Tag: GOP

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Republican pro-marriage equality super PAC raises $2.75 million

A Republican super PAC aimed at supporting pro-gay marriage GOP candidates raised a strong $2.75 million in the first quarter of 2014.

The three-month haul for American Unity PAC is by far the biggest so far for the super PAC, which was around for the 2012 election but had relatively little funding. The committee raised about the same amount in all of 2012 and pulled in just $260,000 in 2013.

Gay Republican candidates are running in three of the national party’s top-targeted races this year. Should any of them win, they would be the first openly gay Republicans to win election to Congress.

(from Washington Post)

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Nevada state Republicans remove opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion from party platform

Yesterday in Las Vegas, the Nevada Republican party droppped platforms opposing abortions and gay marriage, while endorsing Gov. Sandoval for second term.

Via the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Amid raucous debate, Nevada Republican Party conventioneers on Saturday stripped opposition to gay marriage and abortion from the party platform and endorsed Gov. Brian Sandoval for governor in the June 10 primary despite misgivings by conservatives, his criticism of the process and his absence from the meeting.

By a show of hands, convention-goers adopted the platform as proposed by a separate committee without the two planks on marriage and abortion, following the Clark County GOP’s lead in removing hot-button social issues from the party’s statement of its principles.

Some 520 delegates attended the convention, but less than half were present when the platform was adopted at about 7:30 p.m. Little debate preceded the vote, a far contrast to earlier in day.

State party Chairman Michael McDonald said it was a successful convention at the end of the day. “I think it was about inclusion, not exclusion,” McDonald said, referring to the platform. “This is where the party is going.”

Log Cabin Republicans react via press release:

“The state party has made it clear that they want a ‘bigger tent’ and has welcomed us into it,” said Ed Williams, President of Log Cabin Republicans of Nevada and a delegate at the convention. “Today’s historic vote positions the Log Cabin Republicans of Nevada and our allies to be even more effective in demonstrating that the Republican Party is the party of limited government, personal responsibility and individual liberty.”

Log Cabin Republicans National Executive Director Gregory T. Angelo added: “Once again, our local Log Cabin Republicans members have made a critical difference pushing the GOP toward the right side of history by going where others fear to tread — or cannot tread because of their party affiliation. The Republican Party is at a crossroads: in a year where the Massachusetts GOP rolled back the clock and added divisive social issues to its platform, the state Republican Party responsible for nominating Sharron Angle in 2010 seems to have finally learned to focus on the issues that truly matter to voters, which will lead to massive Republican wins at the ballot box this fall.”

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Husband of woman caught making out with “Christian Values” congressman Vance McAllister speaks out

“Christian Values” congressman Vance McAllister

Heath Peacock, the husband of the woman caught on video making out with “conservative Christian” and gay marriage opponent Rep. Vance McAllister, has issued a statement.

Via Talking Points Memo:

“I know his beliefs. When he ran one of his commercials, he said ‘I need your prayers,’ and I asked, ‘When did you get religious?’ He said, ‘When I needed votes,'” Heath Peacock, 34, told CNN Tuesday. “He broke out the religious card and he’s about the most non-religious person I know.”

“He has wrecked my life,” Peacock added.

“It was just a kiss, that was all it was, but it embarrassed me and my family. This guy has turned my life upside down,” he said.

“I’m just freaking devastated by the whole deal, man. I loved my wife so much. I cannot believe this. I cannot freaking believe it. I feel like I’m going to wake up here in a minute and this is all going to be a bad nightmare,” he continued.

Peacock, who has been married to his wife for six years and have a six year old son, says the couple is now headed for divorce.

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Marriage equality votes in Illinois did not hurt GOP candidates in primaries

Last year, three Illinois Republican lawmakers crossed party lines and supported marriage equality.

Opponents of same-sex marriage promised retribution at the ballot box.

Didn’t happen.

From the Washington Post:

State Rep. Tom Cross (R) cruised to a 14-point victory in the primary for state treasurer while state Rep. Ed Sullivan (R) easily won renomination in his district.

The third, state Rep. Ron Sandack (R), narrowly edged out his opponent by fewer than 200 votes, according to an unofficial tally. The close margin could mean the race goes to a recount.

Sandack and Sullivan both faced pressure from third-party groups looking to oust them over their gay marriage votes. In Sandack’s case, the issue became a central focus.

Had the three Republicans lost, it would have probably given pause to Republicans considering backing gay marriage in other states where the matter comes up in the future. But given two decisive wins and a third tentative victory, gay rights advocates have a lot to be happy about a day after the election.

