GOPround, a gay conservative group, and representatives of leading Tea Party organizations have sent a letter to House and Senate Republican leaders urging them to keep social issues off the Republican agenda, reports Politico. The letter states:
“On behalf of limited government conservatives everywhere we write to urge you and your colleagues in Washington to put forward a legislative agenda in the next Congress that reflects the principles of the Tea Party movement. . . . This election was not a mandate for the Republican Party, nor was it a mandate to act on any social issue, nor should it be interpreted as a political blank check. . . .
We urge you to stay focused on the issues that got you and your colleagues elected and to resist the urge to run down any social issue rabbit holes in order to appease the special interests. The Tea Party movement is not going away and we intend to continue to hold Washington accountable.
“When they were out in the Boston Harbor, they weren’t arguing about who was gay or who was having an abortion,” said Ralph King, a letter signatory who is a Tea Party Patriots national leadership council member.
More. EDGEBoston, a gay paper, provides some background and analysis, concluding:
Some social conservatives. . . have decried the shift in focus from social hot button issues. . . . With American society becoming more accepting of GLBT citizens, however, the nation’s politics seem bound to change as well. For the moment, it appears as though gays wishing for less government intrusion into their lives may have made common cause with other stripes of conservatism.
2 Comments for “Urging GOP to Avoid Social Issues Quagmire”
posted by Jorge on
“No one has been talking about social issues – not even the socially conservative candidates who won tea party support,” Barron said.
The deep suspicion that will never go away.
“We recognize the importance of values but believe strongly that those values should be taught by families and our houses of worship and not legislated from Washington, D.C.”
Oh, puke! Give me Dubya back.
posted by Bobby on
Social issues are a waste of time, we need to worry about real issues, like the FDA threatening a booze company for adding caffeine to their products.
http://politicallyincorrectlibertarian.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/prohibition-once-again-forget-the-batf-now-its-the-fda-getting-into-the-game/
Down with the nanny state!