THEY TOOK OUR 1ST GRADE CLASS TO THE CIRCUS TOO:

Newsom becomes campaign tool for Prop. 8 backers (Erin Allday, October 14, 2008, SF Chronicle)

Gavin Newsom has always played a starring role in the same-sex marriage debate, but in recent weeks that role has turned decidedly unheroic.

The mayor has become the reluctant face of the campaign opposing same-sex unions with the help of a prominent Yes-on-Proposition-8 television ad. Conservative blogs have been atwitter about Newsom last week officiating at the wedding of a lesbian teacher whose class of first-graders took a field trip to celebrate with her.

In many ways, Newsom has become the single best campaign tool for proponents of Prop. 8 - and that might have been inevitable, political experts said.

"His pictures have become the rallying cry for Prop. 8. It's unfortunate for him, and it's unfortunate for the anti-Prop. 8 campaign," said Barbara O'Connor, a professor of political communications at California State University Sacramento. [...]

Already, the pro-Prop. 8 campaign Web site is prominently displaying a reaction to Friday's wedding.

Frank Schubert, campaign co-manager of the yes campaign, writes on the Web site, "Taking children out of school for a same-sex wedding is not customary education. This is promoting same-sex marriage and indoctrinating young kids. I doubt the school has ever taken kids on a field trip to a traditional wedding."

Did the kids twirl those little flashlights over their heads?

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 14, 2008 8:06 AM