Gov. Romney shamed by "Bob the Veteran"

Campaigning in New Hampshire, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney had an uncomfortable encounter with his own support of bigotry.

It started out as a seemingly safe situation. Mitt Romney, working a friendly room at a the Chez Vachon diner here, approached an older man wearing a Vietnam Veteran cap and sidled up next to him.

After some friendly banter about their ages, Bob Garon asked the former Massachusetts governor whether he supports repealing New Hampshire’s same sex marriage law.

...With that, it started to become clear that a routine campaign conversation could become hostile. Though Romney had no reason to know it, Garon – a 63-year-old from Epsom, N.H. -- was sitting at the table with his husband.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Ben Smith reports further

Romney aides, meanwhile, reminded reporters that the former governor is running in a Republican (italics original) primary.

"We'll take that pistol-whipping," an aide said.

Someone might remind the former governor that although he is running in a Republican primary, he is seeking to be President of the entire United States.

You would think that someone who came from a faith tradition that suffered as much government-supported persecution as Mr. Romney's would be more understanding of this issue. So long as Mr. Romney is running in a Republican primary, you'd be wrong.