conservative senator rob portman says he's dropping his hardline opposition to same-sex marriage because one of his own sons gay. a deeply personal decision by a very public standard bearer of the republican party. portman, you may remember, was front-runner to be mitt romney's running mate and campaigned tirelessly for him, even after being passed over. he shares his story exclusively with dana bash. >> i'm announcing today a change of heart on an issue that a lot of people feel strongly about. it has to do with gay couples' opportunity to marry. i've come to the conclusion for me, personally, i think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married, to have the joy and the stability of marriage that i have had for over 26 years. i want all three of my kids to have it, including our son who is gay. >> that unexpected revelation came from portman's 21-year-old son, will, two years ago. >> my son came to jane, my wife and i, and told us that he was gay. and that it was not a choice, and that, you know, he -- that's just part of who he is, and he has been that way ever s

now this is rob portman alone. sn't speak for the republican party or any other politician from ohio. >> rob is a great friend and long-time ally and i appear he has decided to change his view on this, but i believe that marriage is a union of a man and a woman. >> stephanie: so the issue is not so much who is right and who is wrong but what do you think of rob partman's big change of heart? is it sincere? and more important to me is what it says about the republican party. look, i want to say right up front, i solute rob portman for seeing the light. i applaud him for being up front about it and letting people know why he has changed his position. that's one more republican voice, and there have been a lot of republican voices caming out lately more and more in support of marriage equality and same-sex marriage but you have to ask the question why did it take him so long and why did he change his mind only when a member of his own family was involved? do you think he would have changed his mind if his son didn't co

for example, ohio republican and republican from ohio rob portman. >> conservative republican senator portman, who has opposed gay marriage in the past, stunned washington by saying he now favors it. his reason, his son had told him he was gay. >> stephen: he changed his mind because he has a gay son which is not just wrong but it's undemocratic. because his other two children are straight. what happened to majority rule? [laughter] [cheers and applause] portman's just the latest victim of the long gay con. here's how the scam works. first, a gay person decides to get born into a conservative family, gains their trust by letting them love and raise them, and then 21 short years later-- boom!-- they spring the gay trap. [laughter] that's what happened to dick cheney. his daughter mary changed his mind about gay marriage by tugging on his heartstrings. now, thankfully, some republicans are holding fast, like georgia senator and noise bill cosby makes when he gets out of a chair saxby chambliss. [laughter] when asked whether rob portman's flip flop had changed his mind, chambliss replied

our chief congressional correspondent dana bash, getting this one-on-one, on why ohio republican rob portmanpporter. >>> veronica mars coming to the big screen after devoted fans -- fans, coughed up more than $2 million to make it happen. the cult classic creator, rob thomas, coming up. [ male announcer ] if she keeps serving up sneezes... [ sneezing ] she may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec®. powerful allergy relief for adults and kids six years and older. zyrtec®. love the air. and kids six years and older. if your a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. tell your doctor about a

rob portman i know well. i did debate prep with rob portman in years past. he's a great person.he people who have criticized him and by the way, he only did it was a personal thing. to me, why do we criticize people for that? the person who started m.a.d.d., it was a personal thing. many people who have come out of gun control have been personally affected by it. it's a personal decision. god be with them. >> i think we have to be careful, because john boehner's views, which are different from rob portman's views, are equally sincere. i think we get into trouble on this debate when we assume that people support gay marriage are open and compassionate and people who don't aren't. the way to solve these very personal issues is to let people vote on it. don't let judges decide it. don't have representative government decide it. let people vote on it in the state. i think people of both points of view, accept the democratic process. what they don't always accept is a bunch of self-important, self-appointed judges. >> martha, it was not only welcomed news that rob made this statement

