Thread: McCains lend a hand to gay Republican group

April 16, 2009
McCains lend a hand to gay Republican group
Posted: 05:49 PM ET

From CNN's Sarah Parker
Meghan McCain is a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage.
Meghan McCain is a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage.

(CNN) – Log Cabin Republicans are getting some support from the McCain family.

Cindy and Meghan McCain will make an appearance at the gay rights organization's four day convention in Washington, which kicks off Thursday night.

"Of all the causes I believe in and speak publicly about, this is one of the ones closest to my heart," Meghan McCain, a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage, wrote in the Daily Beast this week. "If the Republican Party has any hope of gaining substantial support from a wider, younger base, we need to get past our anti-gay rhetoric."

Steve Schmidt, former senior strategist for John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign and manager of Arnold Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial reelection campaign in 2006, will also be in attendance. Schmidt will be speaking about the 2008 election and the GOP's comeback agenda.

In an interview Thursday with CNN, LCR Spokesperson Charles Moran said the organization is lobbying New York Republicans to help pass the same-sex marriage law championed by the state's Democratic Gov. David Paterson.

"We have people on the ground, we're identifying our bases of support, looking at our polling, looking at our research, so that we can be ready to assist the marriage coalition in New York with targeting those crucial GOP votes," Moran told CNN.

The group is also working on identifying the Republican players who will serve as the face of their organization's mission.

Moran citied Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Mormon Republican who has called for the adoption of civil unions, and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who acknowledged that gay Republicans have a place at the party's table.

"These are the types of leaders and luminaries within the Republican party," Moran said. "The party must move forward and regardless of where you are in the conservative spectrum, you definitely can be conservative and an openly gay Republican in this political climate."

"We don't just talk the talk but we actually are providing the boots on the ground, we're making those calls, and we're loyal Republicans," he said.

Filed under: Cindy McCain • Log Cabin Republicans • Meghan McCain • Same-sex marriage
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April 16, 2009
Ex-McCain aide to call for gay marriage support
Posted: 09:58 PM ET

From CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash
At a gathering of a gay Republican group, Steve Schmidt will make the case Friday that the Republican Party should support same-sex marriage.
At a gathering of a gay Republican group, Steve Schmidt will make the case Friday that the Republican Party should support same-sex marriage.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Steve Schmidt, a key architect of John McCain's presidential campaign, is making his first public return to Washington a bold one.

Schmidt will use a speech Friday to Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group, to urge conservative Republicans to drop their opposition to same-sex marriage, CNN has learned.

"There is a sound conservative argument to be made for same-sex marriage," Schmidt will say, according to speech excerpts obtained by CNN. "I believe conservatives, more than liberals, insist that rights come with responsibilities. No other exercise of one's liberty comes with greater responsibilities than marriage."

Schmidt makes both policy and political arguments for a Republican embrace of same-sex marriage.

On the policy front, Schmidt likens the fight for gay rights to civil rights and women's rights, and he admonishes conservatives who argue for the protection of the unborn as a God-given right, but against protections for same-sex couples.

"It cannot be argued that marriage between people of the same sex is un American or threatens the rights of others," he says in the speech. "On the contrary, it seems to me that denying two consenting adults of the same sex the right to form a lawful union that is protected and respected by the state denies them two of the most basic natural rights affirmed in the preamble of our Declaration of Independence — liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

"That, I believe, gives the argument of same sex marriage proponents its moral force," Schmidt will say.

Politically, he will say that becoming more open and accepting is critical to reversing an alarming trend for Republicans — a shrinking coalition. He will note that Republicans should be especially concerned that McCain got crushed by Barack Obama among voters under 30, who are generally more accepting of gay couples and at odds with the GOP.
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Filed under: GOP • Popular Posts • Same-sex marriage
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Good! I applaud the McCains for helping gays with the same-sex marriage issue. I think the bans are wrong. They have the right to get married if they want, and our states have the obligation to recognize those marriages without prejudice.

Originally Posted by Judy

Good! I applaud the McCains for helping gays with the same-sex marriage issue. I think the bans are wrong. They have the right to get married if they want, and our states have the obligation to recognize those marriages without prejudice.

Judy, I completely disagree with you on this one.

If this is the direction Reps are moving to garner votes, then I will no longer support Republicans. I'm tired of the Reps compromising their principles in order to please liberals. I think I'll stick with the Constitution Party.

Doots, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I understand. Let me explain my view so you'll know why I have this position. I'm heterosexual, I don't understand homosexuality. But I understand the role of government. The role of government is not to tell adults who they can marry and who they can't. A marriage is a union between two people, a marriage license is a document provided the couple by a state to protect the legal rights of those two individuals concerning property and financial interests, the sexuality of the couple is irrelevant, so long as they are of legal age, giving informed consent, based on their own free will, and are not already married or under contract with someone else, and aren't a close relative.

A marriage license issued by a state government for the sole purpose of legal rights and protections concerning a contract and financial and property matters is not an assertion of religious or moral beliefs. It is under our laws a simple hard cold recognition of equal protection under the law.

In another discussion on this matter with others who are opposed to same sex marriage because of religious beliefs and the concept of holy marriage and the "sanctity of marriage", I made this suggestion, which was widely received, and offer it to you.

