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Jay-Z Throws Support to Gay Marriage

Annie Scudder — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:45:49 PDT

Jay-Z echoed President Obama's support of gay marriage in a new interview with CNN, saying it's "no different than discriminating against blacks. It's discrimination plain and simple." The rapper has a live-and-let-live attitude on the subject, explaining: "What people do in their own homes is their business and you can choose to love whoever you love. That's their business." While Obama has one of hip-hop's biggest names on his side, reports say that his new position on same-sex marriage is leaving some black churches conflicted. While some pastors kept quiet and a minority expressed support for the president's position at last Sunday's services, others specifically reaffirmed their opposition to gay marriage. But as Jay said on the topic of black voters: "It's really not about votes. It's about people." Watch the interview now.

President Obama Backs Gay Marriage

Annie Scudder — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:19:00 PDT

President Obama has become the first US president in office to support gay marriage explicitly. In an interview with ABC's Robin Roberts, yet to air, Obama comes out in favor of full marriage rights for same-sex couples. The move could be politically complicated, as it comes the day after voters in North Carolina - an important swing state - passed a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The president said:

"I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married."

Previously, the president has had a complicated relationship with the issue. We have a rundown of Barack Obama's quotes on gay marriage over the years. They ranged from "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman," to "my feelings about this are constantly evolving." Well today those feelings evolved into full support of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. What do you make of the president's move?

Obama's Complicated Relationship With Gay Marriage

Tara Block — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:25:00 PDT

The Obama administration has had a rocky relationship with its stance on gay marriage, so our interest was piqued at Joe Biden's recent comments in support of same-sex marriage. On Meet the Press the vice president said:

"I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and heterosexual - men and women marrying - are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. And quite frankly, I don't see much of a distinction beyond that."

While Biden has made his stance on the issue clear, Barack Obama hasn't always been forthright in his support of gay marriage. And while he's been quoted as saying he's "evolving" in regards to gay marriage, looking at his track record we have to wonder toward which direction? And things have only gotten more complicated during this election season, when he's trying to appease liberals along with the swing voters. Not only do conservative and working-class groups oppose same-sex marriage, many of his African American supporters do, too. But what has Obama actually said on the issue? Here are some of his quotes on gay marriage:

1996: "I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages." - questionnaire
2004: "I am a fierce supporter of domestic-partnership and civil-union laws. I am not a supporter of gay marriage as it has been thrown about, primarily just as a strategic issue." - Windy City Times interview
2006: "I agree with most Americans, with Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Cheney, with over 2,000 religious leaders of all different beliefs, that decisions about marriage, as they always have, should be left to the states." - Federal Marriage Amendment speech
2007: "I will appeal any proposal to amend the U.S. constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying. I know how important the issue of equal rights is to the LGBT community. I share your sense of urgency." - speech opposing Defense of Marriage Act
2008: "As the Democratic nominee for President, I am proud to join with and support the LGBT community in an effort to set our nation on a course that recognizes LGBT Americans with full equality under the law." - letter to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
2008: "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage." - MTV interview
2010: "I am a strong supporter of civil unions. I have been to this point unwilling to sign on to same-sex marriage primarily because of my understandings of the traditional definitions of marriage. . . . attitudes evolve, including mine. And I think that it is an issue that I wrestle with and think about . . . I think it's fair to say that it's something that I think a lot about." - interview with liberal bloggers
2010: "My feelings about this are constantly evolving. This is something that we're going to continue to debate, and I personally am going to continue to wrestle with going forward." - TV speech

If he's going to call himself a supporter of the LGBT community, do you think it's time for Obama to commit to the gay marriage cause?

Santorum vs. Romney: How They Compare on Women's Issues

Annie Scudder — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:24 PDT

Rick Santorum endorsed Mitt Romney last night in a late-night email to supporters. Santorum wrote that while there are areas where they disagree, "We certainly agree that abortion is wrong and marriage should be between one man and one woman." During the Republican primary, Mitt and Rick worked hard to woo conservative Americans, and social issues like contraception and abortion indeed played a key role.

