drive a wedge between african-americans and gays and support for marriage equality however new poll numbers suggest the national organization for marriage or noms efforts have failed a new a.b.c. washington post poll found that overall fifty three percent five three fifty three percent of americans say gay marriage should be legal up from thirty six percent in two thousand and six of those surveyed however fifty nine percent of african-american respondents said they wanted to legalize same sex marriage while sixty five percent favored president obama's position so are these new poll findings an accurate representation of the african-american communities feelings about same sex marriage joining me now is dr brad braxton founding pastor of the open church in baltimore maryland and author of the recent washington post article same sex marriage support a sign of love acceptance and devotion to god dr braxton thanks for joining me tonight thank you for having me it why is it a common belief that the african-american community is against same sex marriage is that just that canard that was promoted for the last decade or so by the

the head of the national organization for marriage. she said politically we welcome this. he money over the voters. >> so north carolina can hold the entire country hostage. >> yeah. >> for sure. >> laura ingram just tweeted she is looking for callers who are black or muslim who are against this policy. >> suddenly they like black muslins. >> lies driving a wedge, laura. who is going to pull your hair now. >> the "stephanie miller show" would like to apologize for the reference that laura ingram likes her hair pulled during sex. but she probably does. hi, queen bee. >> hi y'all. i am one more supporter of gay rights and our president. the polls show that older voters favor the republicans. these voter suppression laws is that not then going to hurt the republicans. >> wouldn't that be something if their voter suppression backfired on them. ♪ na na na na na ♪ >> thank you. dan in kansas real quick. hey, dan. >> hi steph. >> hi go ahead. real quick. >> yeah i just wanted to say i grew up in north carolina in the 50s and 60s, i'm a 58 year old truck drive and been a teamster f

in 2011, signed the national organization for marriage pledge opposing same-sex marriage.ng the commencement at liberty university. when you look at the distinction, what are americans facing at the ballot box on the question of fundamental civil rights. >> there's a huge choice in this election ever where you look. you could look at this issue of equality, and we see mitt romney now, not only has he flip-flopped all over the place on this which says a lot about a human being, but he does not support civil unions anymore. this is unbelievable. i think if you ask americans, do you support gay marriage or civil unions, if you added that up, it would probably be 80% of the people. he is just stuck on the far right on this, and i think it isolates him certainly from the younger people. i'm glad you mentioned it because it took me awhile to evolve myself on this issue. it wasn't until i read the supreme court decision by a great california justice that say you can think it's equal all you want when you say civil unions are marriage, but it has to be marriage. that's just the wa

mitt romney signed a pledge of the national organization for marriage that he would push for a u.s.fining marriage between one man and one woman. that he would push for allowing the voters here in washington, d.c. to repeal the marriage equality law that was passed a couple years ago here. this is a very extreme pledge. on top of that, mitt romney has given money to supporters of proposition 8 in california which added a ban on same sex marriage to the constitution of the state of california. what we're talking about here is a president who is pushing for equal protection and equality under the law and a republican challenger who is doing everything in his power to ensure that that does not happen. >> of course, let's keep in mine romney could change his mind tomorrow. karen? >> that's true. >> and they're trying to use this issue to drive a wedge between african-americans and lgbt americans as part of the core of the democratic base. don't forget that. >> you've been tweeting a lot about the north carolina vote tomorrow. what is it that concerns you most about this assertion of the

the national organization for marriage that all of these candidates sign this hateful anti-marriage pledgee need to cleanse the republican party of this type of bigot industry. this is not the republican party that i am a part of. i'm a clint eastwood republican. those are the kind of republicans that we need to bring younger people in to the republican party some day. >> thank you very much for joining me tonight. >> thanks, lawrence. >>> coming up, next, you will hear a baptist pastor say things more horrible than you can probably imagine. he says it in his church sermon and he has now apologized for it. but when you hear what he says about beating a 4-year-old boy, you will probably not be ready to accept that apology. >>> and, later, not all t-shirts are created equal. an romney has one that costs $1,000 and made the mistake of wearing it on tv the other day. the toll picks of price tags. hi, i'm phil mickelson. i've been fortunate to win on golf's biggest stages. but when joint pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally unders

