Thompson: States Should Have The Freedom To Institute Gay Marriage

Former Senator Fred Thompson (R) is campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination as the "authentic conservative." He was widely hailed as the savior of the GOP field, which had been dominated by Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, both of whom were elected to office in very liberal states, New York and Massachusetts, respectively. However, he has disappointed the GOP's conservative base with a lethargic campaign riddled with missteps. His appearance today on NBC's Meet the Press, with Tim Russert, will do nothing to assuage their concerns. Thompson made clear that while he personally opposed gay marriage, if a state's legislature and governor made it legal he would respect that state's decision. Thompson also condemned the federal government's intervention into the Terry Schiavo case, an intervention that social conservatives strongly supported.

Watch the video of Thompson on NBC's Meet the Press below: