Pres. O: trying to have it both ways?

If you've ever read anything here, chances are you know I've thought this president a vast improvement over the previous one. A BIG improvement. And I supported him and I still do, absolutely. But as I've said before, he's far from perfect, by a long shot. He needs to be far tougher and have more backbone in negotiations, especially with the Republican leaders, as one good example. But right now, it seems he's talking out of both sides of his mouth on two different issues. The first one he's having "both ways" seems to be the Afghan war. On the one hand, he's taking 33,000 troops out by next year and that's pretty strong and it's more than the military apparently want so that's one thing. Of course, there are plenty of people who would point out he wants and needs to do this because of next year's election. That has to be a factor. On the flip side, there is plenty of evidence that he's also keeping us in there for the long term, too, which pleases the military and the military-industrial corporations that want that business. So that's one. The second issue the president seems to be talking out of both sides of his mouth is on equal rights, specifically equal rights for same-sex couples. On the one hand he's quoted yesterday in New York as saying "gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country," but at the same time, he won't officially come out and declare that he's for these equal rights for all, as part of his official policy. Of course, equal rights for all is in our Constitution, it's just not in his official platform. I understand he can't go too far out on the Left but you have to take a stand on some issues. The fact is, the Republican opposition is badly fragmented for a candidate right now in the upcoming 2012 election and that helps him. But between the economy and looking like he's double-speaking people, he's not doing himself any favors here, by a long shot. Links: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=137359508; http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/on_gay_rights_obama_is_a_cocktease_20110623/; http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/why_does_the_war_go_on_20110624/; http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/bad_news_for_a_country_tired_of_war_20110623/; http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/trapped_in_afghanistan_20110623/