Last week, perpetual presidential water-tester Fred Thompson was asked by CNN if he would “actively push a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage?" His answer was pretty clear:
Yes, yes, I think that with regard to gay marriage you have a full-faith-and-credit issue. I don't think one state ought to be able to pass a law requiring gay marriage, or allowing gay marriage, and have another state be required to follow along, under full faith and credit. There's some exceptions and exemptions for that.
Shortly thereafter, he issued a “clarification”:
In an interview with CNN today, former Senator Fred Thompson’s position on constitutional amendments concerning gay marriage was unclear.
Thompson believes that states should be able to adopt their own laws on marriage consistent with the views of their citizens.
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Fred Thompson does not support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
So does Thompson support or oppose this proposed constitutional amendment? Nobody really seems to know – except, of course, Gary Bauer:
American Values president Gary Bauer believes Thompson's campaign fumbled the ball, and he calls the flap the "growing pains" of a campaign that is trying to get started.
"A number of us have met privately with Senator Thompson, and he's made it absolutely clear that he opposes same-sex marriage," says Bauer. During that conversation, Bauer shares, the former senator voluntarily explained that while he is a federalist -- that is, he favors states making most of the important decisions affecting them -- he also realizes there are some things that cannot be left to the states.
"And [he said] one of those is marriage," says the American Values president. "[He said that] marriage, if it's going to be between a man and a woman, has to be between a man and a woman in every state." Bauer also points out that when Thompson served in the U.S. Senate, he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act.
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Bauer expects "further clarification" from Team Thompson in the next few days that will make if "absolutely clear that [Thompson] does support a federal marriage amendment." And although he acknowledges that such legislation will be almost impossible to pass, Bauer believes the pro-family movement will want to support a candidate who favors such an amendment.