republicans gather outside washington the party's identity crisis is now personified by senator rob portman's change of heart on same-sex marriage. >> wow, what a crowd. >> reporter: on mitt romney's short list for vice president rob portman voted against same-sex marriage in the house and senate. he said it was a matter of faith. now it's a matter of family. after his 21-year-old son will, a junior at yale, came out to his parents two years ago. >> i think this is something we should allow people to do -- to get married and have the joy and stability of marriage that i have had for over 26 years. i want all three of my kids to have it including our son who is gay. >> reporter: will portman on a kayaking trip with his father and older brother tweeted, especially proud of my dad today. portman joins former vice president cheney who backed his daughter mary and her spouse. and 130 prominent republicans who signed a brief supporting the supreme court challenge to california's proposition 8 which bans same-sex marriage. but while a majority of americans, 51%, for the first time support same-sex m

ohio republican senator rob portman asked to meet with dick cheney. y told portman follow your heart. last night, rob portman said this. >> you know, i've come to the conclusion that for me personally i think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married and have the joy and stability of marriage that i've had over 26 years. i want all three of my kids to have it, including our son who is gay. >> will portman told his father and mother he was gay two years ago when he was a freshman at yale university. this morning, he tweeted out especially proud of my dad today. portman is now the only senate republican to back same sex marriage. portman also broke with his own record. as a congressman, voted for defense of marriage act, voted for amendment banning gay and lesbian couples in washington, d.c. from adopting children and voted for constitutional ban on gay marriage. house speaker john boehner's office released this statement. senator portman is a great friend and ally and the speaker respects his position but the speaker continues

now first republican senator rob portman and today, claire mccass kell. in a new york time op ed, frank bruney made this comparison. he said somewhere along the way standing up for gay marriage went from nervy to trendy. it is the harlem shake of political engagement. senior political editor mark murray joins us. maybe you wouldn't have made the harlem shake comparison. you get what he is saying. i don't want to use the word trendy. we're talking about lives of human beings and their children. we are seeing this trend not just with the gop but claire mccasskell. >> right now it was really the big story when rob portman came out in favor of gay marriage. one of the few republican politicians to do so rob portman in 2016 when he is up for reelection. in a lot of ways there was this silence. sometime when there's silence, that means people have cover to do what they want to do. for republicans, there are a lot of republican who's are against gay marriage. just 27% in a recent nbc "wall street journal" poll, in favor of gay marriage. you will see a lot of rep

senate to take that position. >> jon: bravo rob portman. ssume senator portman thought long and hard about this and realized it's purely on the principle of the issue he needs to stand up for fairness and equal quit. >> he changed his change of heart. he said it began two years ago ago when his college aged son told his family that he is gay. >> jon: that would do it, too. i never realized a human being could actually be gay until my wife and i accidentally made one. not all his republicans are so easily swayed. >> senator sax by chambliss is reaffirming his opposition to gay marriage he said "i'm not gay. i'm not going to marry one." >> jon: i didn't realize you could soanl support it if you were going to marry who you are like. i wish him luck finding a (bleep) to marry. >> another big voice endorsed gay marriage. former secretary of state hillary clinton. >> jon: hillary clinton. didn't she do that 20 years ago? is there any else you are in favor of you are stul mulling over. hillary clinton as changed her mind. albanians should be allowe

this is significant because of who rob portman is.e is not, you know, a young libertarian conservative from the coast. he is a christian social conservative from middle america. so as you say, this hopefully gives other conservatives like hill permission and cover to evolve similarly. >> a great day. thanks to rob portman. of course, cpac is also conducting its traditional straw poll. the results are out tomorrow evening. who do you think will come out on top saturday? gregory john olson says probe some guy named marco rand ryan. oh, yes, i know him. and' lie suarez says ronald reagan, of course. we want your vote. like us on facebook to follow our take on everything cpac. >>> up next, is now the right time to buy a home? we'll have our housing expert. >>> dr. jason burke took his experience in the e.r. and created a hangover cure using an i.v. administered form l.a. he renovated a bus into a mobile facility and dubbed it hangover heaven. treating sufferers up and down the famous strip. [ female announcer ] it balances you... it fills

