FEDERAL GOV'T WANTS BLACK PEOPLE TO "SHACK UP" LIKE SLAVES, NOT LEGALLY MARRY

FEDERAL GOV'T WANTS BLACK PEOPLE TO "SHACK UP" LIKE SLAVES, NOT LEGALLY MARRY:

BLACK TRADITIONAL MARRIAGES ARE UNDER ATTACK.

BLACK CHILDREN NO LONGER HAVE POSITIVE IMAGES OF TRADITIONAL BLACK MARRIAGES.

In 21st century America BLACK Men and BLACK Women are no longer encouraged to LEGALLY Marry each other.

Instead it is becoming less common to see BLACK Men married to BLACK Women or BLACK Women married to BLACK Men.

However it has become increasingly common to see BLACK Men marry WHITE Women or to see BLACK Women marry WHITE Men.

In fact BLACK Men who marry BLACK Women often witness their BLACK Wives being Disrespected by mainstream American society.

The Federal govt also appears to reward BLACK Men and Women who choose to Co-habit (Shack-up) like SLAVES versus creating a LEGAL marriage relationship as Human Beings.

BLACK Traditional marriages are also being replaced with SAME-SEX marriages.

SAME-SEX Couples are not genetically, nor physically capable of  PROCREATING with one another.

As more and more Unemployed BLACK Men are INCARCERATED for not paying CHILD SUPPORT, what LEGACY is the BLACK community leaving for the next generation of BLACK Children as it relates to BLACK Traditional marriage and Strong BLACK Family units?

I am deeply concerned.

~ Black Pastors Denounce NAACP And Gay Marriage Which They Say 'Threaten To Destroy Western Civilization'  (CIRCA 2014)

A National Coalition of Black Pastors and Christian Leaders has announced that they are holding a special Press Conference in Detroit, Michigan on September 23, 2014.

The Coalition will reveal a national strategy to combat court decisions overturning state laws protecting traditional marriage in partnership with the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Press Conference shall be held at 10am, in Dearborn Room 1, at the Marriott- Detroit Metro Airport, Romulus, Michigan 48174.

The Council, which has denounced gay marriage as "a threat to end western civilization as we know it," has also condemned the NAACP as a "morally bankrupt institution" that has "sold Black civil rights for gay rights," according to its spokesperson, Minister Stacy Swimp.

In 2012, the NAACP took an official position to endorse "gay marriage," by putting out a press release saying "we support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution."

The NAACP has not recanted their position, in spite of the fact the overwhelming majority of Black Americans oppose gay marriage.

"How is it that the NAACP concludes that the 14th Amendment, which was created to guarantee the citizenship rights of Black Americans, is now meant to give license to a behavior which would devastate an already fractured institution in the Black community, which is the family?" says Pastor Danny Holliday, Founder and Pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Alton, Illinois.

"Every God fearing American has a moral obligation to renounce membership to this once proud organization that has clearly lost its moral compass."

The NAACP and other advocates of redefining marriage say that lesbians and homosexuals are "born gay" and should not be discriminated against because of how they were born.

The Coalition of Black Pastors and Christian leaders disagree.
"No one is created homosexual and forever condemned to being so.

That argument, in defense of gay marriage cannot be substantiated. I am living proof." says Evangelist Janet Boynes, a former lesbian who is one of the leaders of the Coalition.

"Therefore, to redefine marriage and, essentially, render the concept of family without true meaning, would be an action against the will of God and the best interest of nation, family, and person who has been deceived into thinking he or she is without hope of walking away from homosexuality."

The Coalition, represented by the Thomas More Law Center, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has filed several briefs on behalf of the Coalition in the Circuit Court of Appeals and in the US Supreme Court.

"We pray that Federal judges shall uphold the rule of law and dismiss the wrongful assertion which says that so called gay marriage has association with the 14th Amendment, which was passed to guarantee the citizenship rights of Black Americans," says Pastor Emery Moss, Strictly Biblical, Detroit, Michigan.

"Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it indicate that equal justice under the law is related to gay marriage," says Bishop Samuel Smith, of the Apostolic World Christian Fellowship.

"Marriage, furthermore, was defined by God. Not by government. Government has no right to redefine marriage and destroy the meaning of family."

Bishop Smith concludes, "The Constitution provides us our civil, political, and religious freedom, in accordance with our God given rights.

The courts of the United States have a duty to the American people to uphold these God given rights and the Constitution."

Sources: Gospel Herald, Youtube

GAY MARRIAGE: Why Is Pres OBAMA Obsessed With GAY Rights?? (UTAH)

#UTAH

WHY IS PRES OBAMA OBSESSED WITH GAY MARRIAGE??

OBAMA RECOGNIZES GAY MARRIAGE IN UTAH

Effective immediately the OBAMA Admin has announced it will recognize GAY Marriage in UTAH.

Why am I Not surprised??

Pres OBAMA will Speak up LOUD & CLEAR for GAY Marriage,

yet remain SILENT for a CHILD in CALIFORNIA who was almost MURDERED just to Cover-Up Medical MALPRACTICE & ORGAN Harvesting.

I have NEVER in my life time seen a U.S. President so Obsessed with GAY Marriage!

And if any American Voters Oppose GAY Marriage, or Disagree with GAY Marriage the OBAMA Admin Punishes those people.

It's absolutely Unreal how much Pres OBAMA caters to GLAAD & other GAY Rights Organizations.

Is it because GLAAD donated a ton of MONEY to both of his Presidential Campaigns??

Let's be real people.

OBAMA fights Harder for GAY Marriage then he does for ANYTHING else in America.

For ex:

AL-QAEDA

Improving OBAMACARE

JOBS

EDUCATION

Fixing the NSA

Restructuring the IRS & Reforming the TAX CODE, etc.,

Instead he is Only Laser-Focused on GAY Marriage & GAY Rights!

So is there any wonder why most American Voters NO longer TRUST him???

WHY IS PRES OBAMA OBSESSED WITH GAY MARRIAGE??




ARTICLE: "Obama Administration Will Recognize Same-sex Marriages In Utah"

The Justice Department announced Friday it will recognize - for federal purposes - same-sex marriages performed for a short period in Utah.