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GOP primary winner in Illinois believes God sends tornadoes and autism to punish US for same-sex marriage

After yesterday’s primaries in Illinois,  one of the more interesting “winners” seems to be Republican Susanne Atanus in the 9th Congressional District.

This was Atanus’ third run in the GOP primary. She lost in 2010 and was removed in 2012 when it was discovered she didn’t have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Just some of the “interesting” things Atanus has said:

• Atanus says she believes God controls the weather and has put tornadoes and diseases such as autism and dementia on earth as in response to gay rights and legalized abortions. “God is angry. We are provoking him with abortions and same-sex marriage and civil unions,” she said.

• Atanus says same-sex activity in the military will weaken our armed forces because AIDS.

• Atanus would abolish the major stock indexes including the S&P, Dow Jones and Nasdaq to improve the nation’s fiscal troubles.

Atanus will face eight term Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky, whose district hasn’t elected a Republican to the House in 66 years.

Atanus’ primary opponent, David Earl Williams III, is apparently so incredulous that Atanus beat him that he alleged on his Facebook page that Schakowsky urged her supporters to cross party lines and vote for Atanus.

“What is wrong Jan, are you afraid of a real challenge?” Williams said. “It seems like our favorite Congresscritter can’t handle a true fighter on your side.”

(source)

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Georgia Rep. Paul Broun faces questions regarding campaign finance

Tea Partier Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) runs from a reporter who tries to ask why he’s paying Michele Bachmann’s former top aide over $33K.

Currently running for the Senate, Broun reports paying O’Donnell and Associates, who specialize in campaign communications and debate prep, over $33K from his congressional office budget. Campaign expenditures are a no-no coming from tax-payer dollars.

Broun says O’Donnell is a “contract member of his staff” helping Broun learn to better communicate his legislative goals to constituents.

What do you think? Is Broun telling the truth or letting the American tax-payer prep him for his Senate run?

(via WSB TV)

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ENDA sees support from wealthy GOP donors and office holders

LGBT activists are getting support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in Congress from some surprising allys – wealthy Republican donors and former office holders.

From The Advocate:

Republican billionaires Paul Singer and Seth Klarman have each donated $375,000 to Americans for Workplace Opportunity, a project of the Human Rights Campaign aimed at securing passage of ENDA, USA Today reports.

“America is a place where the freedom to be who you are shouldn’t be a barrier to your ability to get a job and provide for your family,” said Singer, according to USA Today. “In the workplace, employees should be judged on their merit and hard work and not on aspects that are irrelevant to their performance.”

In addition to the donations above, the HRC is contributing $1.3 million to help send activists into 48 Republican districts to do grassroots work to bring support to ENDA.

Although passed in the US Senate in November, the legislation is languishing in the House where Speaker Boehner says he has no plans to schedule a vote. The bill currently has 199 co-sponsors in the House. Boehner might have to reconsider his position if a majority – 218 – co-sponsor the legislation.

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Sen. Rand Paul eases rhetoric on same-sex marriage

Clearly Sen. Rand Paul is attempting to get his ducks in a row for a 2016 presidential run. Note his statement here softening his position on gay marriage to Vocativ:

“I think that the Republican Party, in order to get bigger, will have to agree to disagree on social issues.

“The Republican Party is not going to give up on having quite a few people who do believe in traditional marriage. But the Republican Party also has to find a place for young people and others who don’t want to be festooned by those issues.

“On issues that are very contentious, that involve social mores — I think that allowing different parts of the country to make their decision based on the local mores and culture is a good idea.

“But when it comes to taxes and benefits, the [federal] government ought to take a neutral position — a way where marriage wouldn’t have an effect, positive or negative, on those things.”

And the far right-wing is already mad…

(h/t JMG)

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New Hampshire Republican jokes about domestic violence

New Hampshire Republican state Rep. Kyle Tasker thinks domestic violence is funny.  So much so that he took to Facebook to joke about it.

Tasker was attempting to stand up for Republican Mark Warden, who last year said that some people “like being in abusive relationships.” ”It’s a love-hate relationship,” Warden concluded.

Taking things into his own hands, Tasker posted the image below which depicts two people, drawn as stick figures, apparently having oral sex, and captioned, “50,000 battered women and I still eat mine plain.”

Tasker later removed the post but was screen captured by Huffington Post.

Remember, the GOP thinks it has no problem with women voters.  Between the coarse humor being posted by an elected official and the message behind the post, does this go too far?