Republican Candidates Dodge Homosexuality Question

[babylonsister]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0307/Republican_Candidates_Dodge_Homosexuality_Question.html

Republican Candidates Dodge Homosexuality Question

The Democratic candidates have all been pressed if they concur with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace's remark that homosexuality is immoral. But where do their GOP counterparts stand on the question? Not surprisingly, few of the candidates are eager to rush in to this particular conversation.

I posed the question -- is homosexuality immoral -- to representatives of all three of the top Republican candidates. None answered it directly.

Sen. John McCain: "The senator thinks such questions are a matter of conscience and faith for people to decide for themselves. As a public official, Senator McCain supports don’t ask, don’t tell." --McCain spokesman Danny Diaz. Per the AP, McCain was asked about the matter on the campaign trail in Iowa yesterday and declined to answer.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's campaign didn't respond to the question, instead citing comments the candidate made on FOX News last month when asked about gay marriage. "We should be tolerant, fair, open, and we should understand the rights that all people have in our society."

Former Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign also declined to answer the question, rather pointing to the response their candidate gave earlier this week on the campaign trail in Arizona. "I think General Pace has said that he regrets having said that, and I think he was wise to have issued an apology, or a withdrawal of that comment. I think that we, as a society, welcome people of all differences, whether there are differences in ethnicity, faith or sexual preference, and I think he was wise to correct his comment and to suggest that that was an inappropriate point to have made."

Sen. Sam Brownback, it should be noted, not only affirmed his view that homosexuality is immoral but sent a letter of support on behalf of Pace to the White House