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GOP Recasting Gay Marriage as anti-Small Business
By Jacqueline L. Salmon
Opponents of gay rights legislation -- same-sex marriage bills in the states and hate crimes legislation on Capitol Hill -- have shifted strategies, a sure sign that things aren't going well for them. Gay marriage is now law in five states, at least two more states are seriously considering it, and opinion polls show rising support for gay marriage nationally. As for the hate crimes legislation, it has passed the House and is expected to pass the Senate soon.
In response, the Republican party, which has long opposed gay marriage on moral grounds, may be swinging to a more pragmatic reason for opposing it. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele suggested over the weekend that Republicans could reach a broader base of support by retooling gay marriage as an economic issue that could hurt small businesses.
"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told at a Georgia state convention. "So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."
As for hate crimes, foes had been labeling it the "thought crimes" bill that could be used to prosecute clergy if they preached against homosexuality and then a crime was committed by someone who heard the admonition. But more recently, they have been calling it the "Pedophile Protection Act," contending that it offers special protections for pedophiles and other sexual offenders.
Faith2Action is coordinating a campaign that allows opponents, for $10.95, to send overnight letters to each senator. Bill opponents' contention: "majority Democrats in the House refused to approve an amendment specifying that pedophiles would not be protected under the proposal that provides special protections for homosexuals," according to the conservative news site, WorldNetDaily.
By
Jacqueline L. Salmon
|
May 19, 2009; 4:05 PM ET
| Category:
God in Government
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Posted by: lepidopteryx | May 20, 2009 4:01 PM
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The Republicans have to switch tactics. They realized that most people feel that denying gays the right to marry is wrong for moral reasons so now they are switching to financial reasons. How about denying coverage for children because they cost companies more?
Posted by: mdembski1 | May 20, 2009 1:01 PM
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"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told at a Georgia state convention. "So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."
He needs to stick to puppies.
Posted by: WmarkW | May 20, 2009 12:53 PM
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"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told at a Georgia state convention. "So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."
Sounds like a good arguement for outlawing all marriage.
Posted by: PSolus | May 20, 2009 11:41 AM
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Keith Olbermann said it all at:
Posted by: Rich393 | May 20, 2009 10:01 AM
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When single straight people get married employers must often spend money on and have a financial responsibility to that spouse. Time to fire all the straight workers who are costing the employers additional money. It's a pleasure to see that Michael Steele is such an idiot. Secondly, Almost all pedophiles are heterosexual and therefore covered by any existing hate crimes statutes. What a country we live in! If there were a god, he would strike down all the religious conservatives without blinking an eye.
Posted by: bob2davis | May 20, 2009 9:15 AM
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"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told at a Georgia state convention. "So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."
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So have you been hiring exclusively gay employees all this time in order to avoid having to pay for spousal benefits? Somehow I doubt it. If one of your single hetero employees gets married, suddenly you have someone who wasn't a spouse before who now is, and has to be covered. What's the difference? Are you going to make bachelorhood a part of the job description?
As for hate crimes, foes had been labeling it the "thought crimes" bill that could be used to prosecute clergy if they preached against homosexuality and then a crime was committed by someone who heard the admonition. But more recently, they have been calling it the "Pedophile Protection Act," contending that it offers special protections for pedophiles and other sexual offenders.
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Nowhere in the bill does it offer protection for people who rape children. A sex act in which one person is not a consenting adult is still rape. Rape is still a crime.