Sen. Rob Portman comes out in favor of gay marriage after son comes out as gay

[JackBeck]

Source: The Plain Dealer

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman on Thursday announced he has reversed his longtime opposition to same-sex marriage after reconsidering the issue because his 21-year-old son, Will, is gay.

Portman said his son, a junior at Yale University, told him and his wife, Jane, that he's gay and "it was not a choice, it was who he is and that he had been that way since he could remember."

"It allowed me to think of this issue from a new perspective, and that's of a Dad who loves his son a lot and wants him to have the same opportunities that his brother and sister would have -- to have a relationship like Jane and I have had for over 26 years," Portman told reporters in an interview at his office.

The conversation the Portmans had with their son two years ago led to him to evolve on the issue after he consulted clergy members, friends including former Vice President Dick Cheney, and the Bible.

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/03/sen_rob_portman_comes_out_in_f.html

---

Block by block, we continue to break down the wall that prevents the LGBT community from accessing full equality in this country.

[Fearless]

1. And this is EXACTLY why

LGBT people need to speak up. This is EXACTLY why we can win the fight for equality. It's easy to vote against equality and to hate that which you can't put a face to. But if you can put a face to the LGBT movement, and it's your son or daughter, parent, brother or sister, or other relative, it is MUCH harder to continue to hate, much harder to vote against equality.

[tinrobot]

2. Good for him.

I'm glad he's changed his mind.

Step at a time.

[madaboutharry]

3. This is the difference between democrats

and republicans. It seems like republicans can only change their mind when it becomes about their own son or daughter. Why can't they care about someone else's son or daughter.

[TlalocW]

5. I was going to say the same thing

I mean I'm glad he came over to the right side, but he didn't do it until it affected him and his.

TlalocW

[Bigredhunk]

7. Boom!

Exactly.

[NYC Liberal]

8. True, but if that's what it takes for some people then so be it.

I welcome anyone who has a true change of heart, regardless of how it came about.

[democrat2thecore]

9. Come on....

That's not a fair statement. No political party has a corner on members who change their minds when something that touches them personally helps them see things differently. That's called being a human being. Sometimes it takes an up close, personal experience to make us realize one thing or another. That's with health care, guns, everything.

I applaud Rob Portman. We should rejoice when people come out and stand up for right. The fact that it was a personal experience that caused them to change their mind really is just part of being human. And that....we are all.

[Skittles]

14. nope

it's egotism and selfishness - wasn't good enough for the kids of other people, just his own. What crap. ALL LGBT folk are someone's kid.

[tblue37]

23. Like Bush and McCain saying that if one of their daughters needed an abortion it

would lead to a conversation, but it would be the daughter's choice.

[Skittles]

54. or Nancy Reagan all gung-ho for stem cell research

because of the hideous disease that killed her beloved husband

[tblue37]

56. Yep. On Bill Maher's show last night, Rachel Maddow said she wished

there were a way to give Republican leaders poor children in their families, so they would be sympathetic to the plight of the poor.

[marshall]

57. At least some like McCain have done that

A few have opened their homes through adoption. But definitely not enough.

[JI7]

15. sorry but this is more common among republicans because Republiccans ARE the selfish party

it's one thing to put more focus on an issue because of personal experience .

but it's a totally different matter to be in opposition to certain rights for certain people until it concerns them.

we see this with things like natural disaster relief funds .

[yellowcanine]

40. I agree - see my comments about Nader.

It is better to change for personal reasons - and we all do it - rather than political reasons. It is what makes us human, after all. And there are many fathers who refuse to accept their gay sons so it is gratifying when one does.

[rhett o rick]

55. Sorry but I cant agree with you. This is shows the hypocracy of being a republican.

They are so self-centered that they are against government helping people until they need help. They are against gays until their family turn out to be gay. They are against everything that doesnt pertain to them. I say fuck them. Fuck Gov Christie who would vote against the government helping others but then beg for government help for his state. He didnt learn. Neither did this asshole. If his son told him tomorrow that he wasnt gay, that it was only a bad joke, the asshole would go back to hating gays.

