The gay-rights movement has embraced Casey back. Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which describes itself as "America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality," has made him the leading beneficiary of its fund-raising efforts in this election cycle. According to Opensecrets.org, Casey easily tops the list of recipients of HRC-related contributions with $51,946.
In part, the gay-rights movement has embraced Casey because they despise Santorum, who in 2003 unapologetically criticized the argument gay-rights groups made in the Supreme Court for declaring same-sex sodomy a constitutional right.
Casey, meanwhile, has flip-flopped on adoption of children by gays. (In a 2002 questionnaire submitted to the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference -- the state's Catholic bishops organization -- he said he opposed "legislation allowing homosexual couples to adopt children." In a 2004 questionnaire submitted to PCC, he reversed course, saying he opposed "legislation prohibiting homosexual couples from adopting children.")
An HRC webpage soliciting contributions for Casey applauds his "commitment to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality," his opposition to "the Federal Marriage Amendment" and his belief "that adoption decisions should be made without prohibitions or limitations based on the sexual orientation of the parents."
"I don't support gay marriage, but I also don't support a constitutional amendment banning it," Casey told The Philadelphia Jewish Voice in October 2005. "However, I do support same sex unions that would give gay couples all the rights, privileges and protections of marriage."
That position put Casey at odds with the proposed Pennsylvania Marriage Amendment, which, like Ohio's, prohibits legal recognition of same-sex unions. The amendment was approved 137-60 in the Pennsylvania statehouse in June, but then stalled in the state senate when it was stripped of the language prohibiting recognition of same sex unions, before passing 38 to 12. (In Pennsylvania, an amendment cannot be placed on the ballot until it has passed both legislative houses in identical form in two consecutive legislative sessions.)
Over two days, I left repeated voicemails with Casey spokesman Larry Smar asking him to directly state Casey's position on the Pennsylvania Marriage Amendment. Smar didn't return my calls. But a Feb. 28 article in the Harrisburg Patriot News about the state marriage amendment said, "One of the few politicians to speak against the amendment is state Treasurer Bob Casey Jr., who is running against U.S. Senator Rick Santorum."
A Quinnipiac poll released Aug. 15 showed Santorum had pulled within 6 points of Casey after trailing by 18 in June. Can Casey hold on as socially conservative Pennsylvanians learn more about where he stands on marriage?
I wouldn't bet against Santorum.