From NBC/NJ’s Matthew E. Berger Where do the campaigns stand on the California initiative to ban gay marriage? It can be hard to figure out. The McCain campaign quietly released their support for the initiative -- which declares marriage as a union between a man and a woman -- last Thursday. (McCain voted against the federal constitutional same-sex marriage ban.) VIDEO: Across California, gay couples rushed to get marriage licenses and exchange vows for the first time, triggering celebrations, protests and a new cottage industry. NBC's Chris Jansing reports. There was no press release, and the statement appears nowhere on the campaign Web site. Instead, the McCain camp gave a statement to the organization behind the California initiative. “We sought the endorsement, and they gave it to us,” said Jeff Flint, the campaign manager for the Protect Marriage Initiative. “We asked if we can put it out, and they said, ‘yes.’” The two-sentence statement reads: “I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home state of Arizona. I do not believe judges should be making these decisions.” The campaign appears to be saying one thing to conservative groups, and another to the mainstream media. When the California Supreme Court ruled on gay marriage in California on May 15, campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds made a similar statement, but didn’t ...
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From NBC/NJ’s Matthew E. Berger Where do the campaigns stand on the California initiative to ban gay marriage? It can be hard to figure out. The McCain campaign quietly released their support for the initiative -- which declares marriage as a union between a man and a woman -- last Thursday. (McCain voted against the federal constitutional same-sex marriage ban.) VIDEO: Across California, gay couples rushed to get marriage licenses and exchange vows for the first time, triggering celebrations, protests and a new cottage industry. NBC's Chris Jansing reports. There was no press release, and the statement appears nowhere on the campaign Web site. Instead, the McCain camp gave a statement to the organization behind the California initiative. “We sought the endorsement, and they gave it to us,” said Jeff Flint, the campaign manager for the Protect Marriage Initiative. “We asked if we can put it out, and they said, ‘yes.’” The two-sentence statement reads: “I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home state of Arizona. I do not believe judges should be making these decisions.” The campaign appears to be saying one thing to conservative groups, and another to the mainstream media. When the California Supreme Court ruled on gay marriage in California on May 15, campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds made a similar statement, but didn’t ...