The state on Wednesday said it would not recognize the approximately 1,000 marriages or marriage licenses issued for gay and lesbian couples, at least until the issue is fully resolved in the courts.

"These families should not be asked to endure uncertainty regarding their status as the litigation unfolds," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a videotaped message.

"In the days ahead, we will continue to coordinate across the federal government to ensure the timely provision of every federal benefit to which Utah couples and couples throughout the country are entitled – regardless of whether they in same-sex or opposite-sex marriages," he added.

The federal government's decision will likely create more legal chaos over the constitutionality of same-sex marriage that is playing out in Utah, and several other states.

The Supreme Court last year said gay and lesbian couples legally married in their states were entitled to the same federal benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex partners.

The office of Utah Gov. Gary Herbert had sent a letter to Cabinet officials Wednesday saying that, based on advice from the state's attorney general, "state recognition of same-sex marital status is on hold until further notice.

"Please understand this position is not intended to comment on the legal status of those same-sex marriages - that is for the courts to decide," the governor's chief of staff, Derek Miller, wrote. "The intent of this communication is to direct state agency compliance with current laws that prohibit the state from recognizing same-sex marriages."

The current legal and political fight erupted December 20 when U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby concluded Utah's law banning same-sex marriage, approved in 2004, conflicted with the constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process. That prompted many counties to begin issuing marriage licenses, but the state then appealed to the Supreme Court.

The justices on Monday blocked enforcement of the district court ruling until the constitutional questions are fully resolved. A federal appeals court could hold oral arguments as soon as March. A ruling there could affect all states within the court's jurisdiction: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.

But Holder said, "In the meantime, I am confirming today that, for purposes of federal law, these marriages will be recognized as lawful and considered eligible for all relevant federal benefits on the same terms as other same-sex marriages."

Sources: AP, CNN

UTAH SAME-SEX MARRIAGES INVALIDATED BY SCOTUS (Voters Should Approve GAY Marriage NOT Gov't!)

#UTAH


HERBERT v. KITCHEN:

1,000+ SAME-SEX Marriages were Invalidated after the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled GAY Marriage ILLEGAL in the State of UTAH.

I still firmly believe GAY MARRIAGE should be approved by VOTERS Not by the Government.




ARTICLE: "Utah Will Not Recognize Same-Sex Marriages Performed Before High Court Stay"

Utah will not recognize the hundreds of same-sex marriages that were temporarily allowed by a federal judge's ruling but before the Supreme Court issued an injunction, the state announced Wednesday.

Officials say more than a thousand marriage licenses between gay and lesbian couples were issued in the 17 days between the initial ruling and the high court's Monday order blocking enforcement.

"Based on counsel from the Attorney General's Office regarding the Supreme Court decision, state recognition of same-sex marital status is ON HOLD until further notice," said the governor's Chief of Staff Derek Miller in a letter to cabinet officials.

"Please understand this position is not intended to comment on the legal status of those same-sex marriages– that is for the courts to decide. The intent of this communication is to direct state agency compliance with current laws that prohibit the state from recognizing same-sex marriages."

U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby concluded on December 20 the decision that a state law banning same-sex marriage, approved in 2004, conflicted with the constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process. That prompted many counties to begin issuing marriages licenses, but the state then appealed to the Supreme Court.

The justices' two-sentence order blocks enforcement until the constitutional questions are fully resolved. A federal appeals court could hold oral arguments as soon as March. A ruling there could affect all states within the court's jurisdiction: Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

But in the meantime, that left the tricky, unresolved question about the status of those who received marriage licenses after Shelby's ruling.

"The original laws governing marriage in Utah return to effect pending final resolution by the courts," said the letter from the governor's office. "It is important to understand that those laws include not only a prohibition of performing same-sex marriages but also recognizing same-sex marriages."

State officials had sharply criticized Shelby's ruling, and his order same-sex marriages be allowed to take place immediately, saying it created legal confusion.

"This is the uncertainty that we were trying to avoid by asking the [federal] District Court for a stay immediately after its decision. It is very unfortunate that so many Utah citizens have been put into this legal limbo," said the state's attorney general Sean Reyes earlier this week.

More recently, same-sex marriage legal battles have become prominent in states where it is prohibited.

But the Utah case is a broad challenge that goes to the heart of constitutional law as it applies to the state ban and could wind up back at the Supreme Court. Same-sex couples say laws like Utah's violate their equal protection and due process rights.

"It could be the challenge that a lot of people have been waiting for, which is does the United States Constitution guarantee a right to marriage for everyone," said CNN Senior Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

"That's the issue in this case and it's now working its way through the courts. It could take quite some time."

The Supreme Court ruled more narrowly this past summer on separate issues involving same-sex marriage.

It cleared the way for those unions in California to resume and rejected parts of a federal law, concluding same-sex spouses legally married in a state may receive federal benefits.

Most states still ban the practice, but polls show more support for it publicly.

The case is Herbert v. Kitchen.


Sources: AP, CNN, Democracy Now, Youtube

U.S. SUPREME COURT BLOCKS GAY MARRIAGE IN UTAH

#GayMarriageUTAH

U.S. SUPREME COURT BLOCKS GAY MARRIAGE IN UTAH


ARTICLE: "Supreme Court Blocks Same-Sex Marriage In Utah"

The Supreme Court filed an order Monday that blocks gay marriages in Utah, giving state officials time to appeal a federal judge's ruling against Utah's same-sex marriage ban.

The high court issued a stay “pending final disposition,” according to the order issued Monday. State officials have been appealing to a federal appeals court to reverse a recent ruling that allowed same-sex marriages to continue.

The temporary stay on Monday effectively reinstates an earlier ban the state imposed on such marriages. The order doesn’t indicate that any justices dissented, thereby suggesting the full Court supported the stay, according to SCOTUSblog.

This decision comes just two weeks after a federal district court Judge Robert J. Shelby struck down a ban on same-sex marriages in the state.

Shelby said the ban violated the U.S. Constitution’s due process and equal protection clauses.

