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Re: Politico on Marriage Equality

From:kfinney@hillaryclinton.com To: jlehrich@hillaryclinton.com CC: nmerrill@hillaryclinton.com, aelrod@hillaryclinton.com, jake.sullivan@gmail.com, hrcrapid@googlegroups.com Date: 2015-04-21 16:06 Subject: Re: Politico on Marriage Equality

I'll send him the transcript - Dylan wanted to take issue with my saying that she's been consistent regardless. He didn't even note 2013 Sent from my iPhone On Apr 21, 2015, at 1:27 PM, Jesse Lehrich <jlehrich@hillaryclinton.com> wrote: FYI - his story is already up. http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/04/clinton-campaign-faults-media-for-shifting-line-on-205863.html Clinton campaign faults media for shifting line on gay marriage - Hillary Clinton's views on marriage equality have evolved. Last year, she believed <http://www.npr.org/2014/06/12/321313477/hillary-clinton-the-fresh-air-interview> it was a states issue: "For me, marriage had always been a matter left to the states," she told NPR's Terry Gross. "I fully endorse the efforts by activists who work state-by-state and in fact that is what is working." Last month, her spokesperson did not respond <http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hillary-clintons-unanswered-questions-marriage-equality> to a request for comment about her position. Then, last week, a spokesperson said Clinton believes <http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/hillary-clinton-hasnt-said-how-she-thinks-the-supreme-court#.jyxJKV5nnr> gay marriage is a constitutional right: "Hillary Clinton supports marriage equality and hopes the Supreme Court will come down on the side of same-sex couples being guaranteed that constitutional right." And yet this week, whenever the Clinton campaign is asked about Clinton's evolution on gay marriage, a spokesperson responds by claiming that there has been no change. What's more, the spokesperson faults the press for misreporting Clinton's views. On Monday, senior Clinton spokeswoman Karen Finney told MSNBC that Clinton has always been consistent on the issue, but had simply been asked different questions by the media. As MSNBC's Craig Melvin was cutting to commercial, he said, "When you come back, next time I do want to talk about the timing of the same-sex marriage change of heart, next time." "No change of heart," Finney replied. "[She] was asked a different question than she was asked before, but I'll tell you." Finney appeared on MSNBC again that afternoon and similarly said her team had "been asked different questions" about marriage equality. "Last week there was a question about where she was on marriage equality, which she's had a consistent position on that -- despite the way it was reported," Finney said. "So, you know, when we're asked the question, I think part of it, though, is as a spokesperson, we're trying not to get ahead of her because she's got her platform that she wants to roll out." In fact, the questions put to Clinton last year, last month and last week do not vary greatly enough to warrant different responses. NPR's Terry Gross asked about Clinton's support of marriage equality, which is when Clinton said, "For me, marriage had always been a matter left to the states." Last month and last week, Clinton was asked about where she stands on the constitutionality of marriage equality, and that is when Clinton started referring to it as a "constitutional right" that should be guaranteed by the Supreme Court. Reached for comment, Finney provided the latest statement: "Hillary Clinton supports marriage equality and hopes the Supreme Court will come down on the side of same-sex couples being guaranteed that constitutional right." On Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 1:22 PM, Nick Merrill <nmerrill@hillaryclinton.com> wrote: > Past tense is important, and might be worth sending the bolded transcript > from Richard Socarides yesterday that makes that very clear. > > > > On Apr 21, 2015, at 1:02 PM, Adrienne Elrod <aelrod@hillaryclinton.com> > wrote: > > great > > > Adrienne K. Elrod > Spokesperson > Hillary For America > *www.hillaryclinton.com <http://www.hillaryclinton.com>* > @adrienneelrod > > On Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 9:58 AM, Karen Finney <kfinney@hillaryclinton.com> > wrote: > >> Great point - thanks >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Apr 21, 2015, at 12:58 PM, Jake Sullivan <jake.sullivan@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> This is well done. Worth noting the way she spoke in the past tense >> during the NPR interview? >> >> >> >> On Apr 21, 2015, at 12:49 PM, Karen Finney <kfinney@hillaryclinton.com> >> wrote: >> >> >> Dylan Byers has now taken this up and challenging Sent from my iPhone >> >> On the record, I'd like to repeat what we said last week: >> >> "Hillary Clinton supports marriage equality and hopes the Supreme Court >> will come down on the side of same-sex couples being guaranteed that >> constitutional right." >> >> On background - I'd propose to give him what we've given to others: >> >> >> Dylan - here's the full context of how we view this. While she has >> acknowledged that her own positions have evolved over time, she is and has >> been a supporter of marriage equality as a matter of policy and a matter of >> law, as she said in 2013. Hillary is glad that 37 states now have marriage >> equality, largely as a result of federal judges finding that a >> constitutional right, and she hopes the Supreme Court will take the >> opportunity to make marriage equality the law of the land. >> >> In 2013 she joined the effort in support of marriage equality with a >> video for HRC: >> http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hillary-clinton-announces-support-for-same-sex-marriage >> >> In that video she said she supports marriage equality as a matter of >> policy and law. : "That's why I support marriage for lesbian and gay >> couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law." >> >> Last week the specific question asked was whether or not she believed >> marriage equality is a constitutional right, one of our spokespeople gave >> the following quote: "Hillary Clinton supports marriage equality and hopes >> the Supreme Court will come down on the side of same-sex couples being >> guaranteed that constitutional right."Supporting it as a constitutional >> right is a matter of law. >> >> During the 2014 interview with NPR, she was talking about the impact of >> activism in the states, and her support for that activism moving the issue >> forward at the state level “I fully endorse the efforts by activists who >> work state by state and in fact that is what is working.” And again, she'd >> already made it clear in 2013 that she personally supports marriage >> equality as a matter of policy and law. In other words she supported the >> idea that it might take time for each state to come around. But that >> eventually we would need a federal constitutional ruling -- she always >> believed that was the appropriate outcome. >> >> >> She also noted that once she was no longer Secretary of State and able >> to comment on domestic political issues she announced her full support for >> marriage equality. >> >> A few days after the NPR interview she re-itereated her support during a >> CNN town hall: “I made a very clear statement when I got out of the State >> Department. I was free to comment on domestic political issues that I >> fully support marriage equality.” >> >> I'd also note that t the Obama administration itself never announced its >> support for a constitutional right to marry on equal protection grounds >> until a month ago when it filed the brief in the SCOTUS case that HRC was >> asked about it. Prior to that, DOJ had only argued that bans on same-sex >> marriage should be subject to heightened scrutiny. Yet no one says DOJ >> flip-flopped when it endorsed an even stronger position last month - it was >> viewed as a natural extention of its previous positions in support of >> same-sex marriage. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "HRCRapid" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to hrcrapid+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to hrcrapid@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "HRCRapid" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to hrcrapid+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to hrcrapid@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "HRCRapid" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to hrcrapid+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to hrcrapid@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "HRCRapid" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to hrcrapid+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to hrcrapid@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Jesse Lehrich Rapid Response Hillary For America 781-307-2254 @JesseLehrich -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "HRCRapid" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to hrcrapid+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to hrcrapid@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.