republican senator rob portman. staunch conservative. nning reversal in an exclusive tv interview with our own dana bash. portman now supporting gay marriage, after learning two years ago his son will is gay. >> what was your reaction when he told you? >> love. support. you know, 110%. >> surprised? >> surprised. yeah. >> you had no idea. >> no idea. yeah. and, you know, again that launched a process of rethinking the issue. i've -- you know i've come to the conclusion that for me, personally, i think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married, and to have the joy, and the stability of marriage that i've had for over 26 years. >> at 7:00 a.m. eastern on "starting point," more of dana bash's exclusive interview with senator portman, including what he told mitt romney about his gay son when he was on a short list to be his vp running mate last year. >>> embattled new jersey congressman robert menendez is reportedly the subject of a grand jury investigation. according to "the washington post" the fbi has interviewed

and as stephanie mentioned senator rob portman's son has tweeted out a thanks to his dad saying he ishe big issues here in our nation's capital, around the country and around the globe. >>dc columnist and four time emmy winner bill press opens current's morning news block. >>we'll do our best to carry the flag from 6 to 9 every morning. while your carpets may appear clean. it's scary how much dirt your vacuum can leave behind. add resolve deep clean powder before you vacuum to expel the dirt within your carpets. resolve's deep clean powder is moist. absorbing and lifting three times more dirt than vacuuming alone. leaving you with a carpet that's truly fresh and clean. don't just vacuum clean. resolve clean. [♪ theme music ♪] >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, it's the "stephanie miller show"! ♪ i'm walking on sunshine woe ho ♪ ♪ i'm walking on sunshine, woe ho ♪ ♪ it's time to feel good ♪ ♪ hey all right now ♪ ♪ it's time to feel good ♪ >> stephanie: welcome to the last hour before vacation. nothing will take sense at all. [ applause ] >> stephanie: six minutes after the hour. 1-800

. >> plus, conservative senator rob portman announces his support for same sex marriage. dramatic reversal after his own son comes out. >> and have a look at this photo. they can stop video if you looked away. can it give apple a run for its money? we'll have a look. ♪ [ female announcer ] from meeting customer needs... to meeting patient needs... ♪ wireless is limitless. [ female announcer ] from finding the best way... ♪ to finding the best catch... ♪ wireless is limitless. you know you could just use bengay zero degrees. medicated pain relief you store in the freezer. brrr...see ya boys. [ male announcer ] bengay zero degrees. freeze and move on. and i have a massive heart attack right in my driveway. the doctor put me on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. go talk to your doctor. you're not indestructible anymore. how far do you want to take it? up to you. chevy cruze's six-speed transmission allows for lower shift points, offering an e.p.a.-estimated 36 mpg highway. okay, then. [ laughs ] wha

thing is fascinating, because he was on the short list for romney, who anday anti-gay marriage, rob portman sat on this for two years and waited a couple of times after the the election. >> pope to portman to cpac. a word on the conservative political action conference. >> president obama, who seemed once upon a time to respect civil liberties, has become the president who signed the law allowing detention of american citizen. at the cpacand paul conference just outside washington. the words we just heard could have been uttered by a member of the american civil liberties union. >> this is what libertarians are like this is what his dad is like. rand is much more polished. he does not talk about the gold standard or destroying the fed and stuff like that. attractive.ely when he pulled off with the filibuster was a stunt of political genius, because he had the floor and the attention of the country for all day. but this was a move that was quite interesting and politically radical. he is very much in liberal on social issues, and that is a challenge for the will conservative movement over th

and this morning, senator rob portman reversing his stance of same-sex marriage, because he has saidhat his son is gay in a "columbus dispatch" op-ed. he said that we believe in minimal government interference in the personal lives and we believe the family unit to be the fundamental building block of society, and with we should also consider people's long term commitments to each other. do you believe this will change the conversation? >> well, i think that it will continue to dialogue and the discussion. i know that if anybody who knows rob portman knows that he is sincere and honest and cares about his family and passionate and all of the positive things, and this is heart felt and he believes it. gosh, more power to him. he believes that, and i respect him for it. >> and will this stay a decision made by each lawmaker and every republican for specific families would you say and for you? >> yeah. i you know, i happen to think that a lot of this should be made at the state level and how we do it in utah may be different than massachusetts and that is where we ought to be having thi

