McCain Camp: No, He Doesn't Really Oppose Gay Adoption
So does John McCain believe that gays should be forbidden to adopt children, or not?
In his interview this past weekend with the New York Times, McCain agreed with President Bush's stance against gay adoption, even if the alternative is that children are kept in the foster care system.
But now the McCain camp is backing off that assertion, declaring that in fact he believes states should make the decision and that he "could have been clearer in the interview."
"I think that we've proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no I don't believe in gay adoption," McCain told the Times.
He then affirmed his position even after the reporters made it clear that the alternative would be "the kid staying in an orphanage, or not having parents."
However, the campaign has now given a statement to Andrew Sullivan clarifying his position. "McCain could have been clearer in the interview in stating that his position on gay adoption is that it is a state issue," said communications director Jill Hazelbaker, later adding that "McCain believes that in those situations that caring parental figures are better for the child than the alternative."
Comments (39)
How is this not a direct flip-flop?
July 15, 2008 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now that the general election has begun, he's clearly moving to the left.
July 15, 2008 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not much room left till he bumps into your guy...
July 15, 2008 3:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
OT: your diary about Burton was OUTSTANDING!!
If I could, I would have recommended it a bazillion times.
I really hope someone e-mailed that to the campaign.
Really, really.
July 15, 2008 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is a flip flop. No question about it. But that is the McCain way of late. No moral rudder whatsoever. God help our country if he is ever elected. He is too old, too out of it, too reckless and far too unable to control his horrendous temper to be in any leadership role. I doubt he is even alert enough to be a Senator any more. And. . I live in Arizona. I intend to follow through and work for his Democratic opponent and I am a has been Republican even, re registered this election.
July 15, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Huh? I really hate the cop out of "leaving it to the states." Does he have any positions that shouldn't be left to the states? WTF, the question was what was his position.
July 15, 2008 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you really? I confess, while I have a firm opinion about what stance I would hope my state would take on this issue (like most here, I want adoption law to treat stable homosexual couples just like stable heterosexual couples in this regard), I do prefer that this issue be left to the states. In this respect, I find myself agreeing with Sen McCain (or at least Sen McCain at this precise moment in time).
July 15, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not arguing that it shouldn't be left to the individual states. The point is the dodge. What is mcbush's position? Maybe they should make it his personal views or whatever. I can't see a dem getting away with the same kind of dodge, like republicans do all the time.
July 15, 2008 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
"The point is the dodge. What is mcbush's position?" It's called the 10th ammendment...his personal opinion doesn't matter, he's following the Constitution. I don't like Bell peppers, but they shouldn't be outlawed(as much as I'd enjoy that).
July 15, 2008 3:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, I get it. Soo the abortion litmus test for republicans can be dodged by its a state's rights issue as well. Every time a dem gets asked the question, they can get away with abortion is up to the states. Yeah, right.
July 15, 2008 6:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude, that's ass backwards. If "Roe v. Wade" were overturned, then it would be up to the states.
July 16, 2008 8:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
i totally agree with you. that cop out is so damn lame, and although both parties are guilty of committing this dodge, republicans are notorious for it. perhaps someone can ask, for YOUR state of arizona, do you think that gay citizens in your district should be able to adopt children? the question can (or perhaps should) be asked of him a sitting senator of the state of arizona. i'd like to see him back out of that one.
July 15, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
"...republicans are notorious for it" Because they follow the Constitution.
July 15, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmmm I left the Republican Party because the present President totally ignored the constitution. Further, I have no reason to believe that McSame would be any different if he gets elected. McCain has sold his Straight Talk Express for a ticket on the Bush train to Hell. Guess again about a reasonable reason.
July 15, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah! Those pesky Federalists and their States rights!
July 15, 2008 3:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remember, children, this sort of thing does not prove that Sen McCain is indecisive (read "flip-flopper"), but rather that he is a maverick willing to buck party orthodoxy. It is only evidence of indecisive flip-floppishness if the one making the series of mutually contradictory statements is a democrat.
