Steve Schmidt, Former McCain Campaign Chief, On Mehlman Fundraiser: Same-Sex Marriage Becoming Conservative Cause

A major same-sex marriage fundraiser hosted by former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman and other Republicans provides one of the sharpest illustrations of how gay rights is becoming a cause among more elite, establishment members of the GOP.

In addition to Mehlman, who recently announced that he was gay, the list of attendees includes several surprises, such as Ben Ginsburg, one of the Republican Party's top lawyers, and Henry Kravis and Paul Singer, two of the biggest donors to the GOP. According to one gay-rights activist involved in similar efforts, the fundraising pool goes even deeper.

"There is a strong conservative case to be made in favor of gay marriage," former McCain campaign manager and fellow same-sex marriage fundraiser Steve Schmidt told the Huffington Post on Tuesday. "Marriage is an institution that strengthens and stabilizes society. It is an institution that has the capacity to bring profound joy and happiness to people and it is a matter of equality and keeping faith of one of the charters of the nation, the right to live your life.

"More and more conservatives are saying that opposition to gay marriage would not be a litmus test for membership in the GOP," Schmidt added. "And more conservatives are making the case that no more do you want big government conservatives in the bedroom than big government liberals telling you how to live your life."

To be sure, the Mehlman fundraiser is not entirely a Republican-driven affair. Some of the big names on the ticket are Democrats, including former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt and former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta.

But reading through the list of attendees, it's remarkable to see how many prominent conservatives are not just comfortable associating with the gay-rights cause but are eager to fundraise for it. Pair that with rumblings from elsewhere in the party (most notably from Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels) that conservatives should have a "truce" on social issues for the time being and the frictions within the GOP tent become even more apparent.

If anything, the hostility between the social conservative element of the party and those less adherent to that doctrine is already palpable. As one prominent Republican who supports gay rights put it:

"I think there is a growing mass of people in Republican politics who are fundamentally sick and tired about being lectured to about morality and how to live your life by a bunch of people who have been married three or four times and are more likely to be seen outside a brothel on a Thursday night than being at home with their kids... There is a fundamental indecency to the vitriol and the hatred directed against decent people because of their sexuality. People have reached a critical mass with this."

Comments

[TurtlesAllTheWay]

02:51 PM on 10/04/2010

Either dump your homophobic growths, or stop lying to us GOP. You can't be necking with Conservative Christian anti-gay rights groups in the parlor and expect us not to notice.

[jobrien1950]

10:44 PM on 09/01/2010

I will never believe this until I see John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Eric Cantor, Louis Gohmert, Peter King, Steve King and Tom Tancredo campaigning for the repeal of DADT and advocating for gay marriage as a constitutional amendment. How long do you think that may take?

[cjgnew]

06:37 PM on 09/01/2010

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[Truth In Voting]

04:53 PM on 09/01/2010

What is this supposed to indicate, that hardcore Christian conservatives are no longer holding the rest of us responsible for their own superstitions about the potential for gay marriage to corrupt their own marriages?

It reminds me of Space Odyssey and other movies made in the 60's and earlier - there's this underlying fear projected into the future because it's full of uncertainty but decades later, the year 2000 is not so scary after all. It's amazing what openness and education can do to combat irrational fear.

[Bob Kellerman]

04:14 PM on 09/01/2010

THIS IS A FEW, MOSTLY BIG-CITY REPUBS WHO ARE TIRED OF LOOKING BAD
--- and who favor Gay Rights
--- and who see the value in Gay Marriage

THIS IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A CHANGE IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
---but this is going to sway some of the reasonable middle ground people in both parties.
and make "Gay" more ordinary & unremarkable in more places

I DON'T SEE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MAKING THIS CHANGE
-- merely some individuals, largely in geographic areas where continuing not to speak in favor of Gay Marriage makes them look poor.
---imaging going to openings at the Met, only to be collared by a Democrat, asking you how you can belong to a party that encourages hate

THE PARTY STILL WANTS THE HAYSEED HATER VOTE
--- so, while turning away from the hate, as we THINK they might do, from these signs, I don't think the party is going to rush toward inclusiveness, just back away from the emphasis on an issue that no longer helps them, and push other areas of politics.

LET'S JUST SAY THAT THEY MAY WANT TO BE LESS "MEANSPIRITED LOOKING"
--- but I am guessing that. The article is about a small number of people in New York, for chrissakes!

[JazzyJim]

02:21 PM on 09/01/2010

Look, I'm happy for Ken Mehlmann that he's "all of a sudden" found himself - but let's be honest, the hate and fear party is at the very least "two-faced" - You have to sell your soul to the devil to walk in goose-step with those hideous people, for they care nothing but for themselves. They're Godless - while extolling morality on the rest of us as a control mechanism. I'm of course addressing the GOP/RNC leadership (or lack there of). They've made this abundantly clear - you're either with them or against them. Conservative Republicans are going extinct (John McCain is the last, his daughter may be the last link to that generation that fought with and side by side with Democrats). The New NeoCon is Evil - as proven by their use of propaganda (Fox) and Corporate Distortion (Koch Brothers, Saudi Prince, Murdoch). The evil is within for the Republicans.

[6bd]

02:12 PM on 09/01/2010

President Obama is a wise and patient man. He is focusing on the issues that matter, is refusing to engage in the emotional spin cycle, and is exposing the Republicans for the people they really are. I know much more about Boehner, DeMint, Sanford, Vitter, McCain, Pawlenty, Jindal, McConnell etc. then I had 21 mos ago. They are a deceitful sorry lot. I am more than energized to vote all of the Republicans out of office, and join the 21st century... where education is valued.

