On the one hand …
When U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez erroneously accused African-American women of terminating 70 percent of pregnancies – “maybe even more” – in a radio interview last week, he managed to take something that had dogged his Democratic opponent for months, something that should have been a nonissue for his socially conservative base, and turn it into a political misstep.
It was stunning.
His speedy apology signaled that his advisers knew there was no way he could spin his way around the offensive remark. They must have figured that his best hope after his performance on KCFR’s “Colorado Matters” was that people would come away thinking he was simply clueless, not racist and dishonest.
On the other hand …
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter said Friday that he would support changing the state’s definition of marriage – then backed off the statement the next day.
“The statute says marriage is between a man and a woman,” Ritter said Friday to The Denver Post’s editorial board. “You know, if a bill came to my desk to change that statute, though, I would sign it – that changes the definition of it.”
When asked whether the definition should include marriage between two men, Ritter said he didn’t want to answer a hypothetical question. “It depends on what the bill says,” he said. “I would entertain changing it, is what I’m saying.”
Referring to his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez, Ritter said: “I’m just in a different place on this issue than the congressman is.”
On Saturday, however, Ritter clarified his position, saying in a statement that he would keep the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman but consider adding recognition of civil unions to the statute.
I’m so excited about voting on the governor’s race in November.