Huntsman's timing on Common Ground curious

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. pleased and angered a number of Utahns this week when he announced his support for the Common Ground initiative on gay rights.

It's not just gays and lesbians who would benefit from the Common Ground bills, a combination of four or five bills that would give various nontraditional families greater access to the courts, civil actions and so on.

But while an elderly brother and sister living together may be able to take advantage of some of the Common Ground initiatives, clearly these are bills that would help homosexual couples.

And therein lies the rub.

Anything "gay" in the Legislature is immediately opposed by the Utah Eagle Forum, the Sutherland Institute and any number of conservative legislators.

If you listen to Huntsman explain his reasoning behind supporting the Common Ground initiatives, as I have, he makes sense.

He explains that he's always stood for nondiscrimination and for letting all human beings have the same opportunities as some human beings.

He strongly defends his belief that marriage should be only between a man and a woman, and all religions have the right to act on their own beliefs.

Civil unions don't infringe on the right or sacredness of marriage, he says.

But this is such a polarizing issue that even though Huntsman says he wants to be a moderating voice and heal open wounds in the Utah citizenry — his statements seem to have done just the opposite. At least for now.

Conservatives in the Utah House and Senate have lit their torches and are marching on the governor's office.

All kinds of things could be coming — from letters signed by fellow Republicans condemning Huntsman's stands, to resolutions brought before the Utah Republican Party's Central Committee meeting saying the party leaders disagree with him, to threats against his person.

Huntsman canceled all public appearances Wednesday and didn't even come to the Capitol, staying in his South Temple official residence. Aides declined to say why his schedule was changed.

I understand why Huntsman chose to speak out.

I don't understand the timing.

Why anger conservatives in the Legislature when he's facing several weeks of tough budget-cutting, perhaps tax-raising, negotiations with those Republican majorities?