Reply With QuoteGrisanti gets Conservative ultimatum
Vote for gay marriage would pose 2012 riskBy Robert J. McCarthy
NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER
Published:
June 17, 2011
The Erie County Conservative Party chairman made it clear Thursday to State Sen. Mark J. Grisanti of Buffalo: A vote for same-sex marriage translates into “difficulty” in retaining the party line for the 2012 election.
Chairman Ralph C. Lorigo said he has had several discussions as the freshman Republican continues to be “on the fence” over the issue, which may come to the Senate floor for a vote as early as today. Grisanti should adhere to the Conservative stand against gay marriage, he said, and honor the campaign promise he made to voters indicating he would
vote “no” on the measure.
“I told him he made a commitment to his constituents that he should uphold,” Lorigo said. “He put himself in this position.”
Grisanti, who barely won election in 2010 in an overwhelmingly Democratic district, could face an uphill battle again in 2012 depending on how district lines are reapportioned. Winning the top minor-party line on the ballot could be crucial.
But Lorigo said the line could be in jeopardy if Grisanti votes for the bill to allow same-sex marriage.
“This is about a small and militant portion of gays and lesbians who want to call it marriage,” Lorigo said, reiterating his support for the concept of civil unions. “But I have told Mark: ‘If you do it, I don’t know if I can help you in the future.’ ”
Grisanti said late Thursday that politics will not guide his decision. “My vote will not be based on anything political and whether I keep or lose an endorsement,” he said, adding that he remains undecided.
Lorigo, however, found himself defending others who already have voted in favor of same-sex marriage or who say they will. He does not have the same difficulty with Sen. Timothy
M. Kennedy, D-Buffalo, who has said he will support the measure. That’s because, the chairman said, Kennedy was never asked about his stand on gay marriage — a litmus test for some in the party — during interview sessions last year. The issue of reneging on a campaign promise does not apply to Kennedy, the chairman said.
He also said the party was willing to endorse Assemblyman Mark J. F. Schroeder, D-Buffalo, for city comptroller, despite his votes Wednesday and in 2009 for the measure on same-sex marriage.
“That’s a job in which he will not be conflicted over this moral issue where laws have to be drawn,” Lorigo said, adding that unlike State Conservative Chairman Michael R. Long, he is not a “one issue” chairman who bases endorsements on a matter such as gay marriage.
Long told YNN television recently that the Erie County party’s endorsement of Schroeder was “ill-conceived” because of his vote in favor of same-sex marriage.
What kind of double standard is this really? Everyone should adhere to the party platform not just a few.
Originally Posted by sharky
