One of the most significant things about the passage of gay marriage in New York State is that it happened in a mostly Republican-controlled Legislature, albeit with powerful championing of the issue from very pro-gay Governor Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg.The four GOP state senators who crossed the aisle and voted for marriage equality in New York are profiting dearly from their support, a promise that political insiders told them would happen. In some instances, campaign coffers increased more than twenty times what they’d raised in the six months prior to the vote, according to a New York Times review of campaign records.
While Washington State looks poised to pass same-sex marriage without a fight, politicians in New Jersey and Maryland might want to look at their bank statements before voting “no.”
Here’s a quick rundown of just how much money Republican senators in New York State got in contributions just six months after voting against their party’s anti-marriage-equality platform:
*Roy J. McDonald (above right) raised $447,000 in the half-year after the vote, 27 times what he raised in the same period in 2009.
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*Stephen M. Saland raised $425,000, more than Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, the most powerful Republican in New York
* Mark Grisanti raised $325,000, also more than Skelos.
*James S. Alesi raised $350,000-$400,000, and more than half of his new donations were specifically designated as coming from marriage-equality benefactors.
As always, the rapid hetero-supremacists over at the National Organization for Marriage are biting back: “All the money in the world isn’t going to buy them out of the fact that they’re about to lose an election,” exclaimed NOM president Brian Brown, adding that his group will spend heavily to oust McDonald, Saland and the others.
If it doesn’t, y’know, go broke first.
Photo: Roy J. McDonald
GOD (gay old dude)
Makes sense to me. Everyone always think we Republicans (or Rethuglicans, in Queerty-ese) are anti-gay homophobic haters of all things gay, when in fact we’re some of the strongest supporters of individual rights and less government intrusion when it comes to what’s important.
EmmaMTF
If you’re economically conservative, as well as want smaller government, you would support gay marriage as a revenue stream and limitation on the fed’s power to define unions between 2 consenting adults.
If you’re a religious bigot, you vote against it. Most republicans, though they say they are smaller government and a more conservative and free market, are anti-gay marriage. Therefore, religious bigots.
I respect republicans. I don’t respect religious bigots. Let’s try and not confuse the two.
the crustybastard
@GOD (gay old dude):
Equality is not the Republican party’s platform, which makes you few pro-equality Republicans very much party outliers.
It’s time you face that fact.
Robert in NYC
GOD (Gay old dude)…don’t forget, there are far fewer republicans supporting marriage equality compared to the number of democrats who voted yes in our state last year, although they deserve our praise and support. Governor Christie, hardly a right winger is going to veto the marriage equality bill in New Jersey if it passes in the legislature. The republicans are being held captive by the religious bigots and tea partyers. Party politics and loyalty take precedence over rights especially when those rights favor the LGBT voting bloc.
Queer Supremacist
@Robert in NYC: And voting Democrat is supposed to get the fundies out of the GOP how?
The lesson everyone should be learning from New York is that civil rights bills go nowhere without bipartisan support. We’ll see who has learned that lesson and who has not.
@EmmaMTF: I respect republicans. I don’t respect religious bigots. Let’s try and not confuse the two.
Trying to post a cohesive argument here is casting pearls before swine.