Andrew Sullivan got in touch with the McCain campaign for some clarification on his statement the other day about gay adoptions. McCain seemed to be against them at the time, but as you see in the response Sullivan got from the McCain camp, he now seems to be in favor of gay adoptions, though only in those cases where the children would end up languishing in the foster care system. At least that’s how I read it.

I’ve got a bit of experience in this area. My sister is a lesbian and she and her partner are wonderful parents to their two adopted girls. My wife and I have friends who are gay and have adopted three mixed race babies, and are parenting them well, also. They’re all great kids, and they are getting opportunities they never would have gotten if they hadn’t been adopted. My wife and I are currently in the adoption process so deep that we may get a call any day. This issue definitely hits home for me.

So what does McCain get in return for a half-baked tolerance for adoption of orphans by gay parents? He’s getting slammed by the extremist Christian Right, here and here and here. Oh, McCain, as an adoptive parent himself, could take the bully pulpit and take the lead on this, but I’m thinking he either doesn’t have a handle on the issue at all, or the “StraightTalker” is afraid of the reaction he’ll get from the extremist Christian Right.

I’d like to see McCain being courageous on this issue. No, it may not let me support him, but I might regain some of my respect for him. Alas, I am sure not to hold my breath on this one.