Oct 27, 2006  |  By: KEVIN NAFF  | COMMENTS     

gay marriage. Cardin opposed that measure.
 
“Marriage is not a purely human institution,” Steele said to a group of religious leaders in May. “Marriage defines not only the relationship between a man and a woman but also their journey through life. They should not be brow-beaten into thinking something that goes counter to what the people in the community aspire to.”
 
His inane remark — not purely a human institution? — ignores the entire legacy of the civil rights movement that fought what people in the community aspired to, namely segregation. Cardin has earned the support of gay voters in Maryland.
 

 
trong>U.S. Senate, Virginia
 
The race between incumbent Sen. George Allen (R) and challenger Jim Webb (D) was supposed to be a cakewalk for Allen, but changed after his infamous “macaca” slur. Since then, Allen has tried to reassure voters that he’s not a racist, while Webb has fought accusations of sexism. Not exactly the cream of the crop.
 
In his desperation, Allen has recently turned to the ugly old standby of scapegoating gays, airing a radio ad that blatantly misrepresents Webb’s position on gay marriage (he opposes it).
 
“There are those who would like to change the definition of marriage. Jim Webb is one of those people,” the Allen ad claims.
 
There is no ambiguity regarding Webb’s views on gay marriage. He’s against it, but he opposes the state’s proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, not because he has pro-gay leanings, but because he fears its unintended impact on straight couples.
 
So, gay voters in Virginia should hold their collective noses and cast a vote for Webb, given Allen’s gay-baiting campaign tactics and his support for the gay marriage ban.
 
If these Democrats win on Nov. 7 and the party retakes one or both houses in Congress, the real work of holding them accountable will begin.