Utah became the 18th state, in addition to Washington, D.C., to allow gay marriages when Shelby overturned the ban on Dec. 20.

Just a few days later, a federal appeals court upheld Shelby’s decision, and rejected an emergency request by Utah officials to block the marriages. The panel said issuing a stay on the ruling was “not warranted” as Utah officials could go through the appeals process.

Last Tuesday, however, Utah officials filed an emergency appeal to prevent the marriages from continuing.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor oversees such requests and ordered a group of same-sex couples challenging that appeal to respond to the state by noon last Friday.

As of last Tuesday, at least 900 same-sex couples were able to get married since Shelby had issued his decision, according to multiple reports.

Shelby’s ruling came as a surprise, and was heavily praised by gay rights groups. He is only the second federal judge to reverse a state ban on same-sex marriage, as The New York Times notes.

Judge Vaughn R. Walker in San Francisco was the first when he struck down California’s proposition 8 in 2010.


Sources: CNN, The Hill

North Carolina No Longer Ranked 2012 Swing State; Now Listed As Toss-Up State (NY Times Analysis)

Explaining The Times’s Battleground State Ratings

Six months before Election Day, nine states that President Obama carried four years ago are now firmly up for grabs in the latest New York Times ranking of key battleground states, while Mitt Romney holds an early advantage in two other states the president won in 2008.

As the general election race intensifies, Mr. Obama begins with a slim edge in several critical states and has a variety of paths to winning re-election, according to the Times analysis of electoral votes.

But there are considerable opportunities for Mr. Romney, whose candidacy is in a position of strength in enough states where a victory could deny the president a second term.

The Times ratings, which will be reviewed periodically throughout the campaign, find nine states are locked in the tossup category: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

In the quest to win the necessary 270 electoral votes, the president has 185 solidly on the Democratic side and Mr. Romney has 158 in safe Republican territory.

The analysis finds 115 electoral votes in the tossup category, with 32 leaning Democratic and 48 leaning Republican.

The Times rankings are based on interviews with Republican and Democratic strategists and the economic climate, political volatility, polling and electoral history in each state.

Here is a brief rationale for the current collection of toss-up states:

Colorado:

The president’s victory here in 2008 was among his favorites, after the state had voted Republican in eight of the nine prior presidential races. A wariness of big government is testing Mr. Obama this time, but Mr. Romney faces his own challenge appealing to independents and women, whose support was critical to Democratic wins in races for the Senate and governor in 2010.

Florida:

A wave of home foreclosures and a sour economy has complicated Mr. Obama’s path to a repeat victory here.

A growing number of conservative retirees offer Mr. Romney hope, but the outcome could hinge on whether he can win over Hispanic voters, particularly younger Cuban Americans in southern Florida and Puerto Ricans in central Florida.

Iowa:

The state that paved Mr. Obama’s path to the presidency could complicate his re-election, despite an economy that is more robust than many other states. Mr. Romney faces a challenge of exciting evangelical voters who did not support him earlier this year at the Iowa caucuses. In a close race, these six electoral votes are critical to both sides.

New Hampshire:

The president is leading in some early polls, but the state is too volatile to make any predictions at this point.

Mr. Romney has been seen as a favorite son, having been governor in the state next door, Massachusetts.

The Republican gains in 2010 have created a backlash among some Democrats in a state that will be a backdrop for the presidential campaign.

Nevada:

The Romney campaign has a ready-made laboratory to argue that the policies of the Obama administration have not worked, particularly in a state with the nation’s highest rates of home foreclosure and unemployment.

But the president is traveling to the state again and again, hoping his appeal to Hispanic and lower-income voters will deliver the state again.

Ohio:

It is hard to picture Mr. Romney winning the White House without Ohio.

An improving economy could help Mr. Obama, particularly with a revival in the auto industry, but the state’s conservative leanings still pose a significant challenge.

It will likely break late, with neither candidate winning the early enthusiasm race.

Pennsylvania:

Republicans have lost the last five presidential elections here, but it is not an automatic lock for Mr. Obama. Democrats have an edge in voter registration, but new voting laws concern party leaders.

This state could eventually lean Democratic as the campaign moves along, but the president has yet to prove that the key independent voters will be on his side.

Virginia:

The population shifts in Northern Virginia are changing the state’s political demographics. The president carried the state by seven percentage points in 2008, but that margin belies the true fight underway in the state this time.

This is one of the states Mr. Romney needs to put back in the Republican column if he is to be elected.

Wisconsin:

The political climate here is volatile, given the June recall election of Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican.

A flood of outside money – pro-union and antiunion – has created a charged dynamic.

The president has an early edge over Mr. Romney, but the environment is too uncertain to safely move the state into the Democratic-leaning column.

The Times rankings also include four states that lean Democratic, including Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Maine, which allows its electoral votes to be divided and Mr. Romney is fighting for at least one.

In this group, Michigan and New Mexico are the most competitive and could become true tossups as the race progresses.

In an interview last year, Mr. Romney declined to commit to competing aggressively in his native Michigan, saying he would make his determination on the state of the race rather than family sentiment.

This state is worth watching closely.

The Times rankings also include four states that are leaning Republican, including Arizona, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina.

(One electoral vote in Nebraska, which also allows its allocation to be divided, is also included in this category, after Mr. Obama won it in 2008.)

In this group, North Carolina is the most competitive and could become a toss-up as the campaign develops.

Four years ago, Mr. Obama narrowly carried the state and is aggressively targeting it again.

Arizona is another state to watch, with the president’s re-election team sizing it up over the summer to see if it is worth making a full investment in the fall.


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Sources: AP, ABC News, AlJazeera English, CBS News, CNN, McClatchy Newspapers, NY Times, Youtube, Google Maps

"The View" Cast Debates Same-Sex Marriage: Gay Is NOT The New BLACK! (Video)

No "GAY" is NOT the New BLACK!

No Gay Rights are NOT Equal to Civil Rights!
Gay Rights is related to a Lifestyle Choice & Civil Rights are about Human Rights related to one's Ethnicity & Natural Skin Color.
Democrats & the NAACP will soon learn perhaps too late, that BLACK Voters can NOT be replaced with GAY Voters.
Just my opinion.
You don't have to agree.


