California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger came out in favor of gay marriage just after the
Supreme Court overruled a 2000 voter-approved gay marriage ban in
May. And in April – a month before the court ruled –
Schwarzenegger told a group of gay Republicans, “I will always be
there to fight against that [a constitutional ban against gay
marriage], because it should never happen.” But since May, the
governor has been silent on the issue.
In the intervening months, prominent
politicians have weighed in on the issue of gay marriage in
California.
John McCain's running mate, Alaska
Governor Sarah Palin, has said she opposes the idea of gay marriage,
while her Democratic rival, Joe Biden, appearing on the The Ellen
DeGeneres Show, told chat show host Ellen DeGeneres that
California's proposed gay marriage ban is “regressive” and that
he would vote against it.
And just this week, California's senior
Senator Diane Feinstein appeared in a new No-On-8 ad, where she tells
voters she disagrees with banning gay marriage, calling Prop 8
“discriminatory.”
Schwarzenegger, however, has remained
silent on the gay marriage ban, despite the fact that many
Republicans are opposed to it.
A new Log Cabin Republicans website
highlights Republican leaders opposed to Proposition 8. The site
features quotes, bios and interviews of prominent Republicans who
oppose banning gay marriage in the state – Mary Cheney (an openly
gay Republican and daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney), San Diego
Mayor Jerry Sanders, Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin, comedian Dennis
Miller and Desperate Housewives Producer Marc Cherry included.
Schwarzenegger's own wife, Democrat
Maria Shriver, has been more vocal in opposing the gay marriage ban,
“I believe in people's right to choose a partner that they love,
and that's a decision that I have come to, and I have felt that way
for a long time,” she recently told KNBC-TV.
The last word we heard from
Schwarzenegger was back in May, when at a gay marriage rally he said,
“I'm wishing everyone good luck with their marriages and I hope
that California's economy is booming because everyone is going to
come here and get married.”
I'm certain the No-On-8 campaign is
grateful for good wishes, but as the election nears and polling
suggests the race too close to call, where is the leadership and
“fight” Schwarzenegger promised in April?
Schwarzenegger's appeal to moderate
Republicans – the likely core swing vote to decide gay marriage –
and overall popularity in the state could greatly influence the
future of gay marriage in California.
On the Net: Pro-gay marriage
Republicans at www.republicansagainst8.com.