Right-wing leader James Dobson recently inched closer to backing John McCain's presidential dreams. The McCain camp's talks with the Log Cabin Republicans, however, have journalist Steve Benen wondering if the GOP's base will end up retreating: "I'm going to assume that the James Dobson crowd…will not be at all pleased to hear any of this. McCain's campaign manager is not, according to GOP base, supposed to 'encourage' gay group to ;keep fighting.' The religious right also doesn't want to hear [Steve] Schmidt promise that equality for gays 'will be reached.'" [CBS News]