John Thune’s policy on Gay Marriage

Contents:

• THE GAY WAR ROLLS ON
• REPUBLINS SAY THEY'RE NOT COMG FOR GAY MARRIAGE. THEY SAID THAT ABOUT ROE, TOO.
• SOUTH DAKOTANS ON GAY MARRIAGE LG: JOY, DISAPPOTMENT

THE GAY WAR ROLLS ON

“I have suggted to others that not only would I like to see Roe, Casey, and Griswold on ntraceptn dified but I’ve also ma clear my support for, for gay marriage years ago, ” she said. It's the gay-marriage issue that ril Burdick, an issue that Thune is bettg will knock down the Democratic Senate before the Senate failed to advance a measure that would change the Constutn to forbid same-sex marriage--Daschle voted agast --Thune went on the attack. Barnstormg the state a tw-prop plane, he crisscrossed South Dakota to warn that gay marriage uld be loomg.

" Daschle, who has served the Senate sce 1986, oppos gay marriage, but believ that amendg the Constutn is too drastic a plac like Brookgs, wh a twirlg barber pole and a gra elevator, people pri themselv on beg close to the soil and to God.

A clear majory of South Dakotans favor an amendment to ban gay marriage, says William Richardson, chairman of the polil-science partment at the Universy of South Dakota. A Daschle spokman, Dan Pfeiffer, says Thune is clearly makg the gay issue "the centerpiece of his mpaign, " bee he lacks a pellg ratnale for dumpg Daschle--who says his big-dog stat Washgton helps keep South Dakota on the map. Ridg a silver Tahoe past rollg fields choked wh rn and soybeans on Interstate 229, he charged that gay marriage would mean "'s gog to be tght the schools as the moral equivalent" to the unn between a man and a, 's unclear how well that msage will draw voters to the polls.

REPUBLINS SAY THEY'RE NOT COMG FOR GAY MARRIAGE. THEY SAID THAT ABOUT ROE, TOO.

Gay marriage--that's way down the list. The hottt topic this state is ethanol, the rn-based fuel, and efforts to boost s e around the the shops and saloons of South Dakota, people are more likely to be talkg about ethanol than gay marriage, at least for now.

And 47 Hoe Republins voted to protect gay marriage on Tuday, which suggts some of their unterparts the Senate uld follow ’s not clear whether at least 10 Republins would vote for a bill to dify marriage equaly if one me up for a vote the Senate. When asked if his views had changed on gay marriage, the Geia Republin quipped: “I’m not gay. In terviews this week wh POLITICO, most Republin lawmakers and some nservative Democrats still voiced opposn to gay marriage, spe the dramatic swg public opn supportg .

While they have certaly muted their rhetoric sce 2004 — when Republins mpaigned on the promise to outlaw gay marriage — lawmakers who rema opposed to the issue uld jeopardize any legislative rponse if the Supreme Court l agast same-sex marriage a pair of high-profile s. ( PHOTOS: Policians who evolved on gay marriage). The party is tryg to broan s appeal to younger Amerins — who support gay marriage large numbers — as well as sr of new votg blocs.

SOUTH DAKOTANS ON GAY MARRIAGE LG: JOY, DISAPPOTMENT

Some tablishment figur have changed urse, wh Rob Portman last week beg the first stg GOP senator to endorse gay marriage, after learng that his son is gay. And the Republin Natnal Commtee, a bluntly word report tailg the GOP’s polil wo, lled for the party to bee more sensive on the issue of gay rights.