Speaker John Boehner said the Republican Party ought to openly support gay candidates — a blunt statement that’s sure to ratchet up tensions among traditional conservatives who see the GOP as straying from core principles and wading into political territories held by Democrats.
Mr. Boehner’s exact words, reported by Politico: Republicans should not only “be a little more sensitive” when running against women candidates, but they should also support openly gay individuals who are seeking higher office.
“I do,” he said, in reference to supporting gays for Republican seats, Politico reported.
“Some of our members just aren’t as sensitive as they ought to be,” Mr. Boehner said, speaking to media reports that said Rep. Randy Forbes, from Virginia, was trying to convince the National Republican Congressional Committee to hold back funding from any candidates who were gay.
Mr. Boehner suggested the party needed to open its doors to segments of society that traditionally vote Democratic.
“When you look around the Congress,” he said, Politico reported, “there are a lot more females in the Democrat Caucus than there are in the Republican caucus.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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