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Cheryle Jackson, Democratic Senate Candidate, Hedges On Gay Marriage On 'Chicago Tonight'

Cheryle Jackson came out in support of civil unions, but would not endorse gay marriage, in a televised discussion Wednesday on "Chicago Tonight."

Alexi Giannoulias, Cheryle Jackson and David Hoffman, widely believed to be the three front-runners in the race for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Illinois, were on "Chicago Tonight" for a moderated discussion Wednesday.

While host Carol Marin's forceful questioning gave each of the candidates trouble at times, Jackson seemed the least composed. Her struggles for answers about her role as Rod Blagojevich's communications director, and in her husband's hiring at the Department of Health, looked uncomfortable next to the more deft spin artistry of Hoffman and Giannoulias.

Nowhere was this clearer than on the point of marriage rights. While her opponents were both strongly in favor of marriage equality for everyone, Jackson's response was both less clear and markedly less emphatic..

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