let's give credit to rob portman's son here who did a really brave thing.ty. relative to the rest of america, that's not a terribly difficult place to come out. however, he is the son of a prominent republican politician and that is an extremely difficult thing to do. but the other point i'd make, chris, here, and this may relate back to your original point about different areas of the country. there's majority support seems maybe sort of just barely in the polling in this country for gay marriage and particularly people under 30, overwhelming support. within the republican party, you're looking at 25%, 30% support and strong opposition still over 50%. so this is one of the many issues in this country right now where there's a real cultural gap. >> there sure is. >> red america/blue america. >> the aisle makes a big difference between democrats, republicans on the issue of gay rights and marriage. senator portman told cnn today he was able to square his conservative beliefs with his newfound support for marriage equality. this is fascinating. let's listen t

i think rob portman is one of the most impressive figures in american politics. i think it was terribly important what he did. you know that previous report said the party has to be both inclusive and welcoming or we're not going to track young people. for all the tack about latinos and asians which is quite real the pier has a huge problem with -- party has a huge problem with young people. they can improve the infrastructure and social media and digital and all that. but as long at they are not welcoming and inclusive on social issues like gay marriage they'll have a terribly difficult time. i think the leaders are pretty much there now. can they bring the followers with them. >> rose: has the president been able to change any republicans minds because of the recent effort to charm the inventories as it has -- charme fences. >> i think he's had conversations with the defense hawks, with the grahams and mccanes they're willing to make a deal. they don't constitute a large enough block yet in the republican caucus. he's made a tinney bit of progress there but oth

as we saw with rob portman, it's okay to be a republican and express your values. >> you mentioned robnd ken mehlman, who came out as gay himself. and rob portman, whose son is gay and dick cheney, who has a daughter who is gay. does it frustrate you or hearten you that it seems to be republicans if they have a personal family member coming across on this issue. but those in the broad republican party, who don't have a son or a relative in their family to point to? >> i'm not going to get into the hearts and minds of the people who helped them get to where they need to be to support us. at the end of the day, dick cheney was out a lot sooner on this issue than either barack obama or hillary clinton was. and we've had a number of significant leaders who have made the conservative case. it's not for me or anybody else to judge how somebody gets around to support marriage equality. it's just the fact that they do. when you can use to voice to get into the pockets of america where we need conservative voices to speak, that's how the entire movement will move forward. not just what's being

. >> ohio republican senator rob portman changed his position completely after his son came out. are refusing to say yes or no on gay marriage. they're caught somewhere in between. >> i know what our principles are, and i know our party believes that marriage is between one man and one woman, but i also know that we have a party that's going to be inclusive. >> way too many people believe republicans are anti immigrant, anti woman, anti science, anti gay, anti worker and the list goes on and on and on. >> joe benenson was a poster for the obama campaign, president and founding partner of the benenson strategy group. and alex lund re is a republican polster who worked with mitt romney's campaign, vice president of target point consulting. let me first say it is a treat to have you both here for me. i'm thrilled. >> great to be here. >> it's a fascinating topic. let me start by showing some nbc wall street journal numbers to talk about the trend. so in 2004, the question was asked, do you favor or oppose same-sex marriage. 30% favor, 62% oppose. today, eight and a half years later,

one of the most prominent conservative republicans out there, rob portman, is reserving his position marriage because of his gay son. how big a deal is this? and will other conservatives follow his lead? >> this is a huge deal. senator portman once supported a constitutional amendment rejecting same-sex marriage. he was in favor of the so-called defense of marriage act. and it appears that his evolution is just like that of millions of americans who deal with this issue. the fact that this is coming in the middle of the conservative political action conference here in washington and just a week and a half away from supreme court arguments on whether to overturn doma and the california ban on same-sex marriage, this should have some kind of impact, particularly on republicans and conservatives, whether it has any impact on the supreme court, that's a whole other question. >> okay. and the other story that we're talking about this morning is the verbal battle between ted cruz and california veteran dianne feinstein over guns. is cruz trying to establish himself by challenging a top dem