[davidpdx]

10. I was going to say the same thing

While I'm glad Portman changed his views, it still reeks of hypocrisy. Hopefully Portman will actually do something now that he's on the "right" side.

[awoke_in_2003]

11. Because we tend to think of other people's feelings...

and they dont. We have empathy, they do not. We embrace diversity, they do not.

[Live and Learn]

13. Exactly! nt

[UnrepentantLiberal]

21. Because to be a Republican is to be a narcissist.

[Esse Quam Videri]

29. This is how repugs are about everything

If it doesn't affect them personally they could give a shit.

[City Lights]

33. Yup. Republican are so self-absorbed that they can't see beyond themselves.

They cannot see how things affect other people. They can only see if it affects them directly. And it's not just this issue. It's every issue.

[Skinner]

37. Exactly.

So true.

[closeupready]

41. Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner, folks!

[pink-o]

42. tribalism...

Humans evolved to look out for their own little groups and mistrust those who were different. Proof again Repigs still live in the stoneage, since those of our species with BRAINS that CHANGE understand the entire human race is our tribe. What we do to the least of us affects all of us.

I just don't get why they don't get that!

[askeptic]

44. Yep - It's the prob with GOP - No empathy until it happens to them personally

They seem to have no ability to put themselves in someone else's shoes - it's why most are such a-holes and woe be it to any GOP-er who isn't - Chris Christie comes to mind.

[Evasporque]

52. they don't care about others because they are mostly selfish pricks...nt

[putitinD]

4. I think he is eyeing a bid for POTUS in 2016, and realizes this is a more popular "stance"

[Nye Bevan]

6. As a Democrat, or independent?

Because there is no way in hell he is winning the Republican primaries.

[Jim Lane]

45. I agree, and here's a report on the Freepers to confirm it.

I was curious about how they'd react. It was pretty much as expected (the thread is here for those with strong stomachs), with vitriolic denunciations of Portman and of Ohio voters for electing him. "Perhaps Rob will feel comfortable now and come out of the closet dressed in his wife’s finest," wrote one Freeper.

There were two striking comments that show their sense of victimhood. One wrote, "A Senator who takes this personal decision and then wants to impose that decision on the people who he supposedly represents is worse than a RINO. He was elected based on his prior positions and should immediately resign...." What jumped out at me was "impose" -- to allow same-sex marriage by those who choose it is to impose one's own decision on everyone else.

Another one wrote, "The problem we face is a conspiracy of silence. We don’t have a conservative media that will provide a true avenue to get out the truth." Right, there are just NO media out there that disseminate or even tolerate homophobia.

Anyway, I agree with you that this modest embrace of social justice would be a huge problem for Portman if he were to seek the Republican nomination for President.

[Kolesar]

27. He is USING his son as political cover to repair the GOP's ghastly image

He knows where the votes are:
"I believe in some respects that this is more generational than it is partisan," said Portman

Here is how the RNC campaigned in 2004:

[Hekate]

12. It's absolutely amazing how minds and hearts change when it's your own kid...

... or niece or nephew.

And I am so glad.

Hekate

[Live and Learn]

16. But it shouldn't take that.

And from what I have seen they tend to limit their new found understanding to the single issue that now affects them. I find it pathetic.

[lib87]

19. Right? I guess we may get somewhere if a lot of republican children tell their parents they are gay?

I just dislike the fact that we have to wait for a social situation to personally touch a rethug lawmaker in order for them to see the error of their archaic ways.

[MADem]

20. I think the GOP ignore those nieces and nephews....it's the daughters and sons they can't turn away!

When their own kid tells them "It's not optional" they have to listen. After all, they can't get behind the "You raised that kid BADLY" argument, because they did the raising...!

I read this thread and thought about my extended family, and the families of friends and neighbors, and I don't know a single family that does NOT have gay members in it somewhere in the family tree. It's just absurd that the GOP continue to pretend this is a moral issue, still, in this century, after all of the discussion, education, explanation, etc. of the past several decades, when all it is, is a matter of biology. It's a human condition, like eye color, or freckles, or big ear lobes. It is a condition that occurs in nature. We're way past time that it should still be considered a big deal.

