Christine O'Donnell Dodges Masturbation Question

Christine O'Donnell just isn't going there. The new Tea Party queen refused to answer whether she still considers masturbation a sin—a stance she spelled out years ago on MTV (see video in gallery) that has since become fodder for her critics. "My opponents dug up a quote I gave 16 years ago," she tells the Guardian. "That is how desperate they are. I was a pundit. I was very passionate in my 20s and wanted to share my beliefs."

Asked directly if she still thinks it's a no-no, O'Donnell ducked. "It is irrelevant to this race," she said. Which is actually a smart move, writes Ewan MacAskill. If she says yes, she alienates moderate voters. If she says she's had a change of heart, she alienates her conservative base. "Either way, she isn't saying." Read more about O'Donnell's views and surprise win here.
(More Christine O'Donnell stories.)