[RoofinReality]

02:10 PM on 09/01/2010

I'm guessing Larry Craig and Mark Foley made them see their way towards this conclusion?

Seriously, I find it hard to believe that from just a few years ago, when gay marriage was a ballot initiative in a number of states, the hearts of those Republican leaders have been softened. Remember, Pharaoh's heart was hardened many times over before he finally gave in. But that was only after repeatedly seeing destruction in many forms.
Has the Republican Party seen enough to go away from its evangelical crowd where homosexuality is an abomination? I don't think so.
But as a smart person told me once,"One of the wealthiest households in the USA has two white collar guys." Guess what mold Mehlman fits? Guess where he's going to get his money?

[GranE]

07:23 PM on 09/01/2010

That ballot initiative was for the purpose of getting their base out to vote. Nothing more...

Throw emotional raw meat at a Republican and they run to the polls like lightening. Works on those evangelicals every time. The RNC and Karl Rove laugh about it, Ken Mehlman admitted it.

[StopMakingSense2]

01:40 PM on 09/01/2010

Of course it's not true. Their base would rush for the exits.. So I hope it is!

[Jack Cox]

01:24 PM on 09/01/2010

The Republican Platform: Say anything no matter how untrue it is to get elected. Promise them the moon and then not do anything.

[osage]

12:38 PM on 09/01/2010

TODAY’S REPUBLICANISM.....IS THE VICTORY OF THE "ID" OVER THE "SUPER-EGO"

Today's Republicans don't believe that intelligence, logic, compassion, honesty or an acknowledgment of historical facts or legal precedents are relevant or worthy of consideration.

Driving jobs out of America and Americans out of their homes is "just business" to them; nothing "personal".

Corporations should be given the same first amendment free speech rights as individual citizens so they can "buy" political candidates and elections, despite the fact that works against the best interests of working class Americans and further diminishes their political relevance/influence.

Pollution, global warming and deforestation are all improvable "myths" of egg-head/tree-hugger scientists who are “socialist” enemies of “over-regulated” capitalism. The earth, which is no more than 6,000 years old, will miraculously heal itself! All we have to do is “pray”.

For today's mercenary self-focused soulless hybrid of dysfunctional near-sighted Republicans, it's not about right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, rational or irrational.....it's about power and control, even if that means intellectual, moral, psychological and functional ignorance, delusion, denial and dishonesty. They want what they want for no other reason than they WANT it……regardless of the consequences to themselves and everyone else! Somehow, that makes "them" feel good about themselves….makes them feel “safe”.

[JazzyJim]

02:43 PM on 09/01/2010

Exactly. The Republicans want to do to us and the world, what our forefathers from Britan did to the Native Americans - and that should alarm every American with half a brain.

Was that too much? I can never tell. (lol).

[MmeFlutterbye]

12:13 PM on 09/01/2010

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels [says] that conservatives should have a "truce" on social issues for the time being..."

Yeah, and after the conservatives are in power, they can throw the "truce" under the bus.

[JazzyJim]

02:46 PM on 09/01/2010

Hey, they didn't have to "take" freedom from the Republicans - they were "given it": Wire-tapping, torture, rewriting law (instead of obeying it), open propaganda and distortion network and Ministry of Lies called Fox, introducing profiling in Arizona, rescinding Habeas Corpus, immanent domain - it won't be long before having an education and being a free thinker will be outlawed because it doesn't live up to their "Christian values" of the 12th Century!

[fatback65]

12:08 PM on 09/01/2010

Another cynical ploy to get votes? I think yes.

[AdamSR]

11:54 AM on 09/01/2010

A bunch of GOP big wigs threw a fundraiser to support same-sex marriage. The arc of history that began with Anita Bryant in the 1970s has now reached its end. Sure, this doesn't mean the GOP is now pro-gay, and a few will still try to use homophobia as a political tool to get votes, but those attempts will increasingly fail.

[JazzyJim]

02:48 PM on 09/01/2010

The more thou protesteth, the more me thinks they are....joyful themselves in the Gay Old Party

[TurtlesAllTheWay]

02:57 PM on 10/04/2010

A few? Top GOP candidates and incumbents, even McCain, are anti-gay rights, anti-DADT, anti-gay marriage, call the judge overturning prop 8 an "activist judge" (who was appointed by Regan, actually), and continue to bend-over-backwards to accommodate the tea-party movement, a movement that feeds off of bigotry and fear.

I want the GOP to change… I really do. Because I think it's important to have more than one sane party, and I'm not 100% satisfied with the democrats. But as of now, they're merely playing the system to get as many votes as they can. Call me back when they've actually shown some signs of improvement.

[hopeisalive]

11:23 AM on 09/01/2010

Does anyone really think that the Tea Baggers and the right wing will accept "Gay Marriage"? This doesn't seem to fit with what one hears most of the time from Ms. Palin, Mr. Limbaugh and the rest of the group.

[AdamSR]

11:55 AM on 09/01/2010

A study just this last week showed Tea Baggers actually have much higher support for same-sex marriage than the GOP as a whole. That surprised me.

[TurtlesAllTheWay]

02:57 PM on 10/04/2010

I want to see this, can you provide a link?