and rob portman's stunning decision to now support same-sex marriage after his son told him he is gay. join something he david boss circumstance president of citizens united and republican strategist and cnn contributor, margaret hoover a big day forth republican party in this country, in many ways, to start with, the portman sensation. another way of putting it really, here is a republican senator who had repeatedly voted against gay marriage doing a complete u-turn because his son turned out two years ago, went to him and said, dad, i'm gay. margaret, what did you make of that? >> look, i think rob portman acted in a way that was consistent with the love for his son and consistent with a movement happening across the country with republican legislators. piers, many people don't know, more than 205 republican state legislators across the country have voted, elected leaders have voted for the freedom to marry and not lost their seats because of it. 135 members signed on to amicus brief for the supreme court, a solution to a conservative case and a constitutional case for freedom to ma

so i commend rob portman for having an honest conversation.hat he said to himself, what he said to dana is, look, i haven't had the chance to think deeply about this until my son approached me about it. i focus on economic issues before. and now is the right time to do it. >> i hope your republican colleagues will listen to that. >> just two sitting members of congress signed on to that for republicans. >> we have to run. thank you. we appreciate it. >>> don't forget to tune into jake tapper's new show called "the lead" starting on monday on cnn. >>> now some of the biggest stories in a flash, rapid fire. so roll it. >>> first up, north korea's threat of a preemptive nuclear strike on the united states has promoted or prompted the pentagon to increase our domestic missile defense system on the west coast. the pentagon is deploying 14 additional ground-based missile interceptors in alaska and california but could take two years for all the systems to come online. angered by u.s. led sanctions, north korea threatened to turn washington into a se

>> well, congratulations to rob portman for coming around and for evolving.change your mind about an issue that is as divisive as marriage equality. i think what is really touching is he's leading with his heart. one of the things he said is he consulted dick cheney about it and dick chainy said follow your heard. i think he's doing the right thing in supporting his son. and i can't imagine how the republican party, if you look at the rhetoric that's been going on, we just heard what john boehner had to say about this. i can't imagine how republicans, how conservatives can turn their back on their own children, which is what they're saying, that we would discriminate against our own children because we have these principles that we're holding so steadfast to. so i hope he's inspiring other people to step forth, also. >> this is the latest politician to change his mind about same-sex marriage. the president did it last year. do we think that what's happening here is that these politicians, like a lot of americans, are just starting to come in contact with more

to jane, my wife, and i, and told us that he was gay. >> that was the moment republican senator rob portman began changing his opposition to same-sex marriage. >> he's going to make a lot of people in the conservative wing of the republican party quite upset. >> reporter: but for portman, it was not about politics. >> to have the joy and the stability of marriage that i've had for over 26 years. i want all three of my kids to have that, including our son who is gay. >> reporter: that son, 21-year-old will portman tweeting, especially proud of my dad today. but there was a backlash from some of the conservative constituents. >> you're a republican and all of a sudden you're against, like, gay marriage and stuff, and your son comes out and you want to change your view, that's hypocritical. >> reporter: opposition from john boehner in an exclusive interview with martha for this week airing tomorrow. >> can you imagine yourself in a situation where you reversed your decision on gay marriage if a child of yours or someone you love told you they were gay? >> i believe that marriage is the union o

rob portman was a more important marker than saxby chambliss.election is one stupid candidate can brand the entire party because there's a significant group of that party that still thinks and talks like this. it does affect the whole group of them. unless they can correct this kind of behavior, unless they have the good sense and grease to correct it, they're going down as individuals and as party. >> good sense and grace indeed. michelle, this very issue, marriage equality is one of the prisms younger voters are judging the republican party. that's a shift that the older republicans are not ready for. how are they doing? >> they're not ready for it and their whole party isn't ready for it. this is an example of the bind the republican party is in because while younger voters have changed and the country as a whole has changed. the republican party still hasn't. republicans may be more supportive of gay marriage than they used to be and still overwhelmingly against it. and i suspect the voters who will re-elect saxby chambliss are overwhelmingl