[Hekate]

50. I agree with you there. The GOP becomes smaller all the time, though, doesn't it?

The radical base has turned the "big tent" into a Procrustean Bed, chopping off all the bits that don't fit their distorted worldview. Every case like this one is a victory for us and humanity, imo.

[MADem]

51. Did you see EarlG's pic on the front page of Turtle Boy?

He's slamming "Mature Women!!!" The bloc MOST likely to vote! They don't fit, either--I guess the ladies who aren't members of the low cut blouse/loads-o-lipstick club aren't welcome in their little club, either!

The GOP is simply tone deaf!

RMoney is talking trash (and camel-kissing, smacking his lips loudly after every sentence) at CPAC right now--MSNBC is covering it. He's an idiot!

[harmonicon]

17. This will happen.

Soon enough, this will no longer be a party-specific fight, and that's a good thing! Far too often, members of both parties are wrong on an issue that is so important to so many. We can only hope that enough of them both will soon be right on this.

[JohnnyLib2]

18. Glad to hear it.

Maybe, just maybe, some of his R colleagues will do some rethinking as well.

[valerief]

22. So is the senator still a Republican? nt

[michigandem58]

24. So other people's sons don't matter

But yours does.

[Xipe Totec]

25. Cheney advised him to "do the right thing, follow your heart." Seriously?

Cheney dares to speak about a heart?

Amazing.

[armed_and_liberal]

26. Easy to hate someone else's kids

Hard to do that when they are your own.

[customerserviceguy]

28. I guess this is why Portman didn't make it to the GOP ticket

and Ryan did. Either it came out in the background check, or Portman voluntarily told Mittens, and the latter decided that he didn't need what he would have considered 'baggage', that he already had enough problems with the fundies.

[DonViejo]

30. Portman’s Son ‘Especially Proud’ Of Dad After Gay Marriage Reversal

DAVID TAINTOR 8:01 AM EDT, FRIDAY MARCH 15, 2013

Sen. Rob Portman's son, Will, on Friday tweeted a link to the Ohio Republican's op-ed announcing his support for same-sex marriage, saying he was "especially proud" of his father. Portman said he reversed his stance on gay marriage after his son said he came out.

Will Portman @wdportman

Especially proud of my dad today http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2013/03/15/gay-couples-also-deserve-chance-to-get-married.html …
11:34 AM - 15 Mar 13

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/portmans-son-especially-proud-of-dad-after-gay

[Justice]

31. Margaret Carlson in 1997: "one-to-one conversions are no substitute for empathy"

I posted this in general discussion in response to an OP but wanted to add it here as well.

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/04/14/time/carlson.html

Portman's switch reminds of this insightful Margaret Carlson piece from 1997.
Carlson lists Republicans who suddenly convert to support a particular issue, only because a family member is personally and directed affected. They remain unable to comprehend what others go through, but when they or a family member experience the difficulty, they immediately have a "public conversion" on the limited issue.

Basically, nothing moves a conservative unless it happens to a family member.

Examples in the article are:

..."Senator Pete Domenici, whose daughter has suffered from mental illness, expensively amended the Kennedy-Kassebaum health-care bill to cover such afflictions."

..."Senator Al D'Amato, whose top political strategist is homosexual, supports gays in the military."

..."Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio, whose daughter was tragically killed in an auto accident in 1993, opposed repeal of the federal 55-m.p.h. speed limit last year."

.."George Will, who derides mushy liberal programs, has written movingly in support of government programs that help his son, who has Down syndrome."

Laura Ingraham, "apologizing in a Washington Post article for her rabid intolerance of gays." (In college she called gays "sodomites" but suddenly realized how wrong she was when her gay brother cared for his partner who had AIDS.

So, Margaret should reissue this column and add Portman (and so many others to the list - including as others have said Reagan on AIDS after Rock Hudson, Cheney on gay marriage after his daughter).

[Skinner]

38. Also, Bob Dole.

Supported Americans for Disabilities act in part because of his own disability.

