* A group of social conservative leaders sent Republican state legislators a warning today about state Rep. Ron Sandack. From the letter…

The letter continues…

Although we know it is usually the custom of House members to support colleagues engaged in primary fights, we ask you to take a pass on Ron Sandack. He has disgraced your Caucus and himself by his untruthful behavior.

It was signed by the leaders of Family PAC (Paul Caprio), Eagle Forum of Illinois (Penny Pullen), Illinois Family Action (David E. Smith) and Illinois Family Network (Ralph Rivera).

Going up against Sandack for flip-flopping on them appears reasonable to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Sandack. He took a courageous stand on this issue. But he knew what he was getting into when he changed positions.

* And, meanwhile, passing a gay marriage bill would obviously have some benefits for the wedding industry, but I’m not sure it’s enough to make the case for approving gay marriage…

Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie sent a letter to all House members earlier this month saying it’s time to approve legislation legalizing same-sex marriage. The letter follows a push in early September by Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak to lure Illinois’ gay couples to wed in Minnesota, which legalized same-sex marriage earlier this year. […]

“Illinois has been missing out on this economic opportunity long before Minneapolis’ mayor unleashed his advertising campaign in our state,” Currie wrote in the letter released Saturday.

Currie said the wedding industry is big business and Illinois is losing millions to states like Minnesota that allow same-sex marriage.

       