a few months ago, almost a year ago, rob portman was considered a vice presidential candidate for mitt romney very much opposed to gay marriage. we have seen rob say he is for gay marriage. the shift in this country has been so dramatic and strong on this, we are seeing ceos, hillary clinton, republican senators, republican members of congress, ken melman, ex-republican chair, talked about gay marriage and opposition now being for gay marriage. the court can't ignore how strong the movement in the country, pretty much everyone below 30 is for gay marriage. hard to imagine they'll buck those trends and somehow come against gay marriage. >> it brings me back to the original premise, whether or not some of these folks, whether with their money or megaphone have an opportunity to really influence the conversation, one lone individual, and i am thinking in this case about mark zuckerberg who we mentioned at the top. he has a big vested interest in this, not the only one in silicon valley or tech industries saying we need the best and brightest wherever they're from. it seems like a natural

>> we should do this again some time. >> reporter: but in this case, the dad is rob portman. a powerful and conservative republican senator. he's voted to ban adoption by same sex partners and for a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage. portman told cnn that his family experience has prompted him to change his views. >> i think this is something that we should allow people to do. to get married and to have the joy and the stability of marriage that i've had for over 26 years. i want all three of my kids to have it, including our son who is gay. >> reporter: public opinion has changed dramatically over the last several years, with a majority of americans now supporting gay marriage. buff political change has been much slower. less than a year ago, even president obama opposed gay marriage and even now, there are 31 states that have constitutional amendments explicitly banning same sex marriage. david? >> very personal move for senator portman today. jon karl at the white house tonight, thank you. >>> overseas tonight, and to the newest image from the new pope. more

. >> rob portman. i is a republican senator from ohio. ember of the house or one of his major legislative victories in the 199 0es is the defensive marriage act. he is defin rob /* rob port man sure only men and women had the right to marry. then as united states trade representative and then white house budget director 2010 rob mortman ran for senate in ohio and won. in the course of his 20 years in service rob portman has been a pretty run of the mill republican. people think of him as a numbers guy. in fact the romney campaign considered him for vice president but people argued he was too boring. that's right, too boring to be vice president which is quite something. today that dependable republican senator, the one who sponsored the defensive marriage act in the '90s came out in gay marriage. the senator writes i have come to believe that if two people have can come to made a commitment to care for one another in good times and in bad, the government should not deny their right to be married. he became the only republican senator to be

>> it just comes after rob portman made his news and support for gay marriage.e republican senator. but if hillary clinton does want to become president she would need to support gay marriage. >> mark, thank you. >>> coming up next. a private jet crashes into a residential neighborhood killing at least two people. we bring you the details and the news now. >>> plus, all in the family. wait till you hear how much political candidates are spending to hire their own family members. >>> and ten years later, what the architects of the iraq war are saying now about that war. ♪ looking for a litter with natural ingredients that helps neutralize odors. discover tidy cats pure nature. uniquely formulated with cedar, pine, and corn. plays a key role throughout our lives. one a day men's 50+ is a complete multivitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. it has 7 antioxidants to support cell health. one a day men's 50+. >>> and now that the campaign is under way, the president came on the air tonight a half hour ago to say this war could go on longer than a lot of

and, but i think that my friend rob portman did a very, very important thing. he was very honest and he spoke to a truth that a lot of folks inside the gop just don't want to acknowledge. that these things are personal. they are, they are family based, and those families work these things out for themselves. and as rob said, you know, his son came to him two years ago and they had this conversation, they've been on the journey together and he's come to this revelation, this realization, this important step with his family. and as a policy maker, he now recognizes the impact of the decisions that he makes on people. and that's what, that's what this process should be about. the problem we have is we oftentime close ourselves off to that part of the conversation, we not a religious party, we're a political party and we are a party that has always been rooted in self-expression and individualism that is now been clouded over since the 1980s by this, this holier-than-thou imaginism that's taken off -- >> isn't that holier-than-though thou majorityism saying that th

