original idea for the DLC. May have been a good "idea", though it's been watered down and corrupted over the years.

He's a nice guy and a good man, but I've often said he reminds me of someone trying to ride the yellow line of politics right down the center of the road without wavering to either side much. Many other politicians in Delaware seem to do the same thing.

Edited to add: Ours was a heavily Dem Presbyterian church. He switched churches when we changed pastors for a short stint (that pastor did not get a contract renewal, too evangelical for us). Now we're back to a more liberal pastor. Hoping the Carpers come back.

[Enrique]

5. thanks

maybe he meant it after all. I recently found out, to my great surprise, that my 90-year-old father prays. I knew he went to church every week, but I thought it was just because he liked to talk all their ears off. He never seemed religious to me, at all. He may never have ever said the word God as far as I know. So you never know. Maybe the less they talk about it, the more sincere they are. Maybe the Carpers of the world are more likely to pray than the Huckabees and the Santorums.

[iandhr]

6. There is this great scene in the West Wing.

Bartlett is talking to Vinick about religion. Vinick is telling the president about his doubts about Christianity. He says he doubts started after he read a bible that his wife gave him.


After their meeting Vinick tells the press "if you demand displays of faith from politicians you are begging to be lied too.

[shenmue]

2. Yay!

A step forward.

[iandhr]

7. It seems no Dem wants to be the last one.

[David__77]

8. All this sudden conversion makes the Democrats look like opportunists, sorry to say.

Either is true:

1) Democrats formerly did support marriage equality, but were too cowardly to admit and lead the fight earlier on.
2) Democrats do not really care about marriage equality one way or the other, but will take the position enhancing their political position.

[geek tragedy]

9. Of course they're opportunists.

Change never gets lead by politicians--they follow us.

[David__77]

11. That's almost always true.

And Democratic activists should always bear that in mind. The elected officials are not the leaders, but rather the instruments.

[Skittles]

12. CORRECT

[idwiyo]

10. K&R