July 15, 2008 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Zing!
I expect David Broder, Roger Simon, David Brooks, and every other political commentator to say exactly the same thing.
Meanwhile, out here in reality-land, I'd say this was a flippety-floppety response by St. John Flippety Floppety McCain.
July 15, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whew that was a close call. He almost lost Larry Craig's vote.
July 15, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I think that we've proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no I don't believe in gay adoption."
Sounds crystal clear to me. Nevermind that the original statement was idiotic to being with. So, if two gay men or women adopt a child, that don't constitute "both parents"?
July 15, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good for McCain to change his position.
July 15, 2008 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought only McSame speaks for McSame?
July 15, 2008 1:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's hear it directly from McCain's mouth, and not some advisor.
Sounds like a flip-flop to me!
July 15, 2008 1:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's not saying he doesn't support it - he's saying that he doesn't think it exists. If it does in fact exist, he's happy to support it. See? No contradiction there.
July 15, 2008 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ha! I like it.
July 15, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain said nothing about it being a State issue - how is it "clarifying" when you completely change what he said?
Why again did Obama not agree to the ten town hall debates? Was it money, he mistakenly believes he'd have a lot more than McCain and didn't want to give Sen. McCain the free publicity?
July 15, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
not to brag or anything, but i scooped you guys on this.
July 15, 2008 2:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
You didn't "scoop" anyone, you just linked to something else on the internet. Andrew Sullivan is the one who actually did the work and contacted the McCain campaign.
Nothing is more annoying then people who think they deserve credit for linking to something. Well, actually lots of things are more annoying, but it's still very annoying.
July 15, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
wasnt trying to take credit. just trying to get traffic to my posting.
excuse me. next time i'll just say, "hey i already wrote something about this".
geesh...lighten up a bit.
July 15, 2008 2:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not trying to take credit, after you tried to take credit...everybody say it with me:
FLIP - FLOP!
July 15, 2008 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
ugh...so maybe i misused the word "scoop".
sorry. poor choice of words. can you grow up now and get past it?
July 15, 2008 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, slow news day....just having some fun...at your expense...
July 16, 2008 8:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Too, too touchy by half. Lighten up a bit. It is really none of your business to act all that superior to any poster here. You know, the American way. Each person has a right to their own opinion. Get it?
July 15, 2008 4:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Flippty floppity
July 15, 2008 2:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
This isn't actually a flip-flop. As far as I can tell, Bush doesn't (openly) support a federal gay adoption ban either.
McCain's not being inconsistent, he's just being dumb.
July 15, 2008 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was kind of thinking the same thing. Is it a flip-flop if he can't remember what he said yesterday, or five minutes ago? Of course more importantly, should such a person be president?
July 15, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
"could have been clearer in the interview"
Try telling that to a prospective employer after you sounded like an idiot in your interview. Why does McCain get a pass when he is seeking the most important job in the world?
Could the mainstream media be any further up McCain's butt? He blatantly contradicts himself, and what does the assembled media do? They nod and say "thank you so much, Senator McCain, for the clarification." What a worthless bunch of twits.
July 15, 2008 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain's clarification is a crock of horse puckey.
Adoptions are defined and subject to state laws. To lay his bigoted position off on "it should be up to the states to decide" is totally disingenuos.
This must be added to the flip-flop list.
July 15, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Supa: Whew that was a close call. He almost lost Larry Craig's vote.
Oh, so now Larry Craig's deviant behavior is normative for gays.
Nice.
July 15, 2008 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not even a flip flop really, it's worse! It's he doesn't know what he's talking about!
He answers questions and then his "people" go in a panic as they realize he said something stupid (again) and get out a statement that essentially says; "McCain isn't able to answer a question straight up without the help of his campaign, sorry."
As an adoptive parent myself, I have to say that anyone who would actually say that children are better off in foster care or orphanages than in any loving & of course carefully screened family; is just a bigot and is just plain cruel.
July 16, 2008 9:51 AM | Reply | Permalink