Rahm Emanuel Joins Mayors in Case for Marriage Equality

Maybe President Obama's former chief of staff has some sway on the same-sex marriage issue. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is joining 70 mayors who will announce their support for marriage equality on Friday.

The push is being organized by Freedom to Marry, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. And it includes Houston mayor Annise Parker, who is gay, Boston's Thomas Menino, Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, and Michael Bloomberg of New York City.

The big announcement will come as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington.

"By joining the group, mayors hope to expand public and political support for ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage," the mayors' group said in a statement to the Journal.