policy

White House spokesman Jay Carney was asked aboard Air Force One about President Obama's position on same sex marriage. He punted. Again. From today's pool report:

On whether the White House feels the need to clarify the president's gay marriage stance, Carney said he had no updates. He said he's sure POTUS will be asked about the topic in future interviews and press conferences and will discuss his views then.

As the Washington Post reports, Carney had the same problem yesterday, when reporters ask about the president's position on same sex marriage: 

Carney tried to parry the same-sex-marriage questions, gamely at first and then testily as reporters began to laugh at his answers. He grew uncharacteristically flustered. When an unrelated question came about whether Obama would support the reelection of scandal-plagued Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), Carney answered: “I mean — well, yes, sure. I just don’t — I haven’t — I haven’t been asked it before so I. . . . The president — I’ll have to — I’ll have to get back to you.”

The president is currently against same sex marriage, though he's claimed to be "evolving" on the position. 

And the White House canceled its planned North Carolina trip, which coincided with the ballot initiative there to ban same sex marriage. The News Observer reports:

President Barack Obama was scheduled, albeit briefly, to visit North Carolina on Election Day to make an speech in Asheville about the economy.

But the White House sent the notice Wednesday last week but reversed course about five hours later, saying the trip wasn't taking place, according to a North Carolina congressional office notified about the trip. The false alarm isn't unprecedented -- but the fact the White House even considered visiting the state on primary election day is interesting. 

A controversial vote on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and civil unions is on today's ballot. Obama issued a statement against the amendment earlier this year -- but polls show it is likely to win by a solid margin. 

Reuters blogger and WEEKLY STANDARD contributor James Pethokoukis takes a look at Jon Huntsman's recently unveiled tax plan, and by golly, it might be the first thing about his candidacy that generates real excitement:

Fannie Mae has introduced a new policy that prevents people who have defaulted on their mortgages from getting a new Fannie Mae loan for seven years – up from five previously. This policy only applies to defaulters who have adequate income and other resources to pay the note – a process Fannie Mae calls “strategic defaulting.”