Source: ABC, Youtube

Prop 8 Ban Sponsors To Seek SCOTUS Ruling For Final Decision: Same-Sex Marriage Debate

Court Won’t Revisit Gay Marriage Case; May Go to Justices

The sponsors of California's same-sex marriage ban said Tuesday they plan to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review a landmark appellate court ruling that struck down the law as unconstitutional.

Alliance Defense Fund lawyer Brian Raum said Proposition 8 backers "absolutely" would take the case to the high court now that it has run its course at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Raum said he expected to get a ruling from the Supreme Court sometime in the fall on whether it would take the case. He did not know if the Proposition 8 defense team would take the entire 90 days they have to petition the Supreme Court.

The move follows a federal appeals court's refusal to revisit a decision by two of its member judges declaring the voter-approved ban to be a violation of the civil rights of gays and lesbians in California.

Backers of the ban petitioned the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February to review the decision instead of appealing directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gay marriage opponents said at the time they would go to the high court if the appeals court declined to rehear the case.

Same sex unions were briefly legal in California before voters passed Proposition 8 in November 2008. Due to the ongoing legal wrangling, it's unlikely the practice will resume in the state anytime soon.

The 9th Circuit said Tuesday a majority of its 26 actively serving judges had voted not to revisit a three-judge panel's 2-1 decision declaring the voter-approved ban to be a violation of the civil rights of gays and lesbians in California.

The 9th Circuit does not often agree to rehear cases, a procedure known as en banc review. Federal court rules reserve the practice for appeals that involve "a question of exceptional importance" or if the original decision appears to conflict with Supreme Court or 9th Circuit precedents.

After voters approved Proposition 8, two unmarried couples sued to overturn the ban in May 2009, and their lawsuit gave rise the next year to the first federal trial to examine if states can prohibit gays from getting married without violating the constitutional guarantee of equality. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ultimately sided with the couples.

The ban's sponsors appealed, and the split 9th Circuit panel affirmed Walker's finding that Proposition 8 violated those civil rights. But, instead of finding any gay marriage ban would be unconstitutional, the panel limited its decision to California, saying Proposition 8 improperly took away an existing right.

Several other high-profile same-sex cases also are making their way toward the high court. A three-judge panel of the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared last week that the federal law that prohibits recognition of same-sex couples unconstitutionally denies Social Security and other federal spousal benefits to married gay couples.



LGBT donors back President Obama, big time

After President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage, a group organizing a fundraiser on his behalf suddenly had to find a bigger venue. The event, featuring the pop singer Pink, is one of two LGBT-organized fundraisers Obama is expected to attend on the West Coast on Wednesday.

A CNN analysis of President Obama's biggest fundraisers, known as bundlers, shows that at least 33 -- or about one in every 16 bundlers -- is openly gay. Together, they have raised at least $8 million for the campaign between January and the end of March.

By contrast, in the same period, bundlers from the television, movie and music industry, some of whom attended a recent high-profile fundraiser hosted by actor George Clooney, raised $6.8 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

While campaign finance laws require donors to disclose their full names, addresses, occupations and employers, there is no box to check for sexual orientation.

Nor does the law require candidates to release information about their bundlers. Under prodding from watchdog groups, presidential campaigns have released bundler data in past elections.

Obama's campaign has released its list. Republican candidate Mitt Romney's campaign has not.

In CNN's analysis, only bundlers who have disclosed their orientation in past CNN reporting or in trusted LGBT publications were counted as gay. The Washington Post has reported that as many as one in six bundlers supporting Obama are gay. The Advocate Magazine estimates one in five.

Glancing down the names on the bundlers list released by the Obama campaign for the first quarter, it is easy to find people known for their work on behalf of the LGBT community.

Tim Gill, a software entrepreneur who runs a large Colorado-based foundation that backs gay rights projects, has already contributed $672,800 with his partner Scott Miller to the Obama for America campaign. Fred Eychaner, who owns the Chicago-based Newsweb Corp., has donated $1,220,550 so far.

He co-hosted a $35,800-per-person LGBT organized fundraiser for Obama in February. Kathy Levinson, the former president and CEO of the Menlo Park, California-based Etrade, gave $202,150.

The LA Gay and Lesbian Center Women's Night named Levinson a "Community Role Model" in 2000. She was instrumental in raising money to stop the anti-same-sex marriage law in California.

Donations made after Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage May 9 won't be released until mid-June, when the campaign files its second-quarter reports with the Federal Election Commission.

Many LGBT bundlers have maintained a close relationship with the president throughout his first term.

A state dinner in March was attended by bundlers Gill; Eychaner; Barry Karas, a former Human Rights Campaign board member; James (Wally) Brewster, senior vice president of General Growth Properties, a real estate investment trust that owns and operates shopping malls;

Dana Perlman, a corporate lawyer who has served as co-chair of the Obama/DNC LGBT Leadership Council; Joseph Falk, a Miami mortgage broker and others.

Support for Obama from the LGBT community was challenged after the initial excitement of his first campaign, largely because of what was perceived as his lukewarm support on same-sex marriage. Some say a low point came during the election in 2008, when evangelist pastor Rick Warren asked Obama how he defined marriage and he called it "a union between a man and a woman."

He added: "For me as a Christian, it is a sacred union. God's in the mix." He further angered the community by picking Warren to deliver his invocation at the presidential inauguration.

Actor Alan Cumming wrote in 2010, "We keep hearing that Obama is an ally, that DADT [the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy that kept LGBT people from openly serving in the military] will end under his watch, but what do we actually get? Diddly squat."

Dustin Lance Black, who won a best screenplay Oscar for "Milk," a movie biography of the gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk who was gunned down because of his sexual orientation, said last year that he had been an Obama supporter before but might sit out the upcoming election.

When President Obama finally signed the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and "evolved" in his position on marriage by saying he was in favor of it for the LGBT community, both Black and Cumming did more than just say they supported the president. They donated money. They also encouraged others to do the same.

