John McCain

Over the weekend in an interview with The New York Times, Sen. McCain appeared to align himself with President George W. Bush’s tough stance on gay adoption, which would see gays and lesbians prevented from adopting in all circumstance,s even if it meant that the affected children would end up in America’s broken foster care system.  

"I think that we've proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no I don't believe in gay adoption," McCain told the Times.  

During the interview, the Arizona Republican remained resolute about his position on the gay adoption issue even after the reporters made it clear that the alternative would be "the kid staying in an orphanage, or not having parents."  

Now McCain seems to be re-thinking those comments.  

In a statement sent in response to Andrew Sullivan’s blog on the subject, the McCain campaign’s Director of Communications, Jill Hazelbaker, made the following clarification:  

"McCain could have been clearer in the interview in stating that his position on gay adoption is that it is a state issue, just as he made it clear in the interview that marriage is a state issue. He was not endorsing any federal legislation.  

McCain’s expressed his personal preference for children to be raised by a mother and a father wherever possible. However, as an adoptive father himself, McCain believes children deserve loving and caring home environments, and he recognizes that there are many abandoned children who have yet to find homes. McCain believes that in those situations that caring parental figures are better for the child than the alternative."  

Bottom line: Gays and lesbians can adopt as a last resort, unless the state says otherwise, seems to be the message of the McCain camp.  

Yep. That clears things up.