In the past, Romney has characterized himself as pro-choice, and the state health care passed in Massachusetts while he was governor covers contraception. Yet as many know, his positions on women's health issues have changed. So I'm curious to see how the Romney and Santorum of today stack up. We've already examined some of Rick Santorum's positions on birth control and abortion, but now let's compare their statements side by side to see how they agree and disagree, and how their positions vary in degrees of extremeness. For example, while both say they are pro-life, Romney favors an exception for rape and incest, while Santorum does not. And while they agree on defunding Planned Parenthood, their statements suggest a difference in opinion on contraception in general. Read their quotes back-to-back now.

The Secret Service Escort Speaks Out

Annie Scudder — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:55:49 PDT

In a candid interview, the woman at the center of the Secret Service Colombian prostitution scandal spoke out this morning on the Today show. Dania Londono Suarez is 24 and a mother, and in her version of the events she calls the agents stupid brutes who put extreme partying ahead of President Obama's security. In this clip, she talks about how the agents loved to show off their ripped bodies, often lifting their shirts to display their abs. "They were full of themselves," she explained. Dania also claims that she made it clear that a night with her would cost $800, but that an agent only gave her $50. Get her full story in the video now.

John Edwards's Trial Is Just Sad, Especially For His Daughter Cate

Annie Scudder — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:45:04 PDT

You can't go on trial for cheating on your wife, but if it involves campaign finance abuse, you might face 30 years in prison. Former presidential candidate John Edwards is looking at 30 years behind bars and $1.5 million in fines for allegedly using unclaimed campaign funds to hide his mistress. During an emotional portion of the trial yesterday, about his late wife Elizabeth, his daughter Cate, 30, left the courtroom in tears.

Christina Reynolds, a confidant and aide to the late Elizabeth Edwards, described a confrontation Elizabeth had with her cheating husband in 2007. Elizabeth, who died in 2010 after a battle of breast cancer, confronted her husband at a private airport hanger after the National Enquirer published a story about the affair. Elizabeth had already known about the affair, but became upset by the story. After yelling at John in front of aides, she stormed off and collapsed on the pavement. Reynolds helped her into the bathroom, but then Elizabeth went back out to find John, tore off her shirt and bra, and yelled "You don't see my anymore," shirtless, in front of the staff. According to Reynolds, John told Elizabeth "not in front of our friends," and she responded, "They're not our friends, They're our staff."

Elizabeth was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, which went into remission only to return, terminally, in 2007, the year this episode takes place. In August 2008 John admitted having an affair with Rielle Hunter, his campaign videographer, but denied rumors that he fathered her child. Elizabeth stood by his side until 2010, when John confirmed he was, in fact, the baby's father. Elizabeth passed away in 2010. Despite her parents' very public marital troubles, daughter Cate married in Oct. 2011, and her father walked her down the aisle. She's now at his side at the criminal trial.

All the painful personal details brought out at the trial are meant to help jurors decide if Edwards failed to report $1 million from friends and old donors in order to fund his mistress's lifestyle. Whatever the outcome, I don't think anyone will feel like a winner.

Should the Price of First Lady Fashion Matter?

Tara Block — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:05:59 PDT

Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, is getting flack for wearing a $990 top on CBS This Morning. Ann wore the Reed Krakoff bird print shirt while talking about how relatable her husband is to US voters . . . probably not the best idea. But some say that seeing as they aren't the ones running for office, spouses should be off-limits when it comes to media scrutiny. After all, Ann isn't the only political wife to garner negative attention for her fashion spending habits. In 2009, Michelle Obama wore $540 Lanvin sneakers while volunteering at a food bank, a decision many viewed as questionable due to the tough economic times. And then Michelle was again criticized for her wardrobe during the Obama family's vacation in Hawaii last December. Over in the UK, first lady Samantha Cameron was chastised for the $1,198 dress she wore to a Tory conference in 2010 amidst budget cuts in the country. To add fuel to the fire, she wore a $103 dress at the same event the year prior.

But the question remains: whether they're wearing Target dresses or frocks straight from the runway, should the spouses of our world leaders be judged for what they spend on fashion? And is it really about the expensive clothing, or is it more about the context in which it's worn? Weigh in below, and click through to see more photos of the controversial first lady outfits.

