Lobbyists quietly advise GOP on gay marriage shift

The Hill ^ | 7/30/2104 | Megan R. Wilson

[Laissez-faire capitalist]

Republicans on K street are helping members of their party shift their stance on gay rights issues.

Kathryn Lehman, a top GOP lobbyist and partner at Holland and Knight carries a list of 40 to 50 Republican offices in the House and Senate she visits on behalf of Freedom to Marry, a group that backs same-sex marriage.

"The issue is losing its toxicity from a Republican perspective," she said, mentioning that the list was a fraction of that size when she first took on Freedom to Marry as a client in 2011.

Lehman... helped to write the Defense of Marriage Act while working on Capitol Hill...

[GeronL]

After watching the left and seeing that old DU thread about how straight men won’t date tranny “women” I bet their next big thing will be trying to shame and call “hate” on those who refuse to date them.

[sickoflibs]

Great caption!

Fits perfectly!

[wagglebee]

A truce can be reached with libertarians: Conservatives can say they will no longer support an unending war position, and libertarians can drop their attacks on conservatives over social issues. One for one.

This will never work.

The abyss between conservatives and libertarians is far greater than many believe. The truth is that libertarians are far more likely to form an alliance with the left than they are with conservatives.

The first reality is that there WILL be another war eventually that has to be fought. The second is that libertarians will never agree to the fact that, for conservatives, the abolition of abortion and sanctity of traditional marriage are non-negotiable.

[SECURE AMERICA]

“The issue is losing its toxicity from a Republican perspective,” she said

Not from a voter perspective. How can I trust a person that gives in to perversion to represent me in my government?

[Mariner]

Needless to say, not all Republicans think this is a big issue, at least not when compared with the immediate, existential issues of the day.

[ExCTCitizen]

At this point, I don't care about the social issues. We have more pressing issues, jobs, taxes, terrorism, Obamacare, then whether Steve is marrying Adam.

When we get those issues finished, let's worry about stupid things.

[sickoflibs]

As is same-sex sodomy...

[Responsibility2nd]

I have stated many times for the record that I would sooner support a GOP-e RINO like Christie, Jeb or Rubio than I would a lib like Paul or Gary Johnson.

Fortunately, there are better (much) options like Cruz, Jindal and Perry.

[Responsibility2nd]

IBTZ.

[SumProVita]

It’s amazing how supposedly intelligent people still do not GET that it the turning of our backs on God and His ways that caused our downfall.

When will they wake up to reality?

[greene66]

The GOP wobbly on fag-marriage, and I can guarantee that the Party will never see another vote from me, big office or small. Ditto for at least a dozen of my family members, all who have been reliable Republican voters for decades.

Additionally, I’d corral all my grassroots/footwork/funding energies towards the total destruction of the GOP (and hopefully the birth of a new, genuinely “conservative” party).

[Mariner]

"Within the GOP, the rinos and libertarians are realizing that they are really elements of the same wing and have a common enemy".

To suggest the RINO and libertarian wings of the party are either colluding or two sides of the same coin is not accurate.

The SPLIT within the GOP is more like a "shatter". There are FAR more factions than Traditional, libertarian and RINO.

Oh, and RINO and libertarian HATE EACH OTHER. And libertarians have genuine affection and hope for common cause with Traditionalists.

Perhaps centered around the 10th Amendment.

[wagglebee]

At this point, I don't care about the social issues.

Conservatives have been hearing this from the libertarians and GOPe FOREVER, the reality is that they always have something that's "more important."

We have more pressing issues, jobs, taxes, terrorism, Obamacare, then whether Steve is marrying Adam.

Conservatives realize that these are actually nothing more than different facets of THE SAME ISSUE.

When we get those issues finished, let's worry about stupid things.

So, 6000 year old institution of marriage is a "stupid thing"?

[ansel12]

To suggest the RINO and libertarian wings of the party are either colluding or two sides of the same coin is not accurate.

What I said is accurate, ""Within the GOP, the rinos and libertarians are realizing that they are really elements of the same wing and have a common enemy."" and we see that as what used to be rinos, discover that they are libertarians on social issues, Rand Paul is an example of the new model of rino/libertarian, or libertarian/rino awakening to the fact that they have a lot in common, and have conservatism as their shared enemy.

[sten]

support fags and illegals... and watch your base not show up

smart move

[ansel12]

What was unfortunate was you made it look like I had said the things you were lashing out at.

If you were agreeing with my post, it came off as the opposite.

[GeronL]

At this point, I don't care about the social issues.

Everything is a social issue

[GeronL]

A basic bedrock of civilization is treated as if it somehow not important any more. Insanity rules the day.

[trisham]

The abyss between conservatives and libertarians is far greater than many believe. The truth is that libertarians are far more likely to form an alliance with the left than they are with conservatives.

The first reality is that there WILL be another war eventually that has to be fought. The second is that libertarians will never agree to the fact that, for conservatives, the abolition of abortion and sanctity of traditional marriage are non-negotiable.

*******************************

Agreed.

[ExCTCitizen]

If we get some Muslim loving politicians, we might not have to worry about marriage. I'm worrying more about the loss of freedoms by LIBERALS.

IMO smaller government means that the government should NOT be in the homes of citizens.