David Mixner, who started one of the first LGBT-themed PACs in the late 1970s, said the community has come a long way in being accepted in electoral politics. "We had some candidates who wouldn't take our money back then because they didn't want to be associated with anyone who was gay," Mixner said.

He said he believes that changed with the Clinton administration, which the PAC raised $4 million to support. "Now the community knows how to raise money and contribute on their own and we are more than welcome at the table."

The LGBT community is such an important part of this president's re-election effort that the Obama for America campaign hosts a special section for it on its website. It includes a video discussing the president's support for LGBT issues narrated by actress Jane Lynch, who is openly gay.

It also offers Obama merchandise like T-shirts and drink koozies to bring to Gay Pride events this summer.

The president has already attended several LGBT-organized fundraisers, including one in New York hosted by openly gay singer Ricky Martin, the Futuro Fund, and Obama for America LGBT Leadership Council.

Another event in Washington, hosted by Karen K. Dixon and her partner, Dr. Nan Schaffer, was rumored to have raised more than a million dollars for the campaign, although the Obama team won't comment on the record about fundraising.

Tickets for one of the California events were selling so well the campaign had to find a larger venue. There also is great interest in a Chicago fundraiser co-hosted by LGBT bundlers Brewster and Bob Satawake. The couple has already raised $288,663, according to the CNN analysis.

"I think there has always been a strong base of support from LGBT people for the president," said Michael Cole-Schwartz, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, whose incoming president Chad Griffin is a bundler.

"He earned even more respect from the community -- from repealing 'don't ask, don't tell,' to signing the hate crimes law giving the first civil rights protection for us in federal law, to coming out against DOMA," the Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage for federal purposes as unions exclusively between a man and a woman.

"Now, with his saying he believes in full marriage equality, we have another reason for people in our community to be generous with their time and money."

It is difficult to know if there are any openly gay bundlers for the Republicans, because Romney has not disclosed his bundler list.

The Republican candidate has, however, voiced his opposition to civil unions and supports a federal amendment to the U.S. Constitution to deny same-sex couples the right to marry.

But some gay Republicans say Romney is not totally close minded on LGBT issues. "On gay issues, where Romney stands is not as black and white as it seems," said R.

Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, an organization for gay and lesbian Republicans. "One thing he has been consistent on, as governor and as a candidate for president, is he has spoken in broad terms about ending discrimination in the workplace. He has said there is no room for it."

Cooper said the Log Cabin Republicans haven't decided yet if they will endorse Romney. That announcement will come sometime this fall. He does believe, though, that there are gay donors to Romney's campaign. They just might not be as outspoken.

"We joke that at Pride (festivals), the question we most often ask other Republicans we see there is, 'Are you out?' Meaning 'out' about your politics yet."


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Sources: AP, ABC, CNN, NY Times, PBS News, Youtube, Google Maps

Ben Jealous Chokes On NAACP's Endorsement Of Gay Marriage; NAACP Does NOT Speak For All BLACKS!

NAACP president chokes up over support for marriage equality

NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous on Monday became emotional as he spoke to reporters about his organization’s decision to support marriage rights for LGBT couples.

“Our calling as an organization is to defend the U.S. Constitution,” Jealous told reporters during a press conference at the NAACP headquarters on Monday. “We are here to speak to matters of civil law and matters of civil rights.”

The NAACP president added that he wasn’t worried about a backlash from religious members of NAACP over support for marriage equality.

“I’ve spoken to many clergy who feel differently, different sides, different theologies, different doctrines. All are very clear that if this is a difference, it is a difference, not a division. If this is a contrast, it is a contrast, not a conflict.”

“To a one, they understand that they are a well…,” he said, pausing as he choked up.

“You have to excuse me,” Jealous explained, his voice trembling. “I’m a bit moved. My parents own marriage was against the law at the time and they had to return here to Baltimore after getting married in Washington, D.C. And the procession back was mistaken for a funeral procession because it was so quixotic to people to see all these cars with these headlights on, having to go from one city all the way to the next just so they could have a party after they got married in their own home. This is an important day.”

The NAACP announced on Saturday that it had passed a resolution affirming support for same sex marriage rights.

“At a meeting of the 103-year old civil rights group’s board of directors, the organization voted to support marriage equality as a continuation of its historic commitment to equal protection under the law,” a statement said.

The U.S. Supreme Court declared anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional in its 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision. By 2005, Stanford University sociologist Michael Rosenfeld determined that 7 percent of all marriages in the U.S. were interracial.


Sources: CNN, Fox News, Raw Story

NAACP Backs Same-Sex Marriage While BLACK Unemployment Remains Extremely HIGH; They Don't Speak For ME!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I Don't know about YOU but the NAACP Does NOT Speak for the Entire American BLACK Community.

Perhaps back in the 1950's & 1960's But NOT in the 21st Century!

They Most Certainly Do NOT Speak for ME!

I Personally Do NOT Accept Gay Rights Or Gay Marriage as a Civil Rights Issue.

This Does NOT Mean That I HATE Gay People Because I Don't Hate Them.

I Can Love Gay People With The LOVE Of GOD While Choosing To Disapprove Of Their Gay Lifestyle, Of Which I Believe Is Nothing More Than A Personal Lifestyle Choice Versus Natural Genetics As Skin Color & Ethnicity Are.

Yes I Do Believe What God's Holy Word Says about Homosexuality.

He Condemned It! FOREVER!

Please Don't Argue Or Debate With ME Regarding GOD's Views On Homosexuality.

Instead Go Directly To GOD And Debate With Him!

If Anyone Thinks They Are More Intelligent Than GOD & Can Win A Debate Against GOD, Please Be My Guest And Step Up To Him.

I Can Assure You That The Lord GOD Almighty Will Always WIN!

GOD Will Always Have The LAST WORD! NOT Mankind Whom HE Created!

If Other People Within The 21st Century BLACK American Community Choose To Accept Gay Rights Or Gay Marriage As A Civil Right, That Is Their Choice.

I Respect Their Choice Even If I Do NOT Agree With Them.

