"THE LAST HONEST MAN"

That's what Atrios calls large-bag-of-gas John McCain. [UPDATE: I was wrong again. Atrios refers that way to Joe Liberman] McCain flip-flops so often that's it's hard to believe he is still admired as a "straight-talker" by the Press.

Last week, he was on Stephanopolous's This Week and waffled his way all over the gay marriage issue.

(From LexisNexis)


SHOW: This Week 10:31 AM EST ABC
November 19, 2006 Sunday


GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) You say you believe that marriage should be reserved for between a man...

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (REPUBLICAN

Yes.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) - and a woman. You voted for an initiative in Arizona that went beyond that and actually denied any government benefits to civil unions or domestic partnerships. Are you against civil unions for gay couples?

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (REPUBLICAN

No, I'm not. But the - that initiative I think was misinterpreted. I think that initiative did allow for people to join in legal agreements such as power of attorney and others. I think there was a - I think that there was a difference of opinion on the interpretation of that constitutional amendment in Arizona.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) So you're for civil unions?

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (REPUBLICAN

No I am for ability of two - I do not believe gay marriage should be legal. I do not believe gay marriage should be legal. But I do believe that people ought to be able to enter into contracts, exchange powers of attorney, other ways that people who have relationships can enter into.

McCain knows damn well that there was no misinterpretation. Here's the actual language of the proposed amendment:

NO LEGAL STATUS FOR UNMARRIED
PERSONS SHALL BE CREATED OR RECOGNIZED BY THIS
STATE OR ITS POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS THAT IS SIMILAR
TO THAT OF MARRIAGE.