Newsom now a national figure
Same-sex marriage decision turns him into lightning rod
Marc Sandalow, Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writers
To the few who paid him any attention outside the Bay Area, Gavin Newsom seemed like a most un-San Francisco sort of mayor


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Newsom hasn't been ad-libbing
Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross While it may appear spontaneous, Mayor Gavin Newsom's leap onto the national stage has been a controlled performance from the get-go -- complete with story line, image control and attention to detail aimed far beyond the San Francisco audience. From the minute Newsom lifted the curtain with his call for gay marriage licenses, to his cross-continental debate with President Bush, Team Newsom has done its best to manage the image coming out of City Hall


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Courts could make parallels with old racial laws
Deciding on legality of same-sex unions raises similar issues
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

More than a half-century ago, the California Supreme Court became the first in the nation to overturn a law banning interracial marriage, a prohibition that was then widespread and had strong public support.
The current battle over same-sex marriage, now before the state's high court, may depend on how the court compares present-day, opposite-sex-only marriage laws with the racially discriminatory laws of an earlier day. It's a point on which the opposing sides disagree sharply


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