A front page New York Times profile of Ken Mehlman, the George W. Bush campaign aide and Republican National Committee chairman who is now a private equity executive and gay rights advocate, reports, "In articulating a conservative case for gay marriage rights, Mr. Mehlman … uses Republican-friendly words like 'freedom' and 'liberty' as opposed to 'equality.'"
Contrast that to the Times' own approach in a news article about a new statue in the U.S. Capitol of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The Times headline is "Statue Unveiled, Douglass Is Hailed for Equality Fight." The article reports on remarks by a descendant of Frederick Douglass. The Times says her "nod to her ancestor's support of equality came as the Supreme Court, in chambers just across the street, was preparing to decide cases involving same-sex marriage, affirmative action and voting rights."