If My Refusal To Accept Gay Rights Or Gay Marriage As A Civil Right Causes National 21st Century BLACK Leaders To Ostracize Me, Then I Will Just Pray For Those Leaders & Continue To Trust In GOD.

Jesus Christ Is My Lord & Savior.
He Is Also The Author & Finisher Of My Faith!
It Is In Him That I Live, Move & Have My Being.

I Personally Do NOT Accept Gay Rights Or Gay Marriage as a Civil Rights Issue.

Thank You For Respecting My Decision.


The NAACP Has Announced Its Support For Legalizing Gay Marriage In America.

Excuse Me But What About JOBS, Black-Owned Small Businesses, Quality Education, Protecting Voting Rights, Racial Profiling, Student Loan Debt, Reducing BLACK Recidivism & Affordable Housing?

I Don't Mean To Sound Redundant But I Would Like Someone To Please Logically Explain To Me How Legalizing Gay Marriage Is Going To Heal What Ails The Collective American BLACK Community?

Will Gay Marriage Lower the BLACK Community's Unemployment Rate??
For 3 Years it has hovered between 16 to 55% depending upon Demographics.
The BLACK U.S. Unemployment Rate fell to 13% in April. However the WHITE U.S. Unemployment Rate is 8.1%. Its Still Much Higher for BLACK Men. Up to 55% depending on Regional Demographics.

Will Gay Marriage Repeal GOP-Sponsored, 21st Century Jim Crow Voter ID Laws?
New Voter ID Laws threaten to Deny the Voting Rights of Millions of U.S. Citizens.

Will Gay Marriage Improve the Quality Of Public School Education for Millions of BLACK Children?
Many BLACK Students in the U.S. are Performing 30 Years Behind White Students!

Will Gay Marriage Reduce Recidivism In the American BLACK Community?
In case the NAACP has forgotten, there are currently more than 846,000 BLACK Men housed in U.S. Prisons like Slaves.
Included in those disturbing statistics are a growing number of BLACK Fathers & Their Sons Both being Sentenced for Crimes & Incarcerated at the SAME time!

Will Gay Marriage Increase the number of BLACK-Owned Businesses or Help BLACK-Owned Businesses to Expand so they can become Job Creators?
Many BLACK-Owned Businesses Lack the Capital to Expand. Less than 1% of Funding for BLACK-Owned Businesses was included in the Stimulus Bill.

Will Gay Marriage ease the Affordable Housing Crisis plaguing many BLACK Communities?
Or Help Prevent Foreclosures for Millions of BLACK Homeowners Hurt by the Wall Street Crash & Underwater Housing Crunch?
Many States are using Federal Funding allocated for Affordable Housing & Mortgage Assistance to plug Budget Deficits.
For Troubled BLACK Homeowners Hurt by the Wall Street Crash, its about to get Worse because of the BLACK Unemployment Crisis.

Will Gay Marriage help Hundreds of Thousands BLACK College Students/ Grads Burdened by Student Loan Debt?
Due to the High BLACK Unemployment Rate, many BLACK College Grads are experiencing great Financial Difficulty Repaying their High Interest Loans.

Will Gay Marriage End Racial Profiling In America For BLACK & Latino Men?
Especially in Large Metropolitan Regions like New York City.
Trayvon Martin's MURDER was a Direct Result of George Zimmerman's Racial Profiling.

YES The American BLACK Community is in Peril!
Even Young BLACK Children Learn At An Early Age That The American BLACK Community Is In TROUBLE.

So What's the NAACP's Solution?

Just Legalize Gay Marriage!

I guess JOBS, Black-Owned Small Businesses, Quality Education, Protecting Voting Rights, Racial Profiling, Student Loan Debt, Reducing BLACK Recidivism & Affordable Housing are NO longer on the NAACP's list of 21st Century Priorities.

Dear GOD Help Us!

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV):
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

Leviticus 18:22 (KJV):
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind it is abomination."

Leviticus 20:13:
"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

Romans 1:24-32:
"24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."






NAACP announces support of same-sex marriage, shoring up Obama's base

The NAACP announced Saturday the 103-year-old black civil rights group is supporting same-sex marriage.

The group's board of directors made the decision at a meeting this weekend, saying it was a "continuation of its historic commitment to equal protection under the law."

The decision follows President Obama's recent support of gay marriage, a move that threatened to divide key parts of the Democratic voting base -- the gay and black communities.

"The mission of the (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) has always been to ensure political, social and economic equality of all people," said Roslyn M. Brock, chairman of the board. "We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law."

Black religious leaders -- who traditionally have opposed same-sex marriage -- originally opposed the president's recent decision but appear to have softened their position in recent days.

Pastor Emmett Burns said on the Sunday following the president's May 9 announcement that he opposed the decision but this week reportedly said he would vote for Obama.

Burns, a delegate in the Maryland state legislature, was among the lawmakers who strongly opposed a same-sex marriage bill that passed in the Assembly this year.

He helped defeat the bill last year.

Conservatives think the issue could still split the president's base.

"He's on the wrong side of this issue," Deneen Barille, a black conservative told Fox News earlier this week.

"He's going against the values of black Americans voters. … He's splitting his base. He's going for the gay community versus the black community where he has thrown them under the bus."

However, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force hailed the NAACP's decision Saturday.

"This is truly a historic moment," the group said in a statement. "The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force could not be more thrilled."

This gay marriage issue marks the second time in the last year that a decision by the Obama administration has threatened to split the president's base.

The administration has withheld federal approval on the Keystone XL oil pipeline over environmental concerns.

The decision has pleased environmentalists but has upset some union members who say construction of the pipeline, from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, would create thousands of jobs.

Should the administration grant the permits, Obama could arguably lose the environmental vote.

Democratic strategist Ben Tulchin said earlier this week the question of whether either issue will hurt the president's re-election efforts must be viewed in the context of the 2012 election cycle.

"Two years ago, with the president not having a named candidate, this might have been an issue," said Tulchin, president of the San Francisco-based Tulchin Research. "But is the president's base going to flock to Mitt Romney, absolutely not."

