New York Times 'enthusiastically' endorses President Barack Obama

New York Mills - The New York Times endorsed President Barack Obama on Saturday as he seeks a second term in the White House on November 6, citing the president's policies in health care, the economy.

"In the poisonous atmosphere of this campaign," the editorial states, "it may be easy to overlook Mr. Obama’s many important achievements, including carrying out the economic stimulus, saving the auto industry, improving fuel efficiency standards, and making two very fine Supreme Court appointments," The New York Times reported. Obama appointed Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court during his first term, CNN said. The editorial page, which has not backed a Republican for president since its endorsement of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, levied blame on Congressional Republicans for erecting barriers to the president's policies, which the editorial says kept the country out of a second Great Depression, says AFP. The Times likewise praised strides in civil rights under Obama, the first black US president, who oversaw a legislated end to the military’s official exclusion of gays and lesbians. And Obama overcame his own reluctance, ultimately endorsing same-sex marriage rights, the Times said. In contrast, “Romney opposes same-sex marriage and supports the federal act, which not only denies federal benefits and recognition to same-sex couples but allows states to ignore marriages made in other states. His campaign declared that Mr Romney would not object if states also banned adoption by same-sex couples and restricted their rights to hospital visitation and other privileges,” the endorsement editorial added. “For these and many other reasons, we enthusiastically endorse President Barack Obama for a second term, and express the hope that his victory will be accompanied by a new Congress willing to work for policies that Americans need,” it said on its website.