Presenting the same-sex marriage debate in Maryland's state legislature as one about "marriage equality," openly gay MSNBC host Thomas Roberts discussed the matter with Washington Post editorial writer Jonathan Capehart, who is also openly gay.
The segment, entitled "Cold Feet In Maryland?" aired today at 11:17 a.m. EST.
"Supporters of Marriage Equality Wavering on Bill" the lower-thirds caption read as Capehart described how supporters of same-sex marriage are a few votes shy of passing the bill in Maryland's House of Delegates. A similar bill has already passed the Democrat-dominated Maryland Senate and Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) has pledged his signature should the bill reach his desk.
Capehart singled out as "most galling" the "turnabout" of one freshman Del. Sam Arora (D-Montgomery County) because he was a co-sponsor of the legislation and campaigned successfully on the issue in 2010, but has now said that he will vote for final passage on the House floor but hopes the law will go to voters in November 2012 as a ballot referendum.
In effect, Capehart is annoyed that the wavering Democrat hopes Maryland voters have the final say at the polls on redefining marriage to include same-sex unions.
Capehart noted that some polls show most Marylanders favor same-sex marriage but worried that that would not necessarily play out in the privacy of the voting booth on Election Day.
