RNC Chair Hopefuls Oppose Marriage Equality

The five major candidates for chair of the Republican National Committee debated Monday and uniformly expressed their opposition to marriage equality and concerns about the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

Talking Points Memo reports on the event in Washington, D.C., featuring RNC chair Michael Steele and his four challengers:

"It seems increasingly clear that embracing some changes in the way gays and lesbians interact with society will be necessary for political viability in the future. That is, unless you're running to be the next chair of the Republican National Committee. At their debate yesterday, the major candidates running to lead the RNC through the 2012 presidential race pledged to hold the line on gay rights, expressing concern over the repeal of DADT and vowing to keep the Republican Party in the sanctity of marriage business."

According to TPM, the candidate most likely to defeat Steele is Wisconsin GOP chair Reince Priebus, who echoed Steele in opposing marriage equality.

"I don't believe that judges can rewrite the Constitution and redraft what marriage is," he said. "I think there is a sanctity of marriage."

"Everyone should be loved," said Priebus, "but at the end of the day, I believe that marriage through the sanctity of marriage should be between one man and one woman."