Thanks to Americablog for picking up the convoluted logic in Newsweek regarding McCain pandering to the religious right on issues of non-discrimination. From Newsweek:

McCain was clearly squirming when ABC’s George Stephanopoulos pressed him on “This Week” last weekend about whether he supports civil unions, a loaded term among social conservatives who see it as a fig leaf for gay marriage. McCain avoided the phrase but said he supported various partnerships to facilitate hospital visits and the like. His home state of Arizona just voted down an anti-gay marriage initiative that also would have banned domestic partnerships even among heterosexual couples….

McCain gets more latitude on this subject because we sense that in his heart, he’s a Goldwater libertarian. Social issues are not what drive him in public life. He’s playing to his party’s conservative base as newly defined by the religious right, but if elected president, he’s not going to be beholden to them the way Bush has been…The voters may be less inclined to give Romney a pass if he goes overboard with his fealty to the right.

So McCain is lying to us, but that makes him honorable? What sort of horse-shit logic is that? If Senator John McCain were truly an honorable man, he would let everyone know exactly where he stands on the issue of civil unions. No equivocating, no vague talking points. Apparently the straight talk express is lost on the curving roads of political desire.