he signed the pledge of the national organization for marriage.you just have to go by what he has said. who cares what he really believes, although i would point out list not forget he is a devout mormon. the mormon church he still gives 10% of his money to that church. that church has worked very hard to pass proposition 8 in california and other measures. they're not exactly pro-gay. >> right, and this is the second person who left his campaign. sheriff baboo in arizona was found out to be having--not an affair but a relationship with somebody, and out he went as well. you judge a man by his actions and with mitt romney, definitely not by has words. michelangelo, thank you for joining us. we really appreciate it. >> great to be on. >> when we come back don rumsfeld claims he could have gotten bin laden. really? i'm ready to go ballistic on this. >> i don't think it was a tough decision. we've seen a lot of instances where presidents over the years have had to make decisions like that. (vo) the former governor of ny eliot spitzer, joins the new n

marriage equality. so for those who are looking to maybe use -- the folks at the national organization for marriage trying to use in as a wedge issue between african-americans and gays and lesbians, it's not going to work. if the president were to come out in favor of marriage equality, there would be no impact on the president's support, just none. >> take a look at this. president obama is attending a $2,500 a plate lgtb fund-raiser in new york on monday hosted by ricky martin. there's the invitation there. "the washington post" reporting today that certain lgbt donors are withholding money from the president's campaign. how does the president walk this political tightrope? >> i think he should do exactly what michael steele said he should do. he should man up and say, this is what i believe. and i think he doesn't lose any african-american votes. jonathan is absolutely right. and the people who vote solely on this issue, single issue voter, gay marriage, none of them are voting for barack obama now and they're not going to vote for him whether he says he's against it. >> former governor ed rendell, mic

he contributed to the national organization for marriage, he signed their anti-gay petitions. >> he would have been great during the time of henry viii. here's mark mckennon, former bush campaign adviser. here's what he said about romney's decision not to stand by his former spokesman. let's watch. >> these are examples where people like me would like to see mitt romney stand up and say, i don't care what people think. this is my guy, i'm standing behind him, and i want him out front. we need to see more examples of that, because what people ultimately want in a president is somebody who is strong, somebody who is bold and has clear conviction to stand behind his decisions. >> the senator from missouri and campaign adviser of mitt romney said, quote, people with the kind of expertise that ric has don't grow on trees. it's a real setback for us, i think. ron, back to you. do you remember bill clinton who wanted to show his guts and showed that moment where he stood up against people who were normally on his side? reverend jackson didn't like it much, but he did it. governor romney can say,

for more on the state of the same-sex marriage debate, we are joined by brian brown, president of the national organization for marriage, which opposes same sex unions. and richard socarides, an attorney and gay rights advocate who once served in the clinton white house. mr. socarides, how has this debate changed or evolved, to use the president's term, from where to where shall. >> well, we've seen a remarkable shift in public opinion and understanding on this issue. it really is a remarkable shift in the polls over a very short period of time. what we see from vice president biden and from other members of the cabinet just recently a willingness to articulate that all americans ought to be treated the same. everybody ought to be treated equally. it ought to be about who you love and whether or not you're willing to make a commitment. whether or not you're willing to take on the same responsibilities for your partner. everybody ought to be treated the same in this country. it's fundamental to our understanding of the way our constitution works. >> ifill: brian brown, do you see this evolving in the direct

the family research council listed as a hate group by the southern law center t the national organization for marriage but about the strategy to divide certain democratic allies. a division that's dividing. when you look at the ultra conservative tea party wing in our legislature that pushed this amendment they allowed no public comment, didn't allow family lawyers to comment. the same persons who cut a billion -- $1.6 billion from public education. $2 billion in medicaid, passed the most aggressive voting rights we've seen in the 19th century. what you have is not so much a focus on same-sex marriage but a marriage between ultra conservative right wing ideology and money. it's wrong to attempt, suzanne, to use a state's rights agenda to trump the 14th amendment. >> sure. i understand your position. how do you convince other black clergy, when we saw the case in maryland, it really was at the forefront. it was the black clergy who said you know what, we are not for same-sex marriage, we're going to -- we're not allowing this in our state. how do you convince them that this is a moral issue for some pe

