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Boehner rakes in cash for openly gay Republican candidate
By Scott Wong - 10/05/14 10:02 AM EDT
Speaker John Boehner vowed last year that he’d back gay GOP candidates. Now, he’s making good on his word.
The Ohio Republican is heading to California this week, where he’ll raise cash for openly gay Republican candidate Carl DeMaio in defiance of several conservative groups.
Boehner’s trip to the Golden State marks the second leg of his fall tour to expand House Republicans’ 17-seat majority. The GOP’s efforts to broaden the playing field include races in blue regions like New York, New England and California, and support for gay candidates like DeMaio and Massachusetts’s Richard Tisei.
“I’m disappointed but not terribly surprised that some extreme far right groups would rather lose elections than win elections, and have been very destructive for so many years within the Republican Party,” DeMaio said in a phone interview. “I’m glad so many people are finally realizing that and standing up to that, saying we may not agree on all issues but we agree on the vast majority of issues.”
Asked specifically whether Boehner’s help sends an important political message, DeMaio did not mention the Speaker by name: “We welcome all support from wherever it comes from. … We’re all coming together in a broad-based campaign not only to win a seat but send a national message that the Republican Party can be more inclusive and positive.”
Conservative groups including the Family Research Council and National Organization for Marriage fired off a letter last week to Boehner, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell chiding them for backing DeMaio and Tisei, as well as Oregon Senate hopeful Monica Webhy, who supports gay marriage.
“Carl DeMaio, Richard Tisei and Monica Wehby are antithetical to the Republican platform,” the conservative groups wrote. “Mr. DeMaio supports and aggressively advocates for the redefinition of marriage, and welcomed the judicial activism of the federal courts which stripped the people of California of their votes in support of maintaining marriage as the union on one man and one woman.”
What is important- Principles or Winning elections... Luckily with Boehner he starts out with few principles ... :wink:
While I agree with the Boehner/Republicans going more Libertarian with their thinking on social issues- and trying to develop the old much broader base they had years ago-- how much wider will this divide the party with the far right that says no to everything and everybody that doesn't fit their mold ?
Will the Tea Party radicals support this- or just take their ball and go home like in the past?