U.S.: For the love of money...

Likely Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry all but endorsed gay marriage last week, saying in comments that went unreported till Thursday that a Kerry administration would bestow over 1,000 federal benefits to gays who marry where the law allows.

Sen. Kerry, who had previously claimed he opposed same-sex marriage, told a gay fund raiser in San Francisco on Friday that he would bestow a grand total of 1,049 federal benefits - such as the right to file joint income taxes and collect survivor benefits - to same-sex couples who unite legally in civil unions, domestic partnerships and even marriage under their state laws.