I agree with the premise of the question. Some national Democratic leaders have strayed from the old-fashioned populist, pro-family principles that remain strong in the Utah Democratic Party. The solution is to send more Democrats from the heartland states like Utah to Washington. If Nancy Pelosi becomes speaker, you will be doing her no favors by sending me to Washington. One of my goals in Washington is to help infuse the national party with our good Utah values.

2. What do you mean when you say on your Web site that "society does need a method of providing legal protection for consenting adults who want to create nontraditional living arrangements"?

This is a subject for the state Legislature, not the federal government.

However, my views are expressed in Utah Senate Bill 89 in 2005. This measure, which was endorsed by Gov. Huntsman, would allow adults who live together but are ineligible to marry in Utah, such as a grandmother and her granddaughter, or a pair of widows, to sign a contract legally establishing their relationship and granting such things as hospital visitation rights and survivor's rights to property. Note this would not be a "pro-gay" measure; it is neutral on the subject of sexual preference or practice.