RNC Chief: Gay Marriage Will Burden Small Business

[romantico]

Posted: 5/17/09 at 3:59pm

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 16, 2009
Filed at 12:46 p.m. ET

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) -- Republicans can reach a broader base by recasting gay marriage as an issue that could dent pocketbooks as small businesses spend more on health care and other benefits, GOP Chairman Michael Steele said Saturday.

Steele said that was just an example of how the party can retool its message to appeal to young voters and minorities without sacrificing core conservative principles. Steele said he used the argument weeks ago while chatting on a flight with a college student who described herself as fiscally conservative but socially liberal on issues like gay marriage.

'Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for,' Steele told Republicans at the state convention in traditionally conservative Georgia. 'So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money.'

As Steele talked about ways the party could position itself, he also poked fun at his previous pledge to give the GOP a 'hip-hop makeover.'

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/05/16/us/AP-US-Steele-Republicans.html?_r=2

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/17/09 at 4:08pm

Michael Steele is like the Stupid Kid in high school who got elected captain of some team or club only because no one else wanted to do it.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 5/17/09 at 4:29pm

I dunno...but to me it sounds like Steele might be for a Single Payer Health Care system that we all pay into, to help protect small business from having to pay all those benefits. Plus, it sounds like he's not in favor of marriage at all. Let's face it "Opposite Marriage"(as Carrie Prejean would say) is much more prevalent in this country than same sex marriage ever would be. Therefore "opposite marriage is a much larger burden on small business, so we should ban all marriage to ease the burden on small business.

The guy is a genius..no doubt about it.

[romantico]

Posted: 5/17/09 at 4:54pm

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/05/17/study_gay_marriages_pump_111_million_into_mass/

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 5/17/09 at 6:24pm

he's completely delusional, but at least they're TRYING to come up with non-religious reasons why they oppose it.

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/17/09 at 6:40pm

So, he advocates employers inquiring about marital status and number of dependents when interviewing candidates?

I'm hard-pressed to think of a time where I've heard him speak when he hasn't come across as a total moron.

[sally1112]

Posted: 5/17/09 at 6:46pm

madbrain, that is exactly what I was thinking. So small business should only hire single people with no kids, and they should probably make them sign a contract that they won't marry or have children if they want to keep their job and benefits.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 5/18/09 at 3:58am

Romantico, I was just about to post that article!

Why are we pretending that Michael Steele has any credibility whatsoever?

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 5/18/09 at 8:37am

the mere fact that he didn't try to rap this message is huge progress for mike.

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/18/09 at 8:42am

"the mere fact that he didn't try to rap this message is huge progress for mike."

fa shizzle