the national organization for marriage was quick to point out saying president obama has now made theefinition of marriage a defining issue in the presidential contest, especially in swing states like ohio, north carolina, virginia, florida and nevada. but was this move really risky or not? john avlon, roland martin and clark cooper executive director of the log cabin republicans are with us now. good to see you all of you. john avlon, risky or not risky? >> this was considerable political risk. there's no question. you look at some of the swing states at play in this election. north carolina, which last night overwhelmingly voted to ban same-sex marriage. virginia, even ohio, pennsylvania, so this is high stakes. but this is also moments where character is revealed. you know? i'm reminded about a quick story of lyndon johnson when his advisers told him not to do civil rights after becoming president because it wasn't pragmatic. he said what the hell is the presidency for? i think we just had one of those moments. >> here are the differences. lyndon johnson signed a law passed by cong

brian brown, president of the national organization for marriage and mark solomon the national campaignector of freedom to mary. thank you for your time today. >> thanks for having me. >> shannon: there is a state statute. why does north carolina need a constitutional amendment? >> as we saw in iowa it doesn't matter if a state is conservative or not and people support marriage as the union of a man and a woman. if unelected judges decide they will overturn the statute they have done this. it is necessary that the people of north carolina have the chance to vote so that judges don't force a redefinition of marriage upon them. >> shannon: mark, what are your concerns with this particular amendment. isn't it about letting the people of each individual state decide. >> there are two fundamental concerns. number one putting this in the constitution. about why marriage matters. and also super importantly this amendment isn't just about marriage. it takes away civil unions and domestic partnerships and the right for kids of lesbian moms have to health coverage. the golden rule that i was taug

. >> reporter: the national organization for marriage, which supports traditional marriage raised a hundredurs after obama's comments last week, ten times above normal, and they expect them to spend it all. some believe these four campaigns will shell out a combined $50 million this year. jon. jon: it isn't over yet. thanks very much. jenna: the john edwards defense team beginning its case arguing that the former presidential candidate did not knowingly use campaign funds to hide his pregnant mistress. our legal panel weighs in on the road ahead for the defense. roger clemens dealt a major blow in his federal perjury trial. the prosecution's main witness now on the stand today. what it means for the legendary pitcher's case next. a party? [ music plays, record skips ] hi, i'm new ensure clear. clear, huh? my nutritional standards are high. i'm not juice or fancy water, i'm different. i've got nine grams of protein. twist my lid. that's three times more than me! twenty-one vitamins and minerals and zero fat! hmmm. you'll bring a lot to the party. [ all ] yay! [ female announcer ] new ensure

he signed onto the national organization for marriage and their pledge.gle room at all. so i don't see how he makes any progress at all with the lgbt community. >> we're going to have to leave it there. thank you so much for joining us. appreciate it. we'll pick up the debate at another date. >> absolutely. >>> this woman watched her husband die from thousands of miles away. this is a chilling story of one military wife's worst nightmare. instead we had someone go ahead of him and win fifty thousand dollars. congratulations you are our one millionth customer. people don't like to miss out on money that should have been theirs. that's why at ally we have the raise your rate 2-year cd. you can get a one-time rate increase if our two-year rate goes up. if your bank makes you miss out, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. >>> military investigators now confirm no foul play is suspected in the death of an army captain in afghanistan who suddenly collapsed during a video chat with his wife. barbara starr is following this rather strange

. >> and we have to let you in the context of the national organization for marriage which has had it obviously an anti-marriage equality organization and so much so that they put down in writing in a confidential memo unearthed by the human rights campaign that they would use this issue as a wedge issue to separate the african-american community from the progressive community against the president. they would use this as a way to hopefully in their view bring down the president. that is the context in which that conversation is happening. i think that you and i and a lot of other folks look at that and think, that is horrendous. that is -- you know, to pitting people against each other because they may or may not support people who are looking for fairness and dignity for themselves and their families. >> let me let joe in. >> i agree and disagree, i agree with the part that the black people in general in the fall will side with the president. in overwhelmingly numbers i agree with you, jonathan. in the standpoint of the republicans using this against the president and that kind of o

