evan wolfson in new york, reverend jackson here in washington. thank you. >> brown: still to come on the "newshour": political upheaval in indiana; the double agent who thwarted the bomb plot; a normal childhood for homeless kids in cambodia and the diplomatic maneuvering to free a dissident in china. but first, the other news of the day. here's kwame holman. >> holman: greece remained at a political impasse today. the second-place finisher in sunday's election-- a radical left party-- was the latest to try building a governing coalition. the group's leader alexis tsipras tried and failed to hammer out a deal with other parties. he has rejected greece's international bailout and the resulting austerity measures. in response, european leaders urged greece to keep its commitment to the bailout. >> greece has to respect this agreement as the other countries have to respect this agreement. the question of credibility is not only for greece, but for the euro area as a whole. and this is very important to understand, that if this agreement is not respe

evan wolfson, who heads freedom to mary, and clay aiken, all join us today. on page two, we'll get the latest on the capture of a terrorist bomb by the double agent. and this weekend's drone strikes in yemen from house intelligence committee chairman mike walker. and on this mother's day, we'll round it out with analysis on all of the above from republican strategist, bay buchanan. former obama communications director, anita dunn. melinda henneberger, of the "washington post," and our own norah o'donnell. this is "face the nation." captioning sponsored by cbs from cbs news in washington, "face the nation" with bob schieffer. >> schieffer: good morning, again, and welcome to "face the nation" on this mother's day. we're going to hear many voices on this issue of gay marriage, same-sex marriage, this morning. but we're going to begin with massachusetts governor deval patrick, in richmond, massachusetts, and former bush administration solicitor general, ted olson, who joins us from ellison bay, wisconsin. gentlemen, a gallup poll out friday shows 60% of american

sharing a stage with evan wolfson, a leading advocate of same sex marriage, president obama framed this moment as another chapter in the civil rights struggle. >> that's how we achieved women's rights. that's how we achieved voting rights. that's how we achieved workers rights. that's how we achieved gay rights. >> reporter: outside new york the president's move is not playing well in swing states where several democratic senators up for reelection have refused to endorse it. it could also help presumptive republican nominee mitt romney by leading some conservative african americans to stay home in november. >> the traditional african american pastors from traditional black chumps are saying this is too -- churches are saying this is too far from us. >> reporter: meanwhile james clyburn is suggesting the president move further to the left telling msnbc he wants a national policy legalizing same sex marriage and is disappointed the president is heaving it up to the states. hitting newsstands monday, a controversial news er showing president obama with a rainbow halo calling him the first

the president shared the statement with evan wolfson, a leading advocate of same-sex marriage. while giving his speech, president obama told graduates to persevere in life no matter who you are or who you love. >> if you are ready to fight for that brilliant, raddically simple idea of america, that no matter who you are or what you look like, no matter who you love or what god you worship, you can still pursue your own happiness, i will join you every step of the way. >> outside new york, the president's move is not playing well in swing states where several democratic senators are up for re-election. they have refused to endorse his views. just more evidence of what i hot political potato that one is. >> absolutely. >>> coming up, more highlight reel material for bryce harper. his first major league home run. we'll show you and hear from the phenom. >> a warning for parents. are pacifiers and sippy cups putting your child in danger. we are checking our health alert. >>> widespread rainfall across many of our areas. some moderate to heavy. how long will it stick around? i'll ha

. >> evan wolfson, thanks so much. really appreciate it. >>> the republicans are dedicated to bringing europe's misery to our shores. europe's voters have a message for them. that's next. >>> david vitter may be known as the sex worker. the senator's dangerous obstructionist games may prove to be the difference in president obama's re-election chances. that's still ahead. >>> check this out. this was the scene last night in paris, france. ♪ >> tens of thousands of french citizens were out. they belted out the french national anthem to celebrate the election of a new french president. [ cheers and applause ] >> that animation is so awesome. he defeated nicholas sarkozy. huge cuts in government spending as a mean offense boosting the economy. yesterday was a bad day for austerity around the world. voters in greece threw out a number of politician who is are pushing for more austerity there. in the four years since the great recession through threw the whole world off its economic axis. do you respond by injecting stimulu

you know, you mention evan wolfson, who is the founder of freedom to marry.e's about to get an award if he isn't getting it right now as we speak. he had said last week before the president came out for same-sex marriage that if the president hadn't come out by now, he would have leaned over and whispered in the president's ear, please do so now, please come out for same-sex marriage now. evan wolfson has released statements and been on our air praising the president. >> interesting backstory. we know this is an all-women's college here. it is this part of the president's effort to reach out to female voters? do we think it's a campaign to actually win them over? >> reporter: so i'm told it's not an explicitly political speech. again, it will sound a lot like a commencement address from someone who is not a politician, but between us, of course, yes. why is he speaking to a women's college at a time when the campaign is overtly trying to court women voters and from there he goes to appear on what? "the view" with an overwhelmingly female audience. of course,

