Ruben Diaz: "I Support North Carolina"

Not content to wait for his office to send out a "What You Should Know" missive, I called up State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. to gauge his reaction to President Barack Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage. As you can imagine, it was not positive. "I am very disappointed that the president has decided to support gay marriage," Dias Sr. said. "But we are America. And in America you have the freedom to chose whatever you want." The Rev went on to say that he supports [North Carolina's vote yesterday](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/north-carolina-votes-on-same-sex-marriage-amendment-with-support-strong-for-ban/2012/05/08/gIQAnaCpBU_story.html?hpid=z2) to support a constitutional ban against gay marriage, noting that every time the question of gay marriage came before the electorate, the vote is always to reject it. "In every state that people voted for gay marriage, people rejected gay marriage," he said. "The only way to get gay marriage is through the Legislature, with lots of money." Not even Bill Clinton, who traveled to North Carolina before the vote to urge its defeat, could sway the people, Diaz Sr. said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who successfully pushed for the legalization of gay marriage last year, told reporters today that he had not talked about gay marriage with the president during his Albany visit yesterday. And Diaz Sr. said that Obama's change-of-hear most likely had to do with Vice President Joe Biden's comments earlier this week than any conversation he may or may not have had with Cuomo. "They had this planned already," he said. "Cuomo had nothing to do with it." The senator, who frequently and loudly vocalizes his opposition to gay marriage and abortion, recently equating the [later to the Holocaust](http://www.politicker.com/2012/05/01/senator-ruben-diaz-hitler-was-pro-choice/) (as well as a ban on Happy Meal toys), said that Obama's final "evolution" on gay marriage will hurt him electorally. "That will help Mitt Romney, that will definitely help Mitt Romney," Diaz Sr. said. [UPDATE] About 20 minutes after I got off the phone with him, the senator sent out a "What You Should Know" statement. Here it is: To read the full article at City & State [click here](http://www.cityandstateny.com/ruben-diaz-i-support-north-carolina/).