Huffington Post had up as their lead banner story earlier this evening the pictures of 10 Senate Democrats who are still either opposed to marriage equality or who are silent on it, despite the avalanche of Democratic politicians who are rushing to be on the right side of history recently, namely their colleagues Claire McCaskill, Mark Begich and Mark Warner recently. The stunning facial features of our Senior Senator was among the pictures of the 10.
Here is what HuffPo had to say about Senator Carper:
7. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) opposes DOMA and co-signed an amicus brief last much that urged the Supreme Court to invalidate Section 3 of that law. But the senator has yet to endorse same-sex marriage as a legal right.
“Sen. Carper was proud to support Delaware’s efforts to enact Civil Union legislation and earlier this month he joined 211 of his Congressional colleagues in co-signing the Amicus brief that urges the Supreme Court to invalidate Section 3 of DOMA,” his office said in a statement. “He has also said that he would vote to repeal DOMA. He also opposed President Bush’s attempt to enact a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Like many Americans including Presidents Obama and Clinton, Sen. Carper’s views on this issue have evolved, and continue to evolve. He continues to give this issue a great deal of consideration.”
So it sounds like Senator Carper is not against gay marriage, unlike some of his 10 colleagues like Bob Casey, Joe Manchin and Bill Nelson. It sounds like he is still evolving.
Well, Senator, if such a centrist corporatist like Mark Warner of the much more conservative Virginia can endorse marriage equality, then why can you not from the much more liberal Delaware? Senator, let’s be frank. You were just elected to your last term in the Senate. In 2018, you will 71. You will be facing enormous Delaware Way pressure to step aside, given that Beau Biden and Jack Markell will be looking to move up the ladder by then. You have to be thinking of your legacy now. Do you really want to spend your last term still evolving on an issue that is becoming settled in Democratic politics. And if you are thinking of yet another term in the Senate in 2018, then you better be for marriage equality by then, and you should have been on that marriage equality bus for some time. I dare say you may face a primary in 2018 by much more credible officeholders miffed that you have not stepped aside. Given that Biden and Markell are for marriage equality, I do not see how you can be undecided on this issue much longer.