So much for making nice. CBN News’s David Brody blogs about a “whisper campaign” among “grassroots social conservatives” that John McCain will attempt to water down language in the Republican Party platform that calls for a Constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage. Asked about it last week in an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity McCain denied it. “I am committed to maintaining the unique status of marriage between man and woman,” McCain said. Yet that doesn’t seem to be enough for many members of his party, who for years have questioned McCain’s commitment to the issue. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee doesn’t support a Constitutional amendment, saying that he instead prefers to leave the issue up to the states. (Federalism, anyone?) Yet he ran into trouble during the primary with many social conservatives, who said they just didn’t buy his argument. And the endorsements he got from allies to the movement, including Sens. Sam Brownback and Tom Coburn, didn't seem help much either.

Will McCain get the benefit of the doubt since he’s now locked up the nomination? Doesn’t look like it. According to Brody, the Family Research Council issued a statement noting that McCain has merely “tepidly endorsed” the party platform when it comes to the “protection of life and the preservation of marriage.” McCain’s federalist position “leads one to believe that his endorsement is not definitive,” the group says. For McCain, it’s a tricky dance. The GOP nominee doesn’t want to alienate the faith vote, which has proven influential in recent elections. But he’s also got to be careful about keeping in touch with the moderate Republicans and independent voters considered to be his base. So far, the candidate hasn’t focused too much on social issues on the campaign trail, preferring instead to talk about Iraq and national security. Will that change?