Sen. Paul: I didn't think Obama's 'views on marriage could get any gayer'
(CNN) – Sen. Rand Paul on Friday brushed off Barack Obama's recent reversal on same-sex marriage by saying he didn't think the president's views "could get any gayer."
The remarks from the Republican senator from Kentucky scored laughs among those attending an event held by Iowa's Faith and Freedom Coalition, a video uploaded on Saturday to the conservative website "The Iowa Republican" shows.
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"The president, you know, recently weighed in on marriage. And, you know, he said his views were evolving on marriage," the first-term senator said Friday evening. "Call me cynical, but I wasn't sure that his views on marriage could get any gayer."
Paul, who is the son of GOP presidential longshot and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, made the comments two days after Obama announced that he supported same-sex marriage, which he had previously opposed, while adding he thought the issue should be left up to the states to decide.
Rand Paul had been advertised as the coalition's "special guest" for its 12th annual spring event. The organization's website also promoted the presence of Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ralph Reed, who is the chairman of the national Faith and Freedom Coalition.
In the remarks captured on video, Paul spoke against abortion as well as same-sex marriage.
"I think we're in a spiritual crisis as a country," Paul said, "and I think you're going to need leaders beyond your political leaders."
The senator criticized Obama's explanation that the Golden Rule - to treat others how one wants to be treated - and his faith led to his evolved understanding of marriage. The Golden Rule has its roots in biblical verses.
"It did bother me though that he used the justification for it in a biblical reference," Paul said. "He said the biblical Golden Rule caused him to be for gay marriage. And I'm like, what version of the Bible is he reading?
"It's not the King James version, it's not the New American Standard, it's not the New Revised version," he added.
But Paul said his beliefs and those of other social conservatives and Christians do not "mean we have to be harsh and mean and hate people."
"We understand sin and if we believe it's a sin, we still are (sinners) and people sin," he said. "We're not out there preaching some sort of hateful dogma against people. But that doesn't mean that we have to go ahead and give up our traditions."
"Six thousand years of tradition" combined with "anthropological" evidence shows "there's stability in the family unit," he said.
Calls placed Saturday to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, as well as to Paul's offices and spokeswoman, were not immediately returned.
Well, Rand Paul did point out where the president was in error. Feeling that the Bible needs to be used to anything. Wanna know how I became an atheist? I actually started to READ the Bible. And I was a supporter of gay marriage long before that, anyway.
Not surprised that these guys would use bigoted speech and sow hate and division. It's their only schtick! They don't have any new ideas!
Rand Paul showed himself to be a bully and a bigot on the campaign trail. It makes me sick to see the kind of monsters we're electing to public office these days. His version of religion uses the Bible to justify hatred, discrimination and violence... and he thinks Obama is twisting the Golden Rule to justify treating other people decently? Where will this lunacy end?
When reading about this sort of politician denouncing gay marriage, just mentally replace the word "gay" with the word "black." Does it sound familiar?
Bless Rand Pauls little teabag heart!! Pappa ain't gonna be prezzydint and Randy's only
claim to fame is gonna be lost...
By now you have all heard the rumors about rand Paul. They don't come any gayer.
"Nation...I am still reeling from President Obama's announcement yesterday that he is gay...." Stephen Colbert.
And I didn't think the Right's views could get any crazier. They live in their own ever shrinking bubble and I just don't see how they don't see the error in their ways. Such close-mindedness is just unfathomable to me.
« "Six thousand years of tradition" combined with "anthropological" evidence shows "there's stability in the family unit," he said. »
2500 years ago the love between two men was thought to be superior than love between a man and a woman. Their inferior intellect meant they were incapable of love, only of lust. We know better now, women are equal to men. Thus capable of the same love as can exist between two men.
He should actually know history before he preaches it.
Disgusting that such hate filled comments brought laughs at a religious convention, how perverse.
What a pathetic excuse for an human being.
How juvenile.
How very mature of him to phrase it that way. To refer to something you disagree with as gay is normally on the junior high school level.
Happy gay?
Which is the party where hatred is most concentrated and distilled, one wonders?
The only ones qualified to make an statement are the victims of prejudice, persecution and racism themselves. Let's ask them, shall we?
Here's their response:
– Black folks voted for Obama, by a 98% margin.
– Jewish folks voted for Obama, by a 75% margin.
– Hispanic folks voted for Obama, by a 66% margin.
– Oriental folks voted for Obama, by a 63% margin.
– Gay folks voted for Obama, by an unknown margin.
ps: Oh, I almost forgot the largest minority of all:
http://patriot.net/~ramon/misc/GOP-Hates-Women-and-Feeling-is-Mutual.jpg
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-04-01/swing-states-poll/53930684/1
Where was all this fuss about gays when Cheney's little girl was strutting her stuff around the Republican elite?
Leave it to a Republican to use "gayer" as a pejorative to refllect his contempt for a segment of the population that asks for the same right that others have enjoyed-the right to marry the person you love...
No, calling a person's life and beliefs sin isn't hateful at all... passing judgement on another doesn't make anyone angry, and please explain how two people who love each other and want to pledge themselves to another is NOT a family.
How about concentrating on child abuse, spousal abuse, infidelity and things like that? No, that would be productive and not distract the base for the total BS that is the GOP
separation of church and state hmm.
This is more of a demonstration of ignorance on Mr. Paul's part by using the 'gay' in a derogatory sense.
I, for one, thought Rand Paul's comments couldn't get any dumber.
Wow, what a funny pun Senator Paul!...Not. Like, really dude? That's what your punchline is going to be? Geez...
Rand Paul is a jerk.
You know, Randy, there are a whole lot of people who don't care about the Bible, and that wacky Bill of Rights gives them that option. So drop it. You're wrong. Why the heck do you care who marries and who doesn't? Worry about something that matters.
Another rehtuglican retard. Shut up already!