Koch brother breaks from GOP, supports gay marriage

Billionaire businessman David Koch has helped direct millions to Republican candidates but he disagrees with the party on gay marriage.

The Libertarian-minded Koch -- whose brother, Charlie, also is a big GOP supporter -- made the remarks Thursday on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention.

"I believe in gay marriage," the 72-year-old Koch told Politico. He was in Tampa as a New York delegate and to attend an event held by Americans for Prosperity -- the political advocacy group he helps fund and lead.

He also told the newspaper the U.S. military should withdraw from the Middle East and that the federal government should consider tax increases and defense-spending cuts to improve fiscal woes.

Despite the apparent break from several traditional GOP positions, Koch said he considers himself foremost a Republican, not the Libertarian he was in the 1980s.

He said he quit the Libertarian Party because it had "gone too far off the deep end" but supports the Republican Party because it has "a great chance of being successful."

So how will this sit with my fellow Republicans? The Koch Brothers have funneled millions of dollars into the GOP and are supporters of the Tea Party movement, but it appears that his personal beliefs may contradict the Republican agenda of being anti-gay, pro-war and opponents of tax increases.

I believe this is a good thing.

His opinions align well with the vast majority of Americans that do not care about gay marriage, want to end the wars and believe our current tax system is a wreck.

But will the staunch Republicans continue to take their money? Will they overlook his "extreme" views or will David Koch become the next Soros-like drag to the party?

FoxNews

Originally posted by sheepslayer247
So how will this sit with my fellow Republicans?

It won't matter. As long as Koch continues to fund the GOP, he can have his thoughts on gay marriage all he wants and no one will care. Keep the $$$ coming in ... those who run the GOP will be fine with it.

Side note - Marriage equality.

The Libertarian-minded Koch

That makes me laugh, the article means fascist minded, right?

Anyways this is the only positive thing for the non-billionaires that the Kochs probably support.

reply to post by FlyersFan

As long as Koch continues to fund the GOP, he can have his thoughts on gay marriage all he wants and no one will care.

Wouldn't that be hypocritical of Republicans to do so? They have ridiculed the Democrats for taking Soros' money while he maintains "extreme" views.

I despise the Koch brothers, if evil exists I believe they would be the poster boys for it. However, I will be optimistic here and hope that since money talks that this will be the beginning of the end of the war on Gays.

reply to post by sheepslayer247

Originally posted by sheepslayer247
Wouldn't that be hypocritical of Republicans to do so?

It's actually hypocritical of a Republican to be AGAINST equal treatment under the law and FOR governmental interference in personal matters (large and invasive government). But today's Republican is just that. Today's Republican wants the freedoms they agree with, while wishing to legally disallow the freedoms they disagree with. They want to apply the 14th Amendment to lumps of cells and fetuses, while not applying it to full-grown contributing (gay) members of society. That's the hypocrisy.

This is the first admirable thing I've seen about a Koch.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


I agree and was shocked when I read the article.....on FoxNews no less.

Originally posted by sheepslayer247
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

As long as Koch continues to fund the GOP, he can have his thoughts on gay marriage all he wants and no one will care.

Wouldn't that be hypocritical of Republicans to do so?

OF COURSE. What else would you expect. This is politics. Money is involved.
Hypocrisy is the name of the game. Democrat or republican. Same/same.

ETA ... I should say this reminds me of evangelical black voters in the democratic party. They are heavy-duty christian and against gay marriage .. but they'll still vote for Obama even though their christian religion says it's a major sin to do so .... that's an example of what I mean by same/same ... democrat or republican ... lots of hypocrisy on both sides.

reply to post by FlyersFan

ETA ... I should say this reminds me of evangelical black voters in the democratic party. They are heavy-duty christian and against gay marriage .. but they'll still vote for Obama even though their christian religion says it's a major sin to do so .... that's an example of what I mean by same/same ... democrat or republican ... lots of hypocrisy on both sides.

Probably because that is one issue to disagree with vs. a 1000xxxxxx in the Republican party, which also has a large racist body against minorities.

And before anyone attacks me, I didn't say it....Rep Lindsey Graham did.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is warning Republicans that the strategy of relying on “angry white guys” is eventually going to doom his party.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by sheepslayer247


To tell you the truth I don't think the people in the senate give a crap about gay marriage it's some of the people who they think will turn on them if they don't suppot it when in fact I believe it to be a very small group of people who are not going to support it...and do you think if the republicans don't support it they are all of a sudden go to register democrat? Let them marry....

reply to post by RealSpoke


I would disagree with that statement that the republicans have a large racist body....you of all people should now how the media manipulates us...and if it's the majority of republicans that you know that might be racist still does not support the idea the the large majority of the republicans in the US are racist. As the news potrays in Boston that most black kids are shooting up the town and are in gangs I know this not to be true but some narrow minded people could easily say that the majority of black teens are of a criminal element...

reply to post by chrismarco


I don't need the media, I have personal experience along with countless others stories... But like I said, the one of your Republican members even admitted it relied on angry white men.

I'm not saying the majority are, just that it has a large number of them.

But lets not de-rail the thread.

I really don't want to turn this into a discussion about gay marriage or taxes...just David Koch's statement and what it means to the Republican party.

Gay marriage is an inevitability. Not because of human rights or equality or any other such fanciful ideal but because government wants to maintain control over our lives. It is in governments best interest, and as such political parties best interests, to support government approved and sanctified gay marriage.

They offer the illusion of freedom to fools while maintaining, even tightening, the chains on all of us.

To seek government approval of our relationships is to put government directly in the position of being our god.

Stop supporting slavery. End government involvement in marriage altogether.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


I can agree with that. Do you think that's how David Koch looks at the issue and will the Republican party eventually follow suit......publicly?

Originally posted by sheepslayer247
reply to post by thisguyrighthere

 

I can agree with that. Do you think that's how David Koch looks at the issue and will the Republican party eventually follow suit......publicly?

If they want to remain a)relevant and b)powerful they will.

Using homophobic bigotry in the people to win position wont work much longer.

It's going to be fake libertarianism that will sway the idiots of the next few generations from both parties.

Gay marriage is the perfect false liberty cause.

One of the more popular extra-convention activities during the RNC was gay bars attracting gay republicans.

The era of rallying the idiot public behind hate is nearing a close. Now the cause to rally the idiots will be false liberty.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
It's actually hypocritical of a Republican to be AGAINST equal treatment under the law and FOR governmental interference in personal matters (large and invasive government).

Completely agree, which is why I see the two parties as one in the same.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


So.. the three things he listed fit right into Ron Paul's platform. Leave marriage equality to the states, get the troops out of the middle east, cut military spending and taxes.

So why did they give millions to Romney? Some other agenda I suppose.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow

So why did they give millions to Romney?

Politics.

People like to feel they are on the winning team and it takes a lot more juevos to stand up to the opposition only on principle.

Originally posted by RealSpoke

Anyways this is the only positive thing for the non-billionaires that the Kochs probably support.

My question is why?

I'd say these guys are Progressive thinkers. I doubt they care about gay rights.

But they do know its a distraction and waste of energy when looking at the bigger picture.