He said the Keystone issue further illustrates the point, considering that states run by Republicans are pushing anti-union legislation.

Democratic voters are saying "we have guys who are trying to protect union rights versus guys who are trying to screw workers."


Gay Marriage could be big voting issue in Colorado

Minutes after President Barack Obama endorsed gay marriage on May 9, Colorado's Democratic governor choked back tears as he ordered state lawmakers to reconsider a civil-unions measure defeated the day before by Republicans.

In the week that followed, the debate over equal rights for same-sex couples consumed the Capitol. Republicans succeeded in killing the measure, but lawmakers from both parties say the issue could play an important role in White House race in Colorado.

"Go back to your communities, go back to your neighborhoods, go back to your churches and let them know that the fight continues," Republican House Speaker Frank McNulty told gay-marriage opponents gathered outside the Capitol last Tuesday.

Colorado Democrats predict that their loyalists, as well as independents, will rally behind Obama, given his support of same-sex marriage.

"That will have a positive impact on the chances of the president being re-elected and winning Colorado in November," said Democratic Rep. Mark Ferrandino, a gay lawmaker who co-sponsored the civil unions legislation and said that its supporters would be "very active" in the fall on the issue.

Obama plans to give the commencement address Wednesday at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, before attending fundraisers in Denver.

Since 2008, equal rights for same-sex couples -- either through civil unions or gay marriage -- has flared in a few of the most contested presidential states.

Two of those, Iowa and New Hampshire, now recognize gay marriage.

North Carolina recently took the opposite stance, voting to strengthen its ban against gay marriage.

But the fight in Colorado has proved especially bitter, and feelings on both sides are raw.

So Republicans and Democrats are bracing for social issues such as gay marriage and civil unions to factor into voters' calculations about whether to back the Democratic incumbent or likely GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who opposes allowing gay people to get married.

The economy is certain to dominate the race in the state. Colorado's unemployment rate is 7.9 percent, lower than in some swing states and marginally lower than the national average of 8.1 percent. But with joblessness falling, social issue could well become more of an issue in voters' minds.

Colorado has nine electoral votes, and the state is evenly divided among registered Republicans, Democrats and independents.

Look no further than the state's evolution on same-sex partnerships as evidence of its swing nature.

Just six years ago, Coloradans overwhelmingly voted to change the state constitution to ban gay marriage after a campaign largely funded by Focus on the Family, a conservative group based in Colorado that's influential across the nation.

By this spring, though, there was enough bipartisan support in the state Legislature to approve civil unions. Yet GOP leaders twice used legislative maneuvers to stop same-sex recognition, most recently last Monday.

Republicans accused Gov. John Hickenlooper of taking marching orders from the White House by pushing the civil union measure in hopes of diverting attention from the sluggish economic recovery.

"Make no mistake about it," McNulty said. "It's absolutely clear to me that Gov. Hickenlooper is reading straight from President Obama's campaign playbook."
Democrats said Colorado Republicans filibustered equality.

Some conservatives insist that Obama's position on marriage will hurt him in Colorado.

"Six years is not a long time," said Carrie Gordon Earll of CitizenLink, the public policy arm of Focus on the Family. She was referring to the state passage of its gay marriage ban. "I would think a majority of voters would say, `That does not align with my views."'

Others counter that Colorado's views may be changing as quickly as the nation's.

Consider that a handful of Republicans in the House said they'd support civil unions, meaning the measure would have passed if GOP leaders hadn't maneuvered to prevent a vote.

Senate Democrats have passed civil unions two years in a row, both times joined by Republican women in the Senate.

Some Republicans fear that the GOP's civil unions stand in Colorado could harm the party with independent voters.

"The truth is we may have not only sacrificed our razor-thin House majority, but we also may have permanently impaired Republican prospects in Colorado at all levels, including for the presidential race," said Alexander Hornaday, president of Colorado Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights organization.

Then there are those who doubt the issue's potency come the fall. Among them is Kirk Fordham, the executive director of the Denver-based Gill Action Fund.

The political organization is funded by Tim Gill, a nationally prominent gay rights activist credited with helping fund a Democratic takeover of Colorado's legislature in 2005.

"By the time we get to November," Fordham predicted, "the attention will largely have shifted back to economic issues."



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Mitt Romney Woos Christian Voters & Addresses Gay Marriage At Liberty University: "One Man & One Woman Before God"

Was Mitt Romney wooing Christian Voters today at Liberty University? Of Course! Just as Pres. Obama is wooing Gay Voters by Endorsing Gay Marriage.

And why would Romney mention his Mormon Faith at a Christian University?

Sometimes the Mainstream Media can be so Stupid!


In Liberty Address, Romney Defends Christian Values

In a bid to win over evangelical voters who have been skeptical of his candidacy, Mitt Romney offered a forceful defense of faith and conservative Christian values, including his stance that marriage should be between only a man and a woman.

In highlighting the virtues of American values before graduates of Liberty University, founded by Jerry Falwell, Mr. Romney said, “As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate.”

“So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage,” he said. “Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.”

Mr. Romney’s closely watched speech comes at an important juncture for the presumptive Republican nominee. Even as he moves to appeal to the general electorate, particularly independent voters, he must also solidify his support among evangelical Christians, an important part of the Republican base, many of whom had supported his rival, Rick Santorum.

Throughout the Republican primary contests, many evangelical Christians were wary of embracing Mr. Romney, citing his Mormon faith and what they saw as his lack of conviction on social issues, like same-sex marriage, abortion and the ability of religious institutions to keep birth control coverage out of their health plans, which is seen as a test of religious freedom.

Mr. Romney made sure to address those issues in his speech to the university’s crowd of 6,000 graduates and 30,000 friends and family members.

“Religious liberty is the first freedom in our Constitution,” he said. “And whether the cause is justice for the persecuted, compassion for the needy and the sick, or mercy for the child waiting to be born, there is no greater force for good in the nation than Christian conscience in action.”

And he added, “It strikes me as odd that the free exercise of religious faith is sometimes treated as a problem, something America is stuck with instead of being blessed with,” he said. “Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government.”