. >> evan wolfson, thanks so much. really appreciate it. >>> the republicans are dedicated to bringing europe's misery to our shores. europe's voters have a message for them. that's next. i'm here to unleash my inner cowboy. instead i got heartburn. [ horse neighs ] hold up partner. prilosec isn't for fast relief. try alka-seltzer. it kills heartburn fast. yeehaw! it kills heartburn fast. today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine. some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers. they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete. #. >>> david vitter may be known as the sex worker. the senator's dangerous obstructionist games may prove t

. >>> we are back talking same-sex marriage and still with me at the table is evan wolfson and joy-annnathan capehart and lizz winstead. let me start with the politics of this. this is a gallup poll that 61% of americans overall approve of the president's base for same-sex marriage, and 53%, and so majorities of both of them approving of the position of the president. and then even with this graphic we have tony perkins, the head of the research counsel saying that mitt romney needs to take what the president gave him wednesday and i think that it could be the key to the white house. it does not need to be the hood ornament of the campaign, but the vehicle that he needs to talk about it. am i missing something? is the gop purposely trying to make themselves irrelevant? >> well, tony perkins gave the same advice to rick santorum. >> but rick santorum could have taken it and run more with it than mitt romney. herein lies one of the reasons that mitt romney is an awkward choice for republicans. right. >> awkward. >> awkward, and the three-legged stool of the republican party consists of t

will find matt taibbi, the always entertaining guys with the best metaphors and felix sammon and evan wolfson leaders in the same-sex marriage debate happened to be in law school when i was there. i can't wait to get this show going. >> eliot the news broke apparently president obama has an account of 500 to a million at j.p. morgan chase. do you think that's relevant at all? or look, he has to keep his money somewhere. >> look he has to have his money somewhere. he was going to go to one of the big city banks, wichita falls beforew -- wells fargo. what i am upset about it, why is he praising jamie dimon. he should use this like a pledgeon. i don't get the white house's pr approach to this. >> i don't understand it at all. but i know somebody who is going to speak out on it. not just you but matt taibbi and felix sammon. >> swinging for the fences, swinging for the fences tonight. >> all right. we will check that out. thank you so much. all right. now, when we come back well one of the facebook founders is in for a lot of money. that may means he has to pay a lot of taxes. right? wrong. we ar

joining me now is evan wolfson, executive director of freedom to marry. good to have you this morning. in passing this amendment, a lot of people in north carolina have come out and said their peace on this. have they kicked a hornets' nest, these people are going to be out in force bringing attention to what they feel is an unequal system? >> the passage of this amendment was the last gas of discrimination in a state where there hasn't been enough conversation about who gay families are and why marriage matters. this amendment has propel that had discussion. and we're going to see more of that and what we're going to see in north carolina as in the country overall is a bump in support for the freedom to marry as more people have a chance to think it through and not be stampeded in a political attack but to actually talk neighbor to neighbor. >> as we look at this on a state level, we pull back and talk about it on a national level. president obama's campaign release add statement saying he was disappointed with the passage of amendment one. and forcing p

as i said, evan action allotted of it because of your leadership over many years, evan wolfson poundserarry. thank you for your time. >>> the u.s. europe and japan used to lead the world. no, no one does. what happens when countries call 9-1-1 and no one picks up the phone. state rye here on viewpoint. to eliot spitzer. >>join the debate now. you'd spot movement, gather intelligence with minimal collateral damage. but rather than neutralizing enemies in their sleep you'd be targeting stocks to trade. well, that's what trade architect's heat maps do. they make you a trading assassin. trade architect. td ameritrade's empowering web-based trading platform. trade commission-free for 60 days, and we'll throw in up to $600 when you open an account. [ kristal ] we're just taking a sample of all our different items in our festival of shrimp. the crab-stuffed shrimp are awesome! tequila lime tacos. [ man ] delicious! [ male announcer ] it's festival of shrimp! for $12.99 try any two shrimp creations like new barbeque glazed shrimp. offer ends soon. we're servers at red lobster. and we sea food d

