Is there a gender divide in voters' views on same-sex partnerships? According to several polls, more women than men take a live-and-let-live attitude toward civil unions and same-sex marriage. In New Hampshire, 64 percent of women support same-sex unions, said Andy Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey. Men? Forty percent.

A poll last week by the Manchester-based American Research Group also showed a gender split: 51 percent of women supporting civil unions, 33 percent of men. The gender clash emerged on mandatory seat belts (women 73, men 53) and Gov. John Lynch's proposed constitutional amendment (women 59, men 52), according to that poll.

Which leads to another question: How will Lynch's decision to support civil unions play at the polls?

"This is sort of the first controversial issue that he's taken a pretty strong stand on," said Charlie Arlinghaus, president of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy and a former executive director of the state Republican Party. "It's still very controversial across the country, and puts us among a very small handful of states."

To Sen. Joseph Kenney, a Wakefield Republican, Lynch's announcement is out of step with public opinion. "This doesn't represent the traditional New Hampshire that I grew up in," said Kenney, who added that most of the correspondence he was receiving was from civil union opponents.

But supporters argue that the bill is in line with New Hampshire values. "This is a true reflection of

the New Hampshire motto 'Live Free or Die,' " said Rep. Dana Hilliard, a Somersworth Democrat.

In for real

You may be forgiven for failing to realize that John McCain is not yet an officially "announced" candidate for president, merely a candidate in the exploratory phase.

He went on Letterman nearly two months ago and said, "I am announcing that I will be a candidate for president of the United States." He also discussed his interest in the White House on a pair of New Hampshire tours last month.

But the official official announcement will happen this week in New Hampshire. McCain will announce his candidacy with a tour of early states that starts here with a pair of Wednesday rallies - at noon at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, and at 5:15 p.m. at Veterans Park in Manchester - before continuing on to South Carolina on Thursday, Iowa on Friday, and Nevada and Arizona - his home state - on Saturday.

Bomb Iran?

While McCain is here, the progressive group MoveOn.org will air TV ads taking the candidate to task for joking about bombing Iran.

At a stop in South Carolina last Wednesday, McCain - known for his quips and sarcasm - responded to a question about possible military action against Iran by launching into the first line of "that old Beach Boys song, 'Bomb Iran,' " which he sang to the tune of "Barbara Ann."

Soon after, a clip of that moment appeared on YouTube.com.

The MoveOn ad, which will run Tuesday through Thursday here and in Iowa, and cost the organization about $80,000, includes the McCain crooning clip, footage of President Bush and shots of destruction in Iraq.

It ends with the line, "John McCain? We can't afford another reckless president."

Asked about the song in Nevada Thursday, McCain told reporters he was just joking with some "old veteran friends."

"My response is, Lighten up and get a life," he said.

But McCain's campaign took it more seriously, responding to news of the MoveOn ad with a press release that questioned MoveOn's judgment, reminding that the group once ran ads comparing Bush to Adolf Hitler. So "it comes as no surprise that America's most liberal interest group would attack John McCain's belief that we cannot allow Iran to destroy Israel," McCain spokesman Matt David said.

MoveOn Campaign Director Ilyse Hogue called that a spurious argument, saying multilateral diplomacy is a better way to keep Israel and other U.S. allies safe. (next page »)