Lisa Murkowski endorses same-sex marriage

[illegaloperation]

Source: Politico

Lisa Murkowski endorsed the right of gay couples to marry on Tuesday, joining Rob Portman and Mark Kirk as the third Republican senator to do so.

The Alaskan senator announced the news in comments to Anchorage TV station KTUU on Wednesday morning and in a long commentary posted on her website. Murkowski told POLITICO that it was no overnight epiphany.

“I didn’t just wake up and say: ‘Oh my gosh I’m going to do this. No, it’s something that I’ve been giving a lot of thought to over a long period of time,” Murkowski said.
The senior Alaska senator said she was not trying to persuade any of her colleagues to change their position and said she had not yet talked to Kirk or Portman.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/lisa-murkowski-gay-marriage-stance-93047.html?hp=t3_3

[still_one]

1. I wonder which close relative that was in her family motivated her decision

It seems like most republicans do not do anything because it is the right thing to do, but only if they are personally affected

Maybe I am wrong in this case. She voted against planned parenthood funding, then said she regretted her decision a few days later. Then why did she vote against it?

I am too cynical perhaps

[jtuck004]

3. People can say what they want, and I will continue to care about as much, but she has her

seat AGAINST the wishes of both parties, but most particularly the Republican Party that turned its back on her and pulled their funding when she wouldn't go along with the flow. She ran a write- in campaign, (with a not so easy to write name), and won.

I will nearly always admire such an effort. She's not perfect, but I think she has a far more open mind than most of her thug brethren.

Oh, and frankly, we need more women up there.

[JI7]

4. yes, and she actually has a pretty good record on gay rights, she voted to repeal DADT

voted in support of the matthew shheperd hate crimes bill.

[still_one]

5. No argument on your points, but her vote on against planned parenthood was terrible

[jtuck004]

6. Yes, very much so. n/t

[Tx4obama]

9. Here ya go...

-snip-

UPDATE: 10:50 a.m. -- In a statement on marriage equality, Murkowski spoke of an Alaskan lesbian couple who adopted four children and said the family's story influenced her thinking:

Yet despite signing up and volunteering to give themselves fully to these four adorable children, our government does not meet this family halfway and allow them to be legally recognized as spouses. After their years of sleepless nights, after-school pickups and birthday cakes, if one of them gets sick or injured and needs critical care, the other would not be allowed to visit them in the emergency room – and the children could possibly be taken away from the healthy partner. They do not get considered for household health care benefit coverage like spouses nationwide. This first-class Alaskan family still lives a second-class existence.

-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/19/lisa-murkowski-gay-marriage_n_3465493.html

[Scootaloo]

2. She's still a worthless asshole.

Pardon me, former Alaskan, and I'm happy she's joined the civilized world on this one issue, but at this point, there's no applaise for doing what's expected of you.

[David__77]

7. Beware overconfidence.

I think that the recent increases in support for marriage equality for a mile wide and pretty shallow. It's like at some point in the late 70s it become more taboo to say one was against interracial marriage. But people didn't become less racist - it just went underground a bit.

[Tx4obama]

8. Ever since the GOP screwed her around during her last election in 2010...

... she started voting more often with the Democrats than she ever did in the past, especially on women's issues the past couple of years.
I think she feels more free now to vote and do what ever the hell she wants to do.


Additional article below

Lisa Murkowski Backs Gay Marriage

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) expressed support for gay marriage Wednesday, becoming the third sitting Republican senator to do so.

The Human Rights Campaign, a pro-gay rights group, announced the Alaska senator had backed marriage equality in a statement.

"This is a hard issue. It is hard because marriage is such a deeply personal issue," Murkowski told Anchorage television station KTUU. "There may be some that when they hear the position that I hold that are deeply disappointed. There may be some that embrace the decision that I have made."

"I recognize that it is an area that as a Republican I will be criticized for," she added.

-snip-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/19/lisa-murkowski-gay-marriage_n_3465493.html

[Major Hogwash]

10. Wow, no kidding.

This is really good news.