KERRY ON GAY MARRIAGE….I’ve had a number of people email to say that I was unfair to John Kerry yesterday when I suggested that his opposition to a gay marriage amendment was less than inspiring. I based that on a news clip in which he said this:
I believe, as a matter of belief, that marriage is between a man and a woman….If the amendment provides for partnership and civil union, which I believe is the appropriate way to extend rights, that would be a good amendment.
Several people have pointed out that the clip failed to provide the context of Kerry’s reply: he wasn’t talking about approval of a differently worded federal amendment, he was talking about possible state amendments. His official statement says he opposes a federal amendment, will vote against one, and thinks marriage should continue to be a state issue.
Fair enough. I’m sticking with my initial reaction that Kerry’s response was fairly flat, but as a factual matter it appears that he wasn’t endorsing any kind of federal amendment, only possible state amendments, something the video clip didn’t make clear. Correction so noted.
