trouble before on this front. look at what happened to -- to john kerry back in 2004 when karl rove and don king and those people connived with the cuyahoga county black ministers and cost him that state. so this is tricky business. what do you think the president wants to do here? what's your sense? you're his ally. >> well, you know, i think sam's absolutely right when he said that allies, and myself among them, have pushed the president, have pushed the administration to come out in support of marriage equality. we've done that ongoingly and will continue to do that. not just to avoid the sort of antics that you saw over the last 24 hours. most recently with the white house press briefing. but for the substantive merits, and the message that it sends to people all across the country. and that is what i hope is not lost in the words of vice president biden yesterday. he said some very powerful things. he talked about being moved by the individual story of a couple that he met, and their children, and so substantively i think it makes a huge difference all across the country.