I'm not sure if it's something I have to defend, but I don't hate Meghan McCain. The more I hear from this young Republican—yes, Republican—the more I like.

She's not a major newsmaker, but she's been playing the controversial pundit since her father's unsuccessful run for president. In that role she has often enraged her own party—and possibly daddy dearest—with a new kind of "radical moderation." Especially when it comes to social issues.

She's totally a friend of a friend of a friend of Dorothy. She even spoke to the 2009 Log Cabin Republicans, saying "old school Republicans" are "scared shitless" of the future.

Meghan McCain: My new political fag hag

I wouldn’t be thinking twice about any of this had it not been for a video Perez Hilton posted of himself today demanding that Meghan hold her father accountable for his efforts to thwart the Senate’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” vote this week.

“Hey Meghan, you’ve been to my events in the past, even my birthday party and I’m a fan of yours. I’m a fan of your outspokenness. I’m a fan of your willingness to take a stand for what you believe is right, even if that goes against what your parents stand for publicly… I know in the past you’ve been a great advocate for gay and lesbian equality, however, I’m looking at your tweets right now and I don’t see anything about your dad’s attempts to derail the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal… What are your thoughts on your dad’s actions? What are your thoughts on this matter?… So as a gay and lesbian advocate, I’m demanding accountability from you.”

I personally hope to soon read a response from McCain herself, but I’m not holding my breath. Mary Cheney’s story wasn’t enough to sway her Dick father’s politics, so I think we can safely assume a McCain father-daughter dance ending with John McCain on the side of equality is out of the question. And Perez “demanding” that she sway her father on this issue, or any other, is more than a bit …well, ridiculous.

I don’t hate Meghan simply because she is her father’s daughter. Of course, I’d like her to go on ‘The View’ and talk about how lame it is to promote DADT, but if it were my father’s political career—something he’d worked his entire life for, right or wrong—I might wait in the wings as well. Either way, it will be interesting to see what happens.

And if anyone has come out as a true “maverick” after 2008, it is Ms. McCain. Going against the GOP grain is something she’s become (in)famous for—and something I’ve certainly come to appreciate. I hope her social positions are the future of conservative politics…because I want the country to move toward equality as afforded by the Constitution—not by permission from a particular religion or god. Pretty radical, huh? Yet, moderate…

I’d like to hear what she has to say, not because it’ll make one lick of difference in how I feel, or in the outcome, but because I just like her. She’s the kind of pundit I can deal with no matter where she falls on the issues, because she actually talks about those issues, and is not just a mouthpiece for the Republicans’ drivel and babble about how horrible gay folks are.

I dunno why I have this warm spot. Maybe it’s her youth. Maybe it’s being raised by a man she doesn’t always agree with. Maybe it’s the guts it requires to go against daddy. Or maybe it’s her perfectly coiffed blond side-swoop and effortless style.

Either way, Meghan McCain is my new political fag hag.