This is awesome to see from an elected official — a spine!
Senate Republicans intend to try various maneuvers to force a vote [on marriage equality], even though they don’t believe such efforts will succeed. Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, hopes public pressure might eventually compel Gronstal to allow a vote, but Gronstal said Wednesday that will never happen.
McKinley said: “I believe enough pressure will be brought that Mike Gronstal will have to stand against the wishes of the entire majority of Iowans. And then he will agree to do the right thing.”
Gronstal believes the right thing means protecting the civil rights of gays and lesbians. He reaffirmed Wednesday that he won’t bow to pressure, no matter how nasty it gets.
“The easy political thing for me to do years ago would have been to say, ‘Oh, let’s let this thing go. It’s just too political and too messy,’ ” Gronstal said. “What’s ugly is giving up what you believe in, that everybody has the same rights. Giving up on that? That’s ugly.”
Yes, it is ugly. But “ugly” is what extremist conservatives do for a living.
As Joe Sudbay said, we all need to show our support for Gronstal.
