Monday, April 2, 2012

More evidence that Republicans are retreating.

Even though the Republican presidential nominees have mostly signed onto NOM's hate-pledge, and trumpet their anti-equality credentials to the social conservatives of the tea party, other Republicans are wishing the issue would just go away.  From Politico:

What was once a front-and-center issue for rank-and-file Republicans -- the subject of many hotly worded House and Senate floor speeches -- is virtually a dead issue, as Republicans in Congress don't care to have gay marriage litigated in the Capitol. 
Even more than that, Republican leadership has evolved, too. It has quietly worked behind the scenes to kill amendments that reaffirm opposition to same-sex unions, several sources told POLITICO. 
It's not like the GOP has become a bastion of progressiveness on gay rights, but there has been an evolution in the political approach -- and an acknowledgment of a cultural shift in the country. Same-sex relationships are more prominent and accepted. There are more gay public figures -- including politicians -- and it's likely that many Washington Republicans have gay friends and coworkers. Just as important -- there's also a libertarian streak of acceptance on people's sexuality coursing through the House Republican Conference..... 
"Republicans see an issue that was a good wedge issue no longer is and will be a losing issue in the future," Nadler told POLITICO. "They can't just walk away from it; their base will get mad at them. They're slowly walking away from it because it's an increasingly losing issue."

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