[TroglodyteScholar]

32. Republicans never change their minds about "liberal" issues...

Unless it affects them directly. It's a cowardly way to live, and I can't bring myself to heap praise on them when this kind of thing happens.

[City Lights]

34. Completely agree.

They are pathetic creatures.

[union_maid]

35. This is terrific

Coming out is what it's all about and in the end it's what it takes. Unlike other minorities, LGBT people are in every family, social group and in the end that makes all the difference. The young Mr. Portman has generations of courageous gays who came out when it was so much more dangerous to do (not saying it's not tough for today) to give him the freedom to do what he did. And what he's doing was probably not all that easy, and it helps others. This is a win/win/win.

[Doctor_J]

36. Miserable, stinking hypocrite

Repukes get more despicable with each passing day

[yellowcanine]

39. Better late than Nader.

Nader once called the gay rights issue "gonad politics" in 1996 and basically said he "wasn't interested in such matters." In the 2000 presidential campaign he did come out in support of same-sex marriage, but it smacks of political pandering when one considers his 1996 statements.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Nader
http://www.ontheissues.org/ralph_nader.htm

It seems to me that Portman has not a lot to gain politically by coming out for gay marriage now - it is not as if this helps him a lot in a general election and he could lose political support in a Republican primary election. So I applaud his change of position more than Nader's in 2000.

[Kolesar]

43. (Portman) Thinks Businesses Should Be Able To Fire Someone For Being Gay (last year)

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/06/14/500022/rob-portman-fire-gay/

WASHINGTON, DC — Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), best known as the “boring” choice atop Mitt Romney’s vice presidential list, told ThinkProgress today that he doesn’t believe it should be illegal to fire someone for being gay because doing so would make businesses less “comfortable.”

In an interview at the Faith & Freedom Conference, Portman explained why he opposes the Employee Non-Discrimination Act, which would ban firing someone because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. “What I’m concerned about in Paycheck Fairness and other legislation like that is the fact that it will spawn a lot of litigation the way the legislation is written,” the Ohio Senator said. He worried that the legislation “would make it more difficult for employers to feel comfortable.”
...more!...

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

46. As Chris Rock once said: Whoever you hate will surely end up in your family!

[sofa king]

47. Fuck his newfound empathy.

He didn't have any empathy when he successfully devoted his career to making everyone except the filthy rich poorer, less healthy, and less free. If you're black or poor or liberal or gay or of the wrong religion, you've already felt the focus of his hatred, which cannot be undone EVER.

That asshole devoted his life to making all of our lives worse, and now that he has the smallest sip of his own medicine, he claims to have had a major revelation. But it's not a revelation and it won't make him a better person. It's the smallest step in the direction of humanity in a lifetime devoted to harming humanity. A drop of wine in the sewer that is his heart.

And, it brings up a very, very dark observation, which is that if you want a conservative politician to do the right thing, you have to make him the victim of his own policy. So if you want a Republican to be a champion of the poor, ruin his finances; you want him to control guns, shoot him in the kneecap; you want to end a war, put his kids in the front line.

Fuck a bunch of that. We don't do that shit because we are not like them. It is time to recognize that conservatism and authoritarianism is a disorder that is magnified by power and position. We need to recognize that these people are forever lacking a huge chunk of what makes us human, and therefore they are totally unqualified to represent the people on which they prey.

[greatlaurel]

48. Well said

You have summed up the conservative movement very well. Unfortunately, Mr. Portman is my senator. I have contacted his office many times and he and his staff are the most rude and uncaring bunch of politicians hacks ever. He was the poster child for outsourcing jobs. He has done tremendous work destroying jobs in Ohio and yet, we elected him senator from Ohio.

I am glad he will no longer actively work against LGBT rights, but that will just give him more time to focus on destroying every other progressive cause. What a weasel.

[W T F]

49. Changed his mind, After he found out his son was gay. don't know how to look at this one as being..

either proof that republicans are nepotists, or a man having to come to terms with having to choose between his political beliefs and his loved ones.

