The Duck litmus test. Looks like a Duck, walks like a Duck, quacks like a Duck, mingles among Ducks, votes with the Ducks, endorsed by Ducks, has his photo flanked by Ducks, ---so he's a ...

... turncoat proponent of GAY MARRIAGE?
(click to see who if you cannot already guess)

_____________UPDATE______________
Note Hann and Daudt and Kiffmeyer as Ducks pictured with the headlined duck du jour.

This looks as if it might be less an act of conscience than an individual in a safe district walking point, a testing of the waters, with the moral lesson learned being the dumb-ass amendments backfired, so try something equally cherished by the duck squadron, keening over taxes, in place of what proved a problem but only because it did not work and not because it is wrong in a greater sense.

Petersen contends his defection on gay marriage is a position he takes as a matter of moral conscience. We have every right to believe or disbelieve such a statement. I put belief in the analysis that Petersen is closer to the Ron Paul wing of things than is Mary Kiffmeyer, and that might be a factor as well as other things Petersen publicly noted.

However, that party will back away from or soften on issues such as its collective will to dictate via the heavy boot of government on matters of morality, against the freedom of others to have a liberty of choice and to have equal civil rights, only grudgingly and then as an expedient to win elections, not as an enlightenment or epiphany on the road to Damascus.

The immorality of denying equal civil rights and intruding via government into lifestyle choice or reproductive choice seems irrelevant to a testing of the waters. To really understand Branden Petersen, look past the moment, and get back to the 100% pure duck rating that this "breaking rank" individual shares with those in the photo lineup with him, all generally in ALEC-loving duck-step lockstep. All fine and dandy, with the Chairman Duck, "chill pill," "cool out," and all, while not "going to defend Petersen's stand on this issue or argue in favor of gay marriage." Some of the Chairman's friends feel one way, some the other, and the Chairman agrees 100% with his 100% friends, that taxes are hateful. Back to the basics, to the uber-arching litmus test of a Duck's rectitude.