Obama's Urging Illinois to Recognize 'Gay Marriage'

Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times touted her "exclusive report that President Obama is urging the Illinois General Assembly to legally recognize "gay marriage" in his adopted home state. Legislators may debate the measure as early as this week in Springfield. Both houses of the state legislature there are Democrat-controlled.

"While the president does not weigh in on every measure being considered by state legislatures, he believes in treating everyone fairly and equally, with dignity and respect," openly gay White House spokesman Shin Inouye told the Sun-Times on Saturday.

"As he has said, his personal view is that it's wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships, and want to marry, from doing so. Were the President still in the Illinois State Legislature, he would support this measure that would treat all Illinois couples equally," Inouye said.

Sweet argued "The practical impact of Obama urging his home state to legalize gay marriage is to prod -- and give political cover to-- reluctant Democrats from conservative suburban and Downstate districts."