[noiretextatique]

53. what a great guy!

http://www.ontheissues.org/oh/rob_portman.htm
Ban Partial Birth Abortion & Overseas Abortion funding. (Dec 2009)
Voted YES on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)
Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life. (Oct 2003)
Voted YES on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)
Voted YES on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)
Voted YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. (May 2001)
Voted YES on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. (Apr 2001)
Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion. (Jun 1999)
Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)
Supports Giving legal protection to unborn children. (Sep 2010)
Budget director for President George W. Bush. (Oct 2010)
Voted YES on restricting bankruptcy rules. (Jan 2004)
Allow $3 on 1040 form to pay off National Debt. (Sep 2000)
Opposes the stimulus bill. (Sep 2010)
Supports balanced budget amendment & line item veto. (Sep 1994)
Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004)
Voted YES on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance. (Sep 2004)
Voted YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2003)
Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
Voted YES on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions. (May 1998)
Supports anti-flag desecration amendment. (Mar 2001)
Rated 7% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)
Supports Amendment to prevent same sex marriage. (Aug 2010)
Voted NO on funding for alternative sentencing instead of more prisons. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on more prosecution and sentencing for juvenile crime. (Jun 1999)
Voted NO on maintaining right of habeas corpus in Death Penalty Appeals. (Mar 1996)
Voted YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder. (Feb 1995)
Voted NO on replacing death penalty with life imprisonment. (Apr 1994)
Rated 10% by CURE, indicating anti-rehabilitation crime votes. (Dec 2000)
Require DNA testing for all federal executions. (Mar 2001)
More prisons, more enforcement, effective death penalty. (Sep 1994)
Voted YES on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism. (Sep 2001)
Voted YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC. (Oct 1999)
Voted NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests. (Sep 1998)
Expanding nuclear energy is a safe and practical. (Dec 2009)
Cap-and-trade energy tax will force plants to close. (Dec 2009)
Voted YES on passage of the Bush Administration national energy policy. (Jun 2004)
Voted YES on implementing Bush-Cheney national energy policy. (Nov 2003)
Voted NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels. (Aug 2001)
Voted NO on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR. (Aug 2001)
Voted YES on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol. (Jun 2000)
Opposes renewable energy tax credits. (Aug 2010)
Voted YES on speeding up approval of forest thinning projects. (Nov 2003)
RateVoted YES on establishing nationwide AMBER alert system for missing kids. (Apr 2003)
Voted YES on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years. (Mar 2001)
Rated 92% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record. (Dec 2003)
Use tax code to reinforce families. (Sep 1994)
TV shows should have explicit viewer advisories. (Jun 1993)
rated 15% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes. (Dec 2003)
China’s entry into WTO makes China play by the rules. (May 2005)
Trade spreads economic and political freedom. (May 2005)
Voted NO on keeping Cuba travel ban until political prisoners released. (Jul 2001)
Voted YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored. (May 2001)
Voted NO on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction. (Jul 2000)
Voted YES on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. (May 2000)
Voted YES on $15.2 billion for foreign operations. (Nov 1999)
Pass more trade agreements to increase Ohio exports. (Oct 2010)
Served as trade representative under Pres. George W. Bush. (Oct 2010)
Steadfast proponent of the power of open markets. (May 2005)
Supports Central American & Dominican Republic trade. (May 2005)
Voted YES on implementing US-Australia Free Trade Agreement. (Jul 2004)
Voted YES on implementing US-Singapore free trade agreement. (Jul 2003)
Voted YES on implementing free trade agreement with Chile. (Jul 2003)
Voted NO on withdrawing from the WTO. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on 'Fast Track' authority for trade agreements. (Sep 1998)
Rated 56% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues. (Dec 2002)
Voted YES on limiting attorney's fees in class action lawsuits. (Feb 2005)
Voted YES on restricting frivolous lawsuits. (Sep 2004)