Mr. Romney mentioned historic Christian figures, including Pope John Paul II, the novelist C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Charles Colson, the Nixon enforcer who went on to become an important evangelical leader. And in a nod to his Republican rival, Mr. Romney also cited Mr. Santorum, saying Mr. Santorum had stressed to him that “culture matters,” that marriage, family and work determine success in life.

“What you believe, what you value, how you live, matters,” Mr. Romney said.

Without mentioning his Mormon faith directly, Mr. Romney also tried to assuage those evangelicals who are wary of his church. “People of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in creed and theology,” Mr. Romney said. “Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview.”

The reaction from evangelical leaders was generally positive. “I thought it was a really good speech,” said Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, who had backed Mr. Santorum. “He hit on the religious freedom aspect, again recognizing the shared values while acknowledging the theological differences he has with them. I think he made very clear what marriage is, and in the context of his speech he spoke about the importance of marriage and the family, even giving a hat tip to Senator Santorum.”

“I don’t think I could have improved upon the speech,” he added.

Gary L. Bauer, the president of a Christian advocacy group called American Values, who had strongly pushed for Mr. Santorum, said that this speech would help assuage the concerns of Christian evangelicals.

“I thought it was a home run, and I think so will most values voters,” he said. “He also clearly stood for the sanctity of life, clearly stood for the traditional definition of marriage, and I think importantly, encouraged the students to be bold and stand for those kinds of values, too. I think it’s going to be hard for critics to find much in this to criticize.”

Despite concerns about Mr. Romney’s faith, surveys suggest that evangelicals are beginning to rally behind Mr. Romney’s candidacy. In the latest New York Times/CBS News national telephone poll, conducted last month, 59 percent of evangelical voters said they would vote for Mr. Romney if the election was held today, and among white evangelicals, that number was 72 percent.

Before his speech, some Liberty students, expressing distrust of Mr. Romney’s Mormon faith, were upset at his selection as the commencement speaker.

The university’s student newspaper, The Liberty Champion, even offered pro and con commentary on its editorial page, arguing in the “con” column that, “Choosing Romney to speak continues a dangerous and unethical trend.”

“Mitt Romney was announced as Liberty’s 39th commencement speaker, great — but he is a Mormon,” one article said.

Those concerns seemed to have dissipated yesterday. The crowd reacted warmly.

Debbi Bowen, whose daughter graduated from Liberty’s law school on Saturday, said that while Mr. Romney was not the main attraction — “I’m more excited about my daughter’s graduation, to be honest,” she said — she had no problem with him giving the commencement address.

“I’m glad to see there’s a variety and you don’t have to be one type to speak here,” Ms. Bowen said.





Romney builds inter-faith bridge in Liberty U commencement address

Mitt Romney used the commencement address he delivered Saturday at Liberty University to draw lines between the faith of the evangelical university - especially its founder, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell - and his own.

Among the shared values are Romney's view on marriage, which the GOP presidential candidate raised on Saturday for the first time in a speech since President Barack Obama announced on Wednesday that he personally supports same-sex marriages.

"Culture matters. As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate," Romney said. "So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman."

Romney said that "people of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in creed and theology."

"Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview," he continued. “The best case for this is always the example of Christian men and women working and witnessing to carry God's love into every life."

His invitation to keynote the graduation was initially eyed skeptically by some students and others, who took to social media in protest of the Mormon's presence.

But Romney never mentioned his Mormon faith, and both he and the school sought to look past their differences.

The trustee board executive committee chair Mark DeMoss introduced Romney and encouraged the audience to recognize the difference between knowing someone personally, and simply knowing of them.

"You see, you can know about someone simply by reading about him or her," he said. "But you can only know someone by spending time with them."

DeMoss, who is also a senior advisor to Romney's campaign, recounted a meeting between Romney and the late Falwell, whose son is now chancellor of the school, as well as his own support of the candidate, which stretches back to Romney's term as governor of Massachusetts.

Romney offered a tribute to Falwell, who founded Liberty 40 years ago, remembering him as "courageous and big-hearted minister of the Gospel."

He praised the school for instilling "conviction and confidence" in its students, and lauded the graduates' "moral certainty, clear standards, and a commitment to spiritual ideals," which they share with other greats from history.

"Christianity is not the faith of the complacent, the comfortable or of the timid. It demands and creates heroic souls like Wesley, Wilberforce, Bonhoeffer, John Paul the Second, and Billy Graham," he said. "Each showed, in their own way, the relentless and powerful influence of the message of Jesus Christ. May that be your guide."

Some students, such as J.D. Wilkinson, a worship and music studies major from Springfield, Massachusetts, told CNN that they liked that Romney spoke out on the same-sex marriage issue.

"This school has always been about being not politically correct, just saying it, just telling the truth how it is and I thought he did that," Wilkinson said. "I think that's fresh in today's world and I think that's needed."

Another, Michael Kildare, said he doesn't identify strongly with a particular political party but is open to hearing more about Romney after today's speech. Kildare, who is from Orlando, Florida, will return to his home city to take a job as a computer technician.

"I was kind of skeptical at first but he definitely said some things that I have to take into consideration," he said. "He's definitely a good candidate for the presidency and I definitely look forward to his other speeches and other campaign ideas."

Romney did let his politics slip into his remarks, including an apparent jab at President Barack Obama.

"Lately, I've found myself thinking about life in four-year stretches," he told the 6,000 graduates present. "And let's just say that not everybody has achieved as much in these last four years as you have."

In a sign that the heated GOP primaries are behind him, Romney tipped his hat to former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, crediting his one-time rival for sharing statistics which support his own marriage stance. And Romney recalled the challenges of those primaries when he recognized restaurant founder Truett Cathy, who Liberty University recognized for his philanthropic efforts.

"The Romney campaign comes to a sudden stop when we spot a Chick-fil-A," Romney said. "Your chicken sandwiches were our comfort food through the primary season, and heaven knows there were days that we needed a lot of comfort."

Looking out at the graduates, who he noted are entering the job market, the presidential candidate teased about his current occupational hopes.

"Promotions often mark the high points in a career," he said. "I hope I haven't seen the last one of those."


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