It's Complicated: The Relationship Statuses of France's Presidential Candidates

Annie Scudder — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:00:38 PDT

This weekend, France will vote for its next president. After a first round, it's down to incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and his socialist challenger Francois Hollande. Since Sarkozy was elected in 2007, a lot has changed. One of the most intriguing evolutions has been the love connections among the politicians.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is technically the second first lady France has known under Sarkozy. When he was elected, he was married to his second wife ‪Cécilia Sarkozy (now Attias)‬. In 1983, then mayor Sarkozy conducted Cécilia's first wedding and reportedly fell in love with her that day. She left her husband in 1988 to live with Sarkozy, who didn't divorce his first wife until 1996, the same year he married Cécilia. They remained married during his first campaign. But only a few months after his May 2007 election, they announced their divorce and Cécilia confessed that she had run away with another man. Could you imagine Michelle Obama doing this months into Barack Obama's first term? Soon after the split, France would get another first lady in the form of Italian-born singer/supermodel Carla Bruni. Sarkozy met Carla Bruni a month after his split at a dinner party, and after a quick romance they married in Feb. 2008. They went on to have a daughter last year.

So what about Francois Hollande, the man who could beat Sarkozy and become France's next president? His love life actually has a Sarkozy connection. His partner from 1973 to 2007, Ségolène Royal was the person to go head-to-head against Sarkozy in the last presidential election. Ségolène and Francois were partners for more than 30 years and have four children together. Both are major figures in the country's Socialist Party, but a month after her 2007 loss to Sarkozy, they announced their separation. Soon, France learned the details of Francois Hollande's relationship with journalist Valérie Trierweiler, whom he's still with today. Without any hurt feelings, Ségolène has backed her ex-partner, who is now trying to accomplish something she couldn't: beating Nicolas Sarkozy.

See some photos of all the parties involved now.

You Can Now Read the Diary of President Obama's Ex-Girlfriend

Annie Scudder — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:20:48 PDT

When he was 22, living in New York City, and right out of college, Barack Obama dated Genevieve Cook. The relationship was significant to warrant mention in his memoir Dreams of My Father, but now we can read Genevieve's perspective in Vanity Fair. The magazine's piece, focusing on the now president's first serious relationship, is an adaptation of a new Obama biography by David Maraniss and includes love letters from Barack sent to another girlfriend, Alex McNear, and portions of Genevieve's very detailed diary. The realities of an everyday relationship are discussed, including fights, chores, and sex life.

Genevieve's diary provides details about what it was like to be in a relationship with Barack at the time. On Sundays, he would drink coffee, lounge around, and do the New York Times crossword. She described the scene in her diary:

I open the door, that Barack keeps closed, to his room, and enter into a warm, private space pervaded by a mixture of smells that so strongly speak of his presence, his liveliness, his habits - running sweat, Brut spray deodorant, smoking, eating raisins, sleeping, breathing.

In another entry, she describes her doubts:

The sexual warmth is definitely there - but the rest of it has sharp edges and I’m finding it all unsettling and finding myself wanting to withdraw from it all. I have to admit that I am feeling anger at him for some reason, multi-stranded reasons. His warmth can be deceptive. Tho he speaks sweet words and can be open and trusting, there is also that coolness - and I begin to have an inkling of some things about him that could get to me.

For his part, here's how Barack described the relationship in his autobiography, "You know how you can fall into your own private world? Just two people, hidden and warm. Your own language. Your own customs. That’s how it was." Can you relate to the young love?

Couples Go Classy For the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Annie Scudder — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:30:16 PDT

Politically inclined actors like George Clooney were joined by a range of Hollywood stars like Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian tonight in Washington DC for the White House Correspondents' dinner. All the famous faces from entertainment, media, and politics put aside their day jobs and donned their finest for the annual night of wining, dining, and jokes. But it was the couples who are making smart look the sexiest. Victoria's Secret model Chrissy Teigen was on the arm of her fiancé John Legend, and tweeting and Instagraming from the exclusive event. She proved she doesn't take herself too seriously, sharing a pic of her with something in her teeth and telling her followers that a congressman believed her when she joked she was a congresswoman. All in all, it looks like a memorable date night. Check out some of the cute and classy couples from tonight's event.