21 Comments - South of Sherman - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 1:24 pm: By all means, Illinois GOP, pick your side. Ron Sandack over here, or Penny Pullen, David Smith and Ralph Rivera over there. Think carefully about the future of your party and who will best represent your long-term interests… now choose! - Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 1:24 pm: Welp, You have to “Force”…”Purity” … Why? Because being 100% “pure” is the only way we can shrink My Party properly … to nothing. - Ahoy! - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 1:24 pm: The economics of gay marriage could be more long term problems of workforce and talent recruitment. Gay couples might might to live in a state that allows them to marry. That takes talent and income from the State. Weddings are nice for the economy but not nearly as important as long term employment in the State. Often the more talented/skilled the worker, the more mobile they are. That is of course on top of the fact that they deserve equality under the law. - LincolnLounger - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 1:36 pm: And when you look to the future, pay no attention to polling and demographics. Gallup polling shows same sex marriage now up to a solid majority? Pshaw. Voters under 30 support same sex marriage approaching 70%? What do they know?! Supreme Court weighing in and showing you what is soon inevitable? Stick your head in the sand! Examine your message and shrinking legislative minorities? No, blame the map! Everything’s fine. Nothing to see here. Except next time put Paul Caprio on the payroll. You might save yourself a lot of nuisance and see how quickly “principles” somtimes can be accommodated. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 1:43 pm: Dear Leader Durkin, Congrats on Officially (less the Chamber recognition) taking over the HGOP Caucus. Whew! The difficult part is over …”Right”? Leader Durkin, you are elected by acclamation by all the members of your Caucus to lead them all to relevence. Are you going to start by allowing the Slytherin House Republicans deny you a unified Caucus that you had brought together? Every day, you are going to have to try to keep them unified, while the Slytherins use the Same Sex Marriage issue to torpedo the idea of inclusion that a diverse Caucus yields, so are you going to allow them to poison your Caucus? This is a wake-up call. You remember a Caucus of Bernie Petersen and Rosemary Mulligan? I think they called that Caucus … a Majority Caucus. Do you remember how Bill Brady was “too extreme” but even getting the Indies and Moderate GOP voters to see that Bill Brady was within the Reagan rule of 80% was… Folly? Leader Durkin, if you allow this “Purity” run, or any “Purity” run against sitting members of your Caucus, you will lose the credibility of being a leader that is going to bring a new day to the ILGOP that is not based on Litmus Tests or Blood Oaths, and that you are a chmapion of a day where Ron Sandack and Jeanne Ives understand the HGOP Caucus… needs BOTH … to succeed. Big Ask. Tall Order. Any phrase you want, the bottom line is that it’s not going to be easy … …but this decision should be one of the easest you are going to make… Leader Durkin. Dance with the Caucus that brought you, or sit it out now, and become even more irrelevent…under the Grasp of Slytherin House Republicans… that envoke Reagan as they become less inclusive for My Party… and your Caucus. Do the “Right” thing. Take a stand that leaves no doubt that the legacy of a Majority Caucus of Petersen and Mulligan … should begin again with Ives and Sandack. Do not … do not let this Caucus down. - walkinfool - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 1:46 pm: Sometimes public servants have to evolve along with the voters. - A guy... - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 1:48 pm: Not passing any judgment on the issue itself, but if you’re going to fill out someone’s survey to secure their support, it’s not unreasonable to ask them to be truthful. It appears he was not. On which issues is that OK? Right, none. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 1:56 pm: === A guy …=== Understood. Funny thing about surveys, and then going to Springfield and working, and evolving, and understanding, and learning some more, and add some personal experiences … Yeah, funng thing … survey answers don’t vote, Members vote. These Slytherin House Republicans want to tak out Sandack, all power to them, run someone, do all you can my Slytherin friends, make “Purity” real… But, keep in mind, those with Litmus Tests and Blood Oaths are not about the Reagan Rule of 80% or even about being Republican; The Slytherin House Republicans are about “Purity” and nothing less than that is not good enough. They are not “helping”, they are hurting, and make no mistake, if Leader Durkin does what is “Right” and backs Sandack, every dollar keeping these Slytherin House Republicans away, is a dollar Mike Madigan and the HDems don’t need to worry about against them. Run them all.. but these Slytherin House Republicans need to be called out for what they are doing; runing Primaries on “Purity”, and not running them on what is BEST for the ILGOP, the HGOP, or any Republicans, its all about Slytherin, and not about winning. - Anonymous - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:02 pm: Well, given that the Cook County Circuit Court will likely be issuing a ruling on Friday on this issue, there is at least a possibility that the legislature will never end up voting on the issue anyway. Given the speed at which gay marriage is moving through the courts (Illinois and federal) perhaps Madigan was wise (or lucky) to not have his members exposed to a controversial vote. Of course, I have no idea what the court will do Friday. I am just saying there is a possibility. - Blue bird - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:03 pm: Well, given that the Cook County Circuit Court will likely be issuing a ruling on Friday on this issue, there is at least a possibility that the legislature will never end up voting on the issue anyway. Given the speed at which gay marriage is moving through the courts (Illinois and federal) perhaps Madigan was wise (or lucky) to not have his members exposed to a controversial vote. Of course, I have no idea what the court will do Friday. I am just saying there is a possibility. - Just Me - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:03 pm: Why is an anti-abortion group taking a stance on the equal marriage issue? Is there a connection between the two I’m not seeing? - train111 - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:10 pm: Latest right-wing “outrage of the day” Seems to happen every 5 minutes or so…. yawn……… - Mary Sunshine - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:27 pm: Ron Sandack is a class act, and has recognized that this is not only the right thing to do, it is about the future of his party. Most people under 30, or maybe even 35, and many of all ages won’t be a part of a party that doesn’t acknowlege that all Illinois residents should have the right to marry…there will be fewer and fewer that will accept this every year. In a few years, Barickman, Eddie Sullivan and Sandack will be lauded for their willingness to stand out to do the right thing and look forward toward the future of their party. For example, the majority of House Republican staffers support marriage equality. Too bad the majority of their own caucus is so out of step. - Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:49 pm: I think accusing Sandack of lying or being less-than-truthful takes things a step too far. Just because someone flip flops on an issue doesn’t mean they were lying before. It might just mean he’s evolved, as good legislators should. Only he, in his heart, knows whether he was telling the truth in those questionnaires and it does civil debate a disservice to suggest he lied without any factual basis other than the changing of a position. - Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:55 pm: =Why is an anti-abortion group taking a stance on the equal marriage issue? Is there a connection between the two I’m not seeing?= Ummmm….religion… - Ray Midge - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:55 pm: Kudos to Sandack for doing the right thing. History will show that he, Sullivan and Barickman were the smart ones. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 2:57 pm: ===Although we know it is usually the custom of House members to support colleagues engaged in primary fights, we ask you to take a pass on Ron Sandack. He has disgraced your Caucus and himself by his untruthful behavior.=== “Although we know it is usually the custom of House members to support colleagues engaged in primary fights…” This tells you EXACTLY what a weasely move the Slytherin House Republicans are doing. It is about “Purity”, it is about Slything Definitions of what is “Right” for a Caucus, and these signers of this letter have no stomach for a Caucus of diversity. “…He has disgraced your Caucus and himself by his untruthful behavior.” Attention. Attention. If you are a memeber of Leader Durkin’s Caucus, take heed; If you change your mind, you are a disgrace. If you change your mind … you are a disgrace to your Caucus and not Slytherin Approved. How embarrassingly crass, if you let these “influence peddlers” dictate what is embarrassing your Caucus. Sandack goes against your questionaire, I get the anger, I do… to say it embarrasses the Caucus, as it is your palce to know how the Caucus shoue feel, pretty smug place to be, signers of the letter. I, for one, will be watching this play out. - otoh - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 3:01 pm: Politicians change with the wind all the time. If they’re opposing him for saying he’s for gay marriage? Who cares, good luck with that. If they’re opposing him for being untruthful, AND can offer an alternative that’s NOT from wingnutland, have at it. Gonna guess most of their potentials are nutcases ready to be crushed. - ela observer - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 3:41 pm: I am surprised that Ed Sullivan has not drawn a Republican opponent yet for his forthright support of gay marriage. Demonstrators at his office pledged to find a candidate to run against him, but have not, that I know of. Anybody know different? - Jaded - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 4:18 pm: Durkin and Sandack are close. No way Durkin walks away from him. Sandack will get all the help he needs. - phocion - Monday, Sep 23, 13 @ 4:39 pm: Does this mean that Republicans who oppose pension reform will face a primary challenge, too? Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.