Voted NO on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions. (Feb 2002)
Voted YES on banning soft money donations to national political parties. (Jul 2001)
Voted NO on banning soft money and issue ads. (Sep 1999)
Limit punitive damages; term limits on Congress. (Sep 1994)
Government is too big, too intrusive, too easy with money. (Sep 1994)
Avid outdoorsman and lifelong hunter. (Dec 2009)
Voted YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse. (Apr 2003)
Voted YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)
Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record. (Dec 2003)
Opposes restrictions on the right to bear arms. (Aug 2010)
Rated A by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record. (Aug 2010)
Repeal new health reform; it's a job killer. (Oct 2010)
Small business owners are fearful of current health debate. (Dec 2009)
Voted YES on limiting medical malpractice lawsuits to $250,000 damages. (May 2004)
Voted YES on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients. (Nov 2003)
Voted NO on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs. (Jul 2003)
Voted YES on small business associations for buying health insurance. (Jun 2003)
Voted YES on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits. (Mar 2003)
Voted YES on allowing suing HMOs, but under federal rules & limited award. (Aug 2001)
Voted YES on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage. (Jun 2000)
Voted YES on banning physician-assisted suicide. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts. (Oct 1999)
Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record. (Dec 2003)
Opposes government-run healthcare. (Aug 2010)
Expand medical savings accounts for employers & individuals. (Feb 1999)
Let the military decide on don't-ask-don't-tell. (Oct 2010)
Voted YES on federalizing rules for driver licenses to hinder terrorists. (Feb 2005)
Voted YES on continuing military recruitment on college campuses. (Feb 2005)
Voted YES on supporting new position of Director of National Intelligence. (Dec 2004)
Voted YES on adopting the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. (Oct 2004)
Voted YES on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Apr 2003)
Voted YES on permitting commercial airline pilots to carry guns. (Jul 2002)
Voted YES on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill. (Jul 1999)
Voted YES on deploying SDI. (Mar 1999)
Rated 11% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record. (Dec 2003)
Supports banning homosexuals in the military. (Aug 2010)
No US troops under UN command; more defense spending. (Sep 1994)
Voted NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment. (May 2004)
Voted YES on extending Immigrant Residency rules. (May 2001)
Voted YES on more immigrant visas for skilled workers. (Sep 1998)
Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration. (Dec 2003)
Supports Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. (Sep 2010)
Supports Full implementation of current border security laws. (Sep 2010)
High unemployment rate creates Ohio brain drain. (Oct 2010)
Toured 16 Ohio manufacturing plants to ask about economy. (Dec 2009)
Great concern about card-check legislation. (Dec 2009)
Trade creates more and better-paying jobs at home. (May 2005)
Voted YES on end offshore tax havens and promote small business. (Oct 2004)
Voted YES on $167B over 10 years for farm price supports. (Oct 2001)
Voted YES on zero-funding OSHA's Ergonomics Rules instead of $4.5B. (Mar 2001)
Rated 13% by the AFL-CIO, indicating an anti-union voting record. (Dec 2003)
Incentives to businesses create jobs & raise wages. (Sep 1994)
If you like the way things are going, support my opponent. (Oct 2010)
A top adviser to President George W. Bush. (Oct 2010)
Voted YES on promoting work and marriage among TANF recipients. (Feb 2003)
Voted YES on treating religious organizations equally for tax breaks. (Jul 2001)
Voted YES on responsible fatherhood via faith-based organizations. (Nov 1999)
Limit welfare to 2 years & cut welfare spending. (Sep 1994)
Arbitrary deadline for withdrawal lets enemy wait it out. (Oct 2010)
Voted YES on approving removal of Saddam & valiant service of US troops. (Mar 2004)
Voted YES on authorizing military force in Iraq. (Oct 2002)
Voted NO on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo. (May 1999)
Opposes timetable for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. (Sep 2010)
Work with China to stop piracy of US intellectual property. (May 2005)
Voted YES on increasing fines for indecent broadcasting. (Feb 2005)
Voted YES on promoting commercial human space flight industry. (Nov 2004)
Voted YES on banning Internet gambling by credit card. (Jun 2003)
Voted YES on allowing telephone monopolies to offer Internet access. (Feb 2002)
Terminate funding for the superconducting super collider. (Feb 1993)