McCain's Wife Promotes Gay Marriage

Cindy McCain has posed for an ad released by the NOH8 campaign, a pro-gay-marriage effort that pictures celebrities with their mouths taped shut, the Associated Press reports. McCain appears in the usual format: dressed in white, with "NOH8" painted on her cheek and silver duct tape across her mouth. (H8 refers to the ballot measure passed by California voters in 2008 banning same-sex marriage.)

John McCain opposed gay marriage during his 2008 presidential run, and his wife rarely speaks out on particular issues. McCain's office issued a statement saying that the senator respects differences of opinion between his family members, but still "believes the sanctity of marriage is only defined as between one man and one woman."

Said spokesperson Brooke Buchanan: "The senator chaired the effort to successfully pass Arizona Proposition 102, the Marriage Protection Amendment, and his opposition to gay marriage remains the same."

On the NOH8 campaign's Web site, under the headline "Redefining Republican," NOH8 writes that Cindy McCain "reached out" to them about the ad.

The McCains' daughter, Meghan, has been outspoken in her support of gay rights, and currently features her own shot from the NOH8 campaign as the background on her Twitter page. Meghan McCain has spoken at a number of gay-rights events, and will be featured at National Equality Week at George Washington University next month.

Though both John McCain and Barack Obama opposed gay marriage during the 2008 campaign, same-sex unions have drawn fiercest opposition from the Republican base. In fact, Obama himself has promised to push for more gay-friendly agenda items in his remaining term. See Chick's SIN CITY.