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.
Ralph Reed. this guy is a known liar , theif, and a false christian. and a lot of the other so called consertive republicans are the same. the reght wing and tea party republicans get crazier every day.
FIRSTY!!!!!!
Sounds like Obama is doing a 180 on gay marriage because he knows that he doesn't stand much of a chance of winning a second term based on his performance over the last 3 or so years. Face it Obama, you are a failure as president.
OK, this is what this is all about: Rand Paul makes these comments to a crowd he knows will eat it up... no different than Rush etc.... to boost his name. Its all about his ego and his future plans.
What version of the Golden Rule is Rand Paul reading? Can't he figure out that he completely misses the point – all the President is doing is treating others the way he would want to be treated. Something the Republicans don't get.
Ahh..the Paul boys. One's a crackpot and one talks like a high school bully.
This guy is an ignoramus. That's why he's a rising star in the GOP.
Paul is denigrating an entire population (gay people) with one remark'. He obviously thinks "gay" is synonymous with "bad" so I find this flippant comment very offensive.
The Golden Rule is NOT based on biblical verse! The biblical verse is based on the GOLDEN RULE – which is much older.
Well like Obama with his views there are those who still have their traditional ones and shouldn't be called bigots.
Rand was named after an atheist hack writer, so I'd hold his "Christian" views with a grain of salt.
Personally I don't believe President Obama's statement about his view of gay marriage has evolved. I believe he caved to financial backers. He just didn't sound sincere during his speech.
I am tired of these right wing radicals using my God to rationalize their bigotry.
Romney is a lier racist bully and a gay basher. We invaded countries on the basics of humnan rights . Do a country have to invade us so these people can have their humnan rights.
"Libertarian" has just become a buzzword for uneducated rednecks, who think it means "More republican than republican". Seriously, do you really expect most of your local teabaggers to go to the trouble of reading 1000+ pages of Atlas Shrugged?
The spiritual crisis this guy is talking about is the fact that he and followers do not know what Scriptures says. "I give you a new commandment, Love one another as I have loved you."
Is this guy kidding? Talk about a " closeted " gay ! What is he trying to prove ?
@Robert
We love Rand!
Please, please, please run for President in the near future! You are exactly what America needs!
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He is exactly what the KKK or the Taliban needs. When he finally comes out of the closet he'll feel quite foolish.
And he of all people should know what's gay. This boy is so closeted he's practically draped over a (stiff) rod.
Someone from the press really needs the courage to ask Senator Paul whether he believes the government should instantiate the religious beliefs of one group of citizens to deny rights to the others. It is a simple, simple, simple Libertarian question that he should answer yes or no like an adult and take the consequences of his liberatarian beliefs to their logical conclusion.
Not to worry Obama. After all, Lincoln came out with the Emancipation Proclamation and was called a certain racist name for it as well. It starts with an N if you need to figure it out. Paul and his ilk are the dark underbelly of our political spectrum. Gay marriage is a civil rights issue just as interracial marriage once was. It's going through the same stages that one did. It will eventually be accepted and people will wonder what all the fuss was about. Religion has nothing to do with it, only bigotry and ignorance.
Come on.....more gay bashing by the right......(Besides, anybody with hair like that shouldn't even be talking about gay....just sayin')
Consider myself reasonably intelligent. Made the first comment on this story last night. No curses, spelling usually good, at worst a little sarcasm. When posted received the dreaded UNDERGOING MODERATION or words to that effect. My comment was never posted and this is not the first time this has happened to me. Have others run into this? No one ever sends me an email saying what, if anything is the problem.
Does anyone understand why Ron Paul will never be taken seriously by a majority of people in the US? He raised an ignorant nut cake. Enough said, Paul diehards.
Yawn. Another comment from another crazy GOP senator. Why does the media pay any attention to this drivel? And the right says there is a "liberal media bias".
Progressives have always moved the country forward, and progressive thinking always will. As for Senator Paul, thanks for the enlightenment. What time is the next Bible lesson?