Transcript:
Q: Just your reaction to some comments that Democrats have made both
on the Hill about the health care bill, and also former President Bill
Clinton recently said that he's basically in support of same-sex
marriage. "I think it's wrong," he said, "for someone to stop someone
else from getting involved in same-sex marriage." Has President Obama
heard these comments? Does he have a reaction? And why is Bill Clinton
wrong about this issue?
MR. GIBBS: Well, I'm not going to get into anybody's opinion — I'm
not going to criticize anybody's opinion, least of all a former
President of the United States, on something like this. I am not clear
whether the President has seen that. I don't know where that was from,
so I don't know if the President has seen it.
Q But President Obama holds a different opinion?
MR. GIBBS: President Obama holds the same opinion he has earlier today.
Q Which is that same-sex marriage is wrong.
MR. GIBBS: He does not support it. He supports civil unions.
Q Why does he feel differently than President Bill Clinton?
MR. GIBBS: Because they don't agree on the issue. (Laughter.) I've not obviously spent a lot of —
Q That's not really an explanation of why he feels differently. That's another word for it.
MR. GIBBS: Well, I mean, I'm happy to — I mean, I think the
President has answered this question a number of times. I can't form a
basis for why former President Clinton — I've obviously not had a
conversation with him on this issue, so I don't know what — it's hard
for me to compare some of this because I don't have the basis by which
he's making that decision.
