Is Michael Steele just putting us on? Wait, don’t answer that. The new GOP chairman who wants to Obama-fy the republican party — using hip-hop tactics to attract people of color! — also pretended to come to the table with gays just this month. But now he’s performed an about-face, and once again declared same-sex loving homos second-class citizens.
On Fox News Sunday earlier this month, Steele said he wanted the GOP to reach out to pro-choice voters as well as the gay community. (See video.)
WALLACE: You are one of the co-founders of something called the Republican Leadership Council which supports candidates who favor abortion and gay rights.
STEELE: Yes.
WALLACE: Does the GOP needs to do a better job of reaching out to people who hold those views?
STEELE: I think — I think that’s an important opportunity for us, absolutely.
But nobody is gonna want to open the door for this man — since he just got done telling radio host and raging homophobe Mike Gallagher that there’s not even room to discuss civil unions for gays. Chatting just after Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black won Oscars for Milk, Steele made clear his views.
GALLAGHER: Is this a time when Republicans ought to consider some sort of alternative to redefining marriage and maybe in the road, down the road to civil unions. Do you favor civil unions?
STEELE: No, no no. What would we do that for? What are you, crazy? No. Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country? I mean this isn’t something that you just kind of like, “Oh well, today I feel, you know, loosey-goosey on marriage.” […]
GALLAGHER: So no room even for a conversation about civil unions in your mind?
STEELE: What’s the difference?
But why should we have expected anything less? Back in 2006, while bidding for Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat (which he lost), Steele carried over his lieutenant governor stance against gay marriage and made his anti-gay views a cornerstone of his campaign.
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Sebbe
The GOP is funny. First it was will give them “a” woman, now it is we will give them “an” african american. It sometimes seem like their party is being run by mediocre people with marketing degrees. Part of me hopes they continue on this path as they become less and less relevant to most Americans and continue to turn off voters whom might be attracted to other positions they hold.
Mark
Keep it up, GOP. Now that you are no longer the dominant paradigm, the pre-Cambrian age of your fossilized party is showing.
donsnyc
As I said on the other gay blog site, Michael Steele is the token black of the republican party, and they made him as their “leader”. He man who took the bar exams and failed. He never tried to take the bar exams again. The man ran for office in 2006 as a democrat. Yes, he had put up signs that said “Steele a Democrat”, an ingenious way of saying “steal a democrat”.
The only way the GOP can become relevant again is to be more inclusive and open minded, apparently they haven’t found that out yet.
Michelle
It’s obvious when parties like this do a constant rebound between one policy and another that they’re only focused on one thing, votes, and they’re willing to say just about anything to get the votes from whoever they can.
Dxx
@donsnyc: Unfortunately, I have to correct you: he passed the Bar and is a partner at the firm I work for.
I’m almost hoping to be laid off so I can take the opportunity to go and have a nice chat with him about his feelings on oppressequal rights for oppressed people and how he’d feel about the courts going “Loosey Goosey” (really? my grandmother uses that term) on Loving v. Virginia (the landmark interracial marriage case).
Charles J. Mueller
Umm…are no LCR gays going to come to the defense of this poor, misunderstood and unappreciated Republican?
Just so there should be no misunderstanding, the above comment was meant to be snarky.
Seadog
“Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country?”
Amen, brother! That would be like, you know, passing a constitutional amendment that would recognize black people as human beings!!! Yeech!!!
Darth Paul
@Seadog: Word. If we’re talking ‘core values’, none of the amendments (much less the 13th) mean sh!t.
getreal
This guy’s appointment is an insult. He offers nothing visionary and one wonders if the country had not elected a black president would they have even appointed him? Probably not. And for the record I’m a black chick.
Sebbe
@getreal – I’m a white liberal dude and I am also offended.
Which group do you think they will pick next to be the face of diversity for the GOP? I’ve got my bet on a conservative (although in reality a libertarian) bulldyke Latina from Texas.
Nick
It was between him and that guy who was member of a whites-only country club. Pathetic.
Darth Paul
@Sebbe: Lupe Valdez? She’s the sherriff (hah!) of Dallas. I wouldn’t qualify her as a bulldyke, though.
Alan down in Florida
“Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country?”
Did I miss something? The Pilgrims and others made the dangerous Atlantic Crossing to the New World in order to found a country that would be able to deny civil rights to homosexuals? Who knew?
John in CA
These are the idiots who can’t even defeat Nancy Pelosi (a person with a 9% approval rating).
According to the latest ABC News poll, the Democratic Congress is set for re-election in 2010. Voters currently prefer DEM 50% to GOP 38%. Unless the dynamics within the GOP changes, they’re going to be in opposition for a very long time.
They’re viewed as an obstructionist, regional party with no ideas. And that perception won’t change with more Palin-Steele style tokenism. “We have boobs and blacks too” isn’t an effective counterpoint to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. That’s because Hillary and Barack are actually intelligent and, dare I say it, competent.
getreal
@Nick: At least that choice would have been more representative of the average Republican.
getreal
@John in CA: AMEN BROTHER PREACH ON!!
Sebbe
@Darth Paul – I admit I had her in mind vaguely or someone like her (Lupe Valdez) I couldn’t remember her name though. Thanks @LOL
@John in CA – “We have boobs and blacks too” – LOL ROFLMFAO, it’s sad they hate the gays, cause they could get a drag queen and create an uber-candidate with all minorities rolled into one.
Stan Grohoskowitz
Marriage was not one of the founding values of this country. But black men being 3/5’s of a human being in order to get more congressional representation in the House was. They couldn’t have 3/5’s of a vote or marry. Ask Mr. Steele if we should continue to have values like that in this country.
Charles J. Mueller
@Stan Grohoskowitz:
Hear. Hear. That’s a excellent point. But…it’s far too rational for shit-stirrers like Mr. Steele to get.
Unfortunately, when you are dealing with an ignorant schmuck like this, he will just simply convolute your argument to make it look like you are being a racist for bringing the issue up, just like the Mormons and Xstains accuse us of “bashing” when we speak up to defend ourselves from their abuse.
Michael Steel is a radical black racist. And this is what Dr. Dvid Duke had to say about him.
http://www.davidduke.com/general/gop-traitors-appoint-black-racist-as-chairman-of-the-republican-party_7443.html
getreal
When America was founded modern marriage as we know it did not exist. Marriage was not between a man and a woman it was a contract between two men. If a man wanted to marry a woman he needed her fathers permission. Are those our values now? Marriage has all ready been redefined so this myth of preserving marriage is just that a myth. In most cultures in the past even today marriages were in some way arranged. Why is it the people preaching about values that never seem to understand basic theme’s of right and wrong. Everyone deserves the same rights we are all equal isn’t that values?