nation's oldest civil rights organization. they announced they are endorsing equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.s parallels the decision on this issue by president obama. like president obama, the naacp has recently taken the position in favor of same-sex marriage in some contentious rights and some contentious marriage issues. before this vote by their board, before this 62-2 vote by their national board, they had not taken a national position on this issue in general. it's a big deal for a few reasons. first, because support for same-sex marriage has been softer among african-americans. there's been talk on the anti-gay right to use the issue to turn gay people and black people against each other for political purposes. then i guess gay, black people get divided personally. left leg one ray, rigway, right other, or something. there's also been concern in the democratic party if elements of the african-american community disagree with the president's position in favor of gay rights maybe that could soften his rock solid support among african-american voters. the naacp, the world's oldest and la

marriage two weeks ago. finally announcing his support for it. now it appears that others are following his lead. over the weekend, the nation's oldest organizationrriage. they passed a resolution affirming it opposes a badge on same-sex marriage. saying quote, the naacp will oppose and will continue to oppose any national, state local political or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law removing the rights of lbgt citizens. the poll this past november showed 58% of african-americaning believe that same-sex marriage was, quote unkeepible. joining me now who has shared has wisdom here many times thank you for your time, tico. >> thank you eliot. >> eliot: this certainly was an important move in terms of voice in a community that has not traditionally been supportive of same sex issues, something that will help reinforce what the president did so dramatically two weeks ago. >> it was historic. the statement that the naacp made in favor of marriage equality, but i got to say i was not surprised. i heard the president of the naacp give a speech on this very topic two months ago at a gay rights conference, and

civil rights organizations to take a clear stance on this so we saw the national organization of marriage memo, and that is appalling forarg about the question, but the strategic goal is to drive a wedge between the gays and the blacks and two key democratic constituencies, and as you pointed out, the idea of driving a wedge between the gays and the blacks assumes that there are no queer black people which is by itself -- >> and that is the fallacy of the whole marriage debate is that blacks somehow equals straight and gay equals white. that is ridiculous. >> partly of what happened in the organizing communities, and that is what i want to put to head here, on the one hand, i want the naacp to come out clearly on the civil rights issue of equality and where are hrc and glaad and when we are marching for trayvon martin and i want us to be allies, but i need them on both sides. >> absolutely. no question that part of the conversation that is happening in this country is the what are the shared income and values. as the mother of twin boys, i think all of the time, what do i want to teach my kids about this next generation

for a new trial. >>> the naacp has passed a resolution to support marriage equality. we are live with pat warren on more on the announcement. >> reporter: the resolution comes from the national organization head quartered here in baltimore. >> members of the naacp held a news conference this morning. >> we live in a democracy and in our democracy we have the benefit of a constitution which e to fines the e -- which defines the equal rights. >> the handing wage mirrors -- language mirrors the bill pass that it supports same sex marriage and religion freedom. it says we support it provided under the 14th amendment of the united states constitution. further we strongly affirm the religion freedoms of all people as protected by the 1st amendment. >> this is the responsibility in the history of the naacp to speak up on the civil rights issues of our times. >> the future of same-six marriage in maryland is likely to be decided in a november ballot. the maryland marriage alliance continues to collect signatures that put the questions to voters. spokesman derek mccoy says he expects voters to reject same-sex marriage. >> with e know what the state -- we know what the state is like. we're confide

for the cause if it makes november's ballot. that is not sitting well with everyone in the free state. >> i'm scott broom in baltimore where today the nation's leading civil rights organization endorsed gay marriage. benjamin is taking a moment to collect himself because as it turns out, the issue of marriage equality touches him to the core. these are jealous' parents, an interracial couple who had to leave maryland to get married in 1966 because race mixing was illegal. >> my parents own marriage was against the law at the time. and they had to return here to baltimore. after getting married in washington, d.c. >> we have always stood against laws which demean, dehumanize, or dediscriminate against any person in this great country. >> they are not speaking for everybody. they aren't the same naacp of years ago. >> clergy like derek mccoy remain unmoved. >> this is one of the places where they are out of step with culture. >> scott broom, 9news now. >> so what do you think? the naacp out of step with culture when it comes to this decision? or, does the group even have the influence on how you feel about issues like this and how you feel about the organization itself? weigh in at mcginty's mail b