out in support of same-sex marriage back 2012, ahead of president obama. and yeah, and the campaign, you d remember better than anybody was none too pleased by the vice president s decision to do just that. when you look back at that moment that underscores just how far the country has come in a decade. it seems bizarre that this wasn t the general position, politically, particularly for a democratic vice president at the time. listen to what the vice president said. take a listen. i am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men marrying, all are entitled to same civil rights and civil liberties and, quite frankly, i don t see much of a distinction beyond that. reporter: jake, that is a moment that will be memorialized in a card given to everybody in
same-sex marriage now? look, i am vice president of the united states of america. the president sets the policy. i am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, hetero sexuals are entitled to all the civil rights and civil liberties. reporter: the former president, barack obama who was in office at the time, saw his vice president on television doing that and said, you know what? he got a little bit ahead of his skis. it was all for a goodness in spirit. that forced the obama administration into supporting same-sex marriage and changed the trajectory for a lot of gay people in the country. i have to say it is amazing to be here, to see thousands and thousands of people here at the white house streaming in through the mall, and the former vice president who is now the president of the united states is going to sign this bill.
have the same status is patently absurd. but proponents of equal rights forge ahead. in 2000 vermont recognizes civil unions, and by 2003 same-sex marriage is legalized in massachusetts. conservative backlash is fierce and sweeping. our nation must enact a constitutional amendment to protect marriage in america. it s been pretty incredible how quickly the issue of same-sex marriage has moved in 2004. by 2012 same-sex marriage is legalized in six states and washington, d.c. watching vice president biden come around on this issue before the president was an incredible moment on a number of levels. i am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women are entitled to the same exact rights.
absurd. but proponents of equal rights forge ahead. in 2000 vermont recognizes civil unions, and by 2003 same-sex marriage is legalized in massachusetts. conservative backlash is fierce and sweeping. our nation must enact a constitutional amendment to protect marriage in america. it s been pretty incredible how quickly the issue of same-sex marriage has moved in 2004. by 2012 same-sex marriage is legalized in six states and washington, d.c. watching vice president biden come around on this issue before the president was an incredible moment on a number of levels. i am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women are entitled to the same exact rights.
you re comfortable with same-sex marriage now? look, i am vice president of the united states of america. the president sets the policy. i am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual, men marrying women, are entitled to the same rights, the all the civil rights, all the civil liberties, and quite frankly i don t see much of a distinction beyond that. that was a pretty newsy answer on this program a couple years ago by the vice president who appeared here, and according to my guest who is here in her new book, biden s statement created a little bit of chaos within the white house after he got ahead of president obama and endorsed gay marriage essentially here. the book is forcing the