After President Obama publicly supported gay marriage on Wednesday, CNN continued its cheerleading well into Wednesday evening, including a happy interview of openly-gay congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) where he proudly showed the audience his engagement ring.
During CNN's 6-9 p.m. coverage, 9 of the guests voiced their support of President Obama's position on-air, while only two objected. Another guest, Mike Signorile, did not give verbal support but writes for the Huffington Post "Gay Voices" blog and has called for President Obama to "kick down the closet door" and publicly support same-sex marriage. [Video below the break. Audio here.]
In contrast, only two of the guests voiced their disapproval of President Obama's position. And CNN's Piers Morgan had some nasty words for one of them – Bill Donohue of the Catholic League – behind his back.
Guests included Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), openly-gay New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, gay musician Clay Aiken, and members of pro-gay organizations like GOProud, the Log Cabin Republicans, and the Human Rights Campaign.
CNN had some sweet words for Frank, Aiken and Bruni. "Chairman Frank, good to talk to you again, sir. It's been a while and I'm glad it's under circumstances like this," Erin Burnett said to Frank. "I love it," she gushed when he showed her his ring.
Piers Morgan trumpeted the "extraordinary" day. "Yes, I mean, it was, it was a seismic, historic moment. I mean one of the biggest, I would say, in terms of any kind of social, civil issues since the Civil Rights Movement."
"It just exploded all around the world, all corners of the planet," Morgan continued. "And I think that that showed the importance of it, the significance of it."
Meanwhile, Morgan had some harsh words for Bill Donohue, who opposed Obama's position, and for the North Carolinians who had voted for Amendment 1.
"I just find it extraordinary that in North Carolina, your state," he said to Clay Aiken, "that people feel strongly enough when there's economic crisis, there are wars, there's famine, they want to go out and vote for their right to absolutely guarantee two loving gay people can't get married. What is wrong with them? I mean seriously?"
Of all the guests, the following either supported Obama's announcement on-air, or were members of pro-gay organizations: Chris Barron, chairman of GOProud; Alex Castellanos, Republican strategist; Donna Brazile, Democratic strategist; Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.); Clarke Cooper, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans; Evan Wolfson, director of FreedomtoMarry.org; Frank Bruni, op-ed columnist for the New York Times; Chad Griffin, incoming president of the Human Rights Campaign; Clay Aiken, singer; and Mike Signorile, editor at large for the HuffPo's Gay Voices blog.
The two guests that opposed same-sex marriage were Pastor Dwayne Walker of Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Bill Donohue of the Catholic League.
