Ifill's misleading question...
Filed by: Nancy Polikoff
October 4, 2008 1:30 PM
http://www.bilerico.com/2008/10/ifills_misleading_question.phpHere's was the exact question Gwen Ifill asked Joe Biden in the VP debate: "Do you support, as they do in Alaska, granting same-sex benefits to couples?" After Biden's convoluted response, Ifill said to Palin, "Governor, would you support expanding that beyond Alaska to the rest of the nation?"
First of all, Alaska does not have a state-wide domestic partner registration scheme that grants benefits to all who register. Alaska STATE EMPLOYEES have domestic partner benefits as a result of unanimous Alaska Supreme Court decision finding the exclusion of same-sex couples from benefits unconstitutional under the Alaska constitution. During her campaign to become governor, Palin said she did not support that decision. It is true that she vetoed legislation that would have blocked the benefits, but only because her attorney general told her the law would be unconstitutional. She made clear when she vetoed the bill that she opposed the benefits.