here is evan wolfson, a supporter of same sex marriage. >> until the president is forth right and authenticthe freedom to marry, he is not going to do anything to apiece the voters for whom he will never be antigay enough. but he is also really not satisfying the voters who want to be with him. >> wolfson saying that the polls in many states seem to be moving towards supporting same sex marriage. also worth noting that the democratic convention, of course, will be in north carolina, where there is a hot topic right now and carolina kennedy the campaign co-chair for the obama campaign came out today and says she wants to plank at that convention supporting same sex marriage, shep. >> shepard: ed henry. thanks. dead heat in a dozen states that could matter the most. that's from a new poll that's out. "u.s.a. today" gallup survey of 12 battleground states. president obama leads but barely the presumptive republic nominee. former massachusetts governor mitt romney. 47% to 45%. well within the margin of error. today governor romney stumped in one of those swing states, ohio, where president obam

evan wolfson, you've been working on this harder and longer than just about anybody. a, your thoughts about the president making this statement and your thoughts on how it plays politically. >> i think this is a big day for the country and wonderful day for the freedom to marry movement. not just because the president of the united states is on the right side of history but the way he explained it to the american people. the way he talked from the heart, the way he gave personal examples of people he knew. he talked about it with his own family. he looked at his own kids and thought about the values he and michelle are teaching them of treating others as you want to be treated. that rang true because it's the same journey, the same way in which other americans have grappled with this question and it's how we've come to a majority. people have thought it through. the same way the president exemplified and have embraced the idea that treating others the way you would want to be treated is the right way for the country to be. >> first of all, paul, you called in on this

. >> evan wolfson, founder of freedom to marry. thanks so much for your time tonight. really appreciate it. >>> the republicans are dedicated to bringing europe's misery to our shores. europe's voters have a message for them. [ male announcer ] want your weeds to hit the road? hit 'em, with roundup extended control. one application kills weeds, and stops new ones for up to four months. roundup extended control. do you really think brushing is enough to keep it clean? while brushing misses germs in 75% of your mouth, listerine cleans virtually your entire mouth. so take your oral health to a whole new level. listerine... power to your mouth. so take your oral health to a whole new level. what happens when classroom teachers get the training... ...and support they need? schools flourish and students blossom. that's why programs like... ...the mickelson exxonmobil teachers academy... ...and astronaut sally ride's science academy are helping our educators improve student success in math and science. let's shoot for the stars. let's invest in our teachers and inspire our st

though the &ppresident hared the stage with evan wolfson -- one of marriage movement -- he made onlyno matter who you are or what you look like like, no mattee who you love or what god you wwrship you can still pursue your own hhppiness."mitt romney also passeddon annopening o taae on the issue during a weekend withhjust thii one lineversity - between onee mn and one woman." &pamong young voters, the presiient's gay marriage &pposition is popular"i think it's awesome.. i think it'' about time.""i think absolutely. i think that makes me support him even pmre. i'm definitely for gay marriage. it wassa biggday." sunday serrices at salem r - supporr the president. i just disagree with him on the issue of gay marriagg per se. i woman." "it oes change the way i eee about him beccuse i don't think he had that viee but he ay have been persuaded - pssue is likely to get a warm new york city fundrriser at a - hosted by the gay activisttand pop-star ricky martin.. newsweee magazine ii stirring up controversy... with the debut featurrs he president... anointed with a rainbow halo above his head.

. >> reporter: though the president share the stage with evan wolfson, he made only glancing reference to the issue that's dominate headlines. >> no matter who you are or what you look like, no matter who you love. >> during a weekend graduation speech at the evangelical liberty university with just this one line. >> marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman. >> reporter: at barnard in new york city city, the president's position is popular. >> i think it's ah smchlt i think it's about time. >> i think that actually makes me support him enmore. i am definitely for gay marriage so i think that definitely -- it was a big day. >> reporter: but a mixed reaction after sunday services at salem bible church in atlanta. >> i support the president, but i just disagree with him on the issue of gay marriage, i think it's between a man and a woman. >> it does change the way i feel about him, because i don't think he had that view when he came into office, but he may have been persuaded to change his mind. >> a new york fund raidser ho hosted -- the president today also taped an appe

applause] and i am thrilled today that my alma maters is presenting the medal of distinction to evan wolfson[applause] attorney and activist, hero of the charge for marriage equality [applause] and, and ,and champion for the cause of civil rights for all. [cheers and applause] even as a kid, it never occurred to you that there were limits on what you could achieve. born in brooklyn -- [applause] and raised in pittsburgh and then on to yale, the peace corps, and a harvard law school where your 1983 thesis on gay marriage at a time when the issue was not on the national radar could easily be seen as prescience. in three decades since, every single move you have made has been in service to your vision for equality and freedom. as assistant district attorney in brooklyn where you helped erase discrimination in jury selection, on the new york state task force on sexual harassment, as co-counsel in the pivotal hawaii marriage case, and expert adviser in the vermont case that established civil unions - [applause] in the fight for gays to serve in our country, to adopt, to secure equal benefits, and