Politics

Most of the press has covered President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney differently in how they changed positions on issues, notes Brendan Nyhan, political science professor at Darmouth College, in a Columbia Journalism Review article. Nyhan believes that the differences can be attributed to less media scrutiny of Obama during his 2004 senate race, Obama's greater skill at explaining his changed positions, and the media's "authenticity fetish."

"Despite the media's portrayal of Romney as a uniquely craven politician, the recent controversy over Obama's views on gay marriage highlights the ways that both candidates -- like nearly all politicians -- have adjusted their positions over their careers for political reasons," Nyhan writes in the article titled, "Obama 'evolves,' Romney 'flip-flops'."

Vice President Joe Biden seemed to announce support for same-sex marriage in a Sunday interview, before administration officials backtracked. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he supported same-sex marriage the next day. During the controversy, there was much media coverage of how Obama had changed his position. more >>

Argentina made history Wednesday by becoming the first country in the world to make sex-change operations a legal right of every citizen, mandating that public and private insurance providers cover such surgeries. The new legislation, backed by President Cristina Fernandez, who is expected to sign it, will also make it legal for a person to change his or her gender on paper without a sex change operation.

The Gender Identity Law, which passed the senate by a vote of 55-0, makes sex-change surgery as well as hormone therapy available as part of public or private health care plans. In addition, any adult in Argentina will be able to officially change his or her gender, image or birth name on an identification card without having to get approval from doctors or judges and without having to undergo physical changes beforehand.

Also, youths under 18 who want to change their genders will have the right to do so with the approval of their legal guardians. more >>

A Wilmington Church sign calling for the defense of traditional marriage in North Carolina that was stationed in front of a polling location is causing controversy among some, who are saying it influenced and swayed voters on North Carolina's marriage amendment.

The amendment in question, which passed by a majority citizen vote of 61 percent earlier this week, clarified that the bounds of legalized traditional marriage are between one man and one woman, making NC the 30th state in the country to include a prohibition on gay marriage in the state constitution.

The sign placed outside Devon Park United Methodist Church in Wilmington, or precinct W28, petitioned that exact argument. "A true marriage is male and female and God," the sign reads right above a "Vote Here" sign that showed people where to go to fill in their ballots. more >>

White evangelical Christians who believe Mormons hold different beliefs strongly favor Mitt Romney over President Barack Obama, according to a new poll.

Sixty-seven percent of white evangelicals who answered that Romney's Mormon faith, officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is different than their own faith said they would vote for Romney if the election were held today. The May 2-6 poll was conducted by Public Religion Research Institute, a liberal polling organization focused on religion issues. Twenty-two percent of that group said they would vote for Obama, which gives Romney a 45 percentage point advantage.

The sample of 1,006 American adults has a margin of error for the full sample of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. more >>

If Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul were to run as an independent or third-party candidate in the general election, he would take more votes away from President Barack Obama, a Democrat, than Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, a Rasmussen Reports poll suggests.

With Paul in the race, Romney would win with 44 percent of the vote, followed by Obama with 39 percent and Paul with 13 percent, if the election were this week, according to the May 6-7 poll of 1,000 likely voters. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.

Rasmussen Reports' most recent daily tracking poll of the presidential race has Romney at 49 percent and Obama at 44 percent in a two person race. more >>

President Barack Obama's comments today that he approves of same-sex marriage have created a great stir among Christian leaders in the country, with some welcoming it as a good political move for them.

Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, said in a statement that the president's remarks were not surprising and that they create a clear distinction between him and likely GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who is against same-sex marriage.

"The President's announcement today that he supports legalizing same-sex marriage finally brings his words in sync with his actions. From opposing state marriage amendments to refusing to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to giving taxpayer funded marriage benefits to same-sex couples, the President has undermined the spirit if not the letter of the law," Perkins said Wednesday. more >>