CNN's Costello reported that McCain “would” support AZ ban on same-sex marriage, but not that he did in 2006 -- and it lost

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Written by Brian Levy

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CNN's Carol Costello said that Sen. John McCain “told reporters ... he would support a [same-sex marriage] ban in his own state of Arizona in November,” without noting that McCain previously supported such a ban in Arizona that was rejected by the state's voters in 2006.

On the May 16 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, correspondent Carol Costello said that Sen. John McCain “told reporters on his bus today that he would support a California ballot initiative to ban gay marriage, and he would support a ban in his own state of Arizona in November.” However, Costello did not note that McCain previously supported “a ban in his own state of Arizona" that was rejected by Arizona voters in 2006. The Arizona Republic reported in a May 16 article that "[i]n 2006, Arizona voters became the first in the nation to reject a constitutional ban on gay marriage. That measure also would have banned domestic partnerships and stopped government entities from providing benefits to unmarried partners, gay or straight, a provision that many observers believe led to its defeat." According to the Republic, “The referendum being pushed to the ballot this year doesn't include the domestic-partner piece.”

Additionally, Costello said that McCain “would not support a federal constitutional amendment,” but did not note that McCain reportedly will not try to strip from the GOP platform the call for a federal constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. The Washington Times reported on April 2 that “McCain associates told The Washington Times that his operatives are not going to work behind the scenes to eliminate the party's calls for constitutional bans on abortion and homosexual marriage before the GOP convention in September.”

From the May 16 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:

COSTELLO: But if the same-sex marriage issue were to fire up social conservatives in close states like Florida, it's certainly possible that this issue could make all the difference again.

You just never know.

John McCain, by the way, told reporters on his bus today that he would support a California ballot initiative to ban gay marriage, and he would support a ban in his own state of Arizona in November. But he would not support a federal constitutional amendment. He said it's a state issue -- back to you, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER (host): All right, Carol, thanks.