. >> rob portman. is the republican senator from ohio. he's been a republican party politics for many years. first as member of the house or one of his major legislative victories in the 1990s was the defense of marriage act. he is the co-sponsor of that bill defining marriage as between one man and one woman. he made sure only straight people had the right to marry. that was part of his legacy in congress. then in 2000 portman served in the george w. bush administration as united states trade representative and then white house budget director. rob portman has been a pretty run of the mill republican. people think of him as a budget guy, a numbers guy. the romney 2012 presidential campaign considered him for vice president but people argued he was just too boring. that's right. too boring to be vice president which is quite something. today that dependable republican senator, the one who sponsored the defense of marriage act in the 1990s came out in favor of gay marriage. today's columbus dispatch the senator writes i have come to believ

. >> ifill: last week, ohio's rob portman became the first senate republican to announce his support. two years ago, he said, his son told him he is gay. >> that launched an interesting process for me which was rethinking my position, talking to my pastor and other religious leaders and going through a process of, at the end, changing my position on the issue. >> ifill: republican response was muted. house speaker john boehner said his position remains the same. >> i appreciate that he's decided to change his views on this but i believe that marriage is a union of a man and a woman. >> ifill: yesterday former secretary of state hillary clinton said she, too, has exexpanded on her previous support for civil unions. >> i support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. i support it personally and as a matter of plicy andaw. embedded in a broader effort to advance equality and opportunity for l.g.b.t. americans and all americans. >> ifill: her husband, former president bill clinton, is now calling on the supreme court to overturn a federal ban on same-sex marriage that he signed in 1996. a

rob portman, the latest conservative republican to switch on gay marriage.tes personal experience. his son is gay. does this matter in the party as the party sort of -- you start seeing more and more of these public splits on issues? >> i think so. and i think it's not just what senator portman has said but also trends that his statement reflects which more and more americans have moved in that direction in many cases because of similar experiences with senator portman, people they know and care about who are gay and in relationships and they have made this switch. the interesting thing, though, is that senator rubio who, of course -- >> right. >> -- reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage, rubio and portman, though, are on the same page in saying it has to be a state-by-state issue. the federal courts should stay out of it and i wonder whether that will become the new sort of fallback position of a lot of republicans. >> as they move here, but, robert, the president was sort of, i'm still not sure, is he fully for a state decision, you know? he has b

rob portman has changed his position.pect that. >> there does not seem to be a tectonic shift underway just yet in the gop. >> the reaction is very friendly. a lot of people have said they respect that he's changed his mind. this evolution is something that a lot of people can relate to. they want to do the right thing them want to be fair. but they might have some concerns about what marriage equality would mean. but as you think about it, as you consider the golden rule and how you want to treat others, people come down more and more every day on the side that senator portman has. >> in two weeks, the supreme court will be taking up two marriage equality cases. the defense of marriage act and california's prop 8 as well. how much will it take the heat off republicans if the supreme court rules in favor of equality? >> well, i think that would be an enormous victory for the country and for american values. when you think about the partisanship on the prop 8 case, you have ted olson and david boyes, they've come together

andrea mitchell reports," family matters -- after decades of opposition, why is republican senator rob portman contender to be mitt romney's running mate, now reversing his opposition to gay marriage? >> i had a very personal experience. which is my son came to jane, my wife and i, told us that he was gay. and that it was not a choice and that you know, that's just part of who he is and he had been that way ever since he could remember. and that launched an interesting process for me. which was -- kind of rethinking my position. >> live at cpac, mitt romney's first political speech coming up since his defeat in november. >>> plus president obama's new energy policy today, to be announced in illinois. next week, he's on to israel and benjamin netanyahu. >> we've got a terrific business-like relationship. he is very blunt with me about his views on issues and i'm very blunt with him about my views on issues and we get stuff done. >> good day i'm andrea mitchell live in washington, while conservatives are firing up the base at cpac, the president concluded a week of outreach to republicans on cap