Human Rights Campaign offers special rights to GOP allies

Since four (out of 32) Republican senators put marriage equality over the top in New York, the Human Rights Campaign is pledging to help the GOP retain control of that legislative body. From The Capitol:

What the four Senate Republicans will have is strong support from gay rights groups, who will see the Republicans’ political survival as a badge of honor they can use to convince other lawmakers in other states to change their votes.

“No Republican lawmaker who voted yes on same-sex marriage has ever lost re-election for that vote,” said Brian Ellner, the chief strategist on the marriage bill from the Human Rights Campaign.

Marriage advocates are willing to spend anything to keep that statement accurate, no matter how difficult their races and no matter their other political leanings, he said.

“We will support a Republican senator against a Democrat,” Ellner said. “We will support a Republican senator who votes ‘yes’ against a gay Democrat.”

Oh, HRC, you always make it easy to guiltlessly throw away your fundraising pleas.

Why not thank the GOP Four by staying neutral, instead of giving them money to defeat pro-equality Democrats? Marriage equality is now supported by most New Yorkers (54% in one recent poll), but the HRC seems determined to treat the GOP Four as profiles in courage, unintentionally echoing the other side's argument that these senators have taken a huge risk by voting the way they did.

It's more likely that the senators looked at polling data and realized that it would be dangerous not to vote for marriage equality, especially if their district lines are redrawn to include more Democratic or LGBT voters. I'd like to see some money spent putting the same fear into legislators in states that don't yet have marriage equality.

Besides, if the GOP Four are at risk of losing their seats over voting for marriage equality, surely the threat comes in Republican primaries, not the general election. I'd go along with the HRC assisting pro-equality Republicans in competitive primaries, but there's no good reason to help pro-equality Republicans defeat pro-equality Democrats in races that hinge on tax cuts, global warming, and how much voters like or dislike Barack Obama.

There's also the possibility that one or more of the GOP Four made it clear that he would only back marriage equality if gay rights groups promised him money (i.e., bribed him). This would not be unprecedented. But if that's the case, it's gauche for the HRC to brag about the arrangement in the press. It's better to say nice things about the GOP defectors without mentioning any commitments so soon. Then, when potential Democratic opponents hit you up for funds, you quietly tell them that all your cash is already spoken for. If you're going to practice backroom politics, do it right.