A marriage license is not a holy marriage certificate, it's just government recognition of a legal contract. Therefore, we should change the name of it, to a civil union contract in all instances, heterosexual and homosexual, and then if a couple wants a Holy Marriage Certificate, they secure that from the church who marries them, instead of a Marriage Certificate from a state government.

The Republican Party until recent years never wanted our government to be involved in the personal private affairs of our citizens. So banning same-sex marriage has never been a Republican principle, in fact it's the opposite of long-standing Republican principles.

If people are gay and want to have a life with someone, then they should be allowed the right to pursue the same happiness heterosexuals find in marriage. While many religious groups believe otherwise, many religious groups of the same religion I believe in, believe as I do. Even within those religions, many of the members disagree with the church's position on gay marriage bans. I've known a few gay people, some of the nicest hardest-working people I've ever known. It is not fair to them, to force them because of the way they are, to either live alone to be alone or to live with someone without all the equal protection of our laws.

It doesn't mean you have to support their actions or life-style, you're entitled to your opinions and beliefs on that. It doesn't even mean you condone it in anyway. What it means is that you support a proper role for government which is to treat all consenting adults the same as other adults and recognize their decisions equally, which must include the decision to marry. Otherwise, we're using government in an improper role to choose whose happiness we will allow and whose rights we will protect when our role as citizens is to use our government to ensure the happiness of everyone and protect everyone's rights equally.

And that is and has been the core value of the Republican Party since the day it was founded in 1856. It's why slaves were freed and women got the right to vote. It's why we established minimum wage laws, the 40 hour work week, over-time pay and the first worker safety laws in the nation to protect worker's rights. It's why we passed the first child labor laws in the US to protect the rights of children to be kids instead of family-enslaved workers. It's why we passed the first Anti-Trust Laws in the nation to protect consumer's rights. It's why we passed the first national parks appropriation to preserve our environment to protect the rights of future generations to enjoy our beautiful country. It's why we fought for protectionism as a keystone of our party to protect the rights of our businesses to operate free from unfair foreign competition. It's why we have always fought for immigration controls to protect our citizens from wage deflation caused by imported labor and the inflation this additional population growth placed on the demand for basic and essential goods and services increasing prices of these items for our citizens who then can't afford them.

The Republican Party is about preserving and securing individual liberty by protecting the rights of our citizens, because it is from that simple concept that all the good our country has ever achieved for itself and others has derived.

To use the government to deny someone the right to marry someone they want to, who is of legal age, not already married, not a relative, and doing so of their own free will, because they are different than the rest of us with a different sexual orientation, for whatever reason they are, just isn't right because it just isn't fair to them.

We aren't always going to agree on everything here at ALIPAC, but I do hope you'll consider and reflect on why I hold this position about government bans on gay marriage.

And we always reserve the right to agree to disagree.

Judy, I truly understand what your saying, I really do.

Homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else. I don't buy into the propaganda used to trivialize the wondrous institution of marriage, and I don't buy into the childish tantrums when they don't get their way. In my opinion, homosexuals are being used as a tool to fracture the fabric of marriage, family and society.

But, just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that I cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again.

As a Christian, I will pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same as I would any other person in sin. The homosexual is still made in the image of God -- even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, I will show him/her the same dignity as anyone else I come in contact with. However, this does not mean that I approve of their sin. I won't compromise for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness. I prefer to live according to the word of God, not the word according to man.

I respect your your opinions and thoughts on this. We just agree to disagree on this issue-- That's ok, I still think your great!

Originally Posted by Doots

Judy, I truly understand what your saying, I really do.

Homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else. I don't buy into the propaganda used to trivialize the wondrous institution of marriage, and I don't buy into the childish tantrums when they don't get their way. In my opinion, homosexuals are being used as a tool to fracture the fabric of marriage, family and society.

But, just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that I cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again.

As a Christian, I will pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same as I would any other person in sin. The homosexual is still made in the image of God -- even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, I will show him/her the same dignity as anyone else I come in contact with. However, this does not mean that I approve of their sin. I won't compromise for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness. I prefer to live according to the word of God, not the word according to man.

I respect your your opinions and thoughts on this. We just agree to disagree on this issue-- That's ok, I still think your great!

And I respect your view, and this will just be one of those issues where we simply agree to disagree, and yes indeed, that's okay, because I still think you're great too!

Originally Posted by Judy

Originally Posted by Doots

Judy, I truly understand what your saying, I really do.

Homosexuals have the same rights as everyone else. I don't buy into the propaganda used to trivialize the wondrous institution of marriage, and I don't buy into the childish tantrums when they don't get their way. In my opinion, homosexuals are being used as a tool to fracture the fabric of marriage, family and society.

But, just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that I cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again.

As a Christian, I will pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same as I would any other person in sin. The homosexual is still made in the image of God -- even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, I will show him/her the same dignity as anyone else I come in contact with. However, this does not mean that I approve of their sin. I won't compromise for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness. I prefer to live according to the word of God, not the word according to man.

I respect your your opinions and thoughts on this. We just agree to disagree on this issue-- That's ok, I still think your great!

And I respect your view, and this will just be one of those issues where we simply agree to disagree, and yes indeed, that's okay, because I still think you're great too!

Love Ya!

Love ya back!