McCain Backs Calif. Marriage Initiative

Sen. John McCain, looking toward the conservative base of the Republican Party, has come out in favor of a California voter initiative aimed at overturning a recent state Supreme Court decision that allows same-sex marriage.

The California Protection of Marriage initiative on the state's November ballot would create an amendment to the state constitution that would define marriage only between a man and a woman.

California's top court ruled that the state constitution currently does not bar homosexuals to marry and those marriages have begun.

In an email the ProtectMarriage.com campaign says it has received, McCain issued the following statement: "I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize
marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home state of Arizona. I do not believe judges should be making these decisions."

McCain is the presumptive Republican 2008 nominee for president.

Commenting on McCain's endorsement, ProtectMarriage.com Chairman Ron Prentice says, "We are honored to have the support of Senator McCain. As a leader in the United States Senate and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Senator McCain's position will be an
important factor to millions of Californians. Senator McCain has articulated a key feature of the initiative campaign, which is that voters and not judges should be determining this issue.

"Over 61 percent of the electorate has already voted to reaffirm marriage as between a man and a woman," Prentice adds. "Four activist judges on the California Supreme Court in San Francisco wrongly substituted their own narrow views for the opinion of over 4 million California voters. Fortunately, voters will be able to correct that mistake in November and restore the definition of marriage to our constitution. We look forward to working with Senator McCain and many other elected leaders to accomplish this. We hope that U.S. Senator Barack Obama will join Senator McCain in endorsing the initiative, and would welcome his support as well."

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