NOM Praises Huckabee for Threat to Leave GOP Over Marriage Equality

The antigay National Organization for Marriage is hailing Mike Huckabee as a hero for his threat to leave the Republican Party and says "millions of conservatives" will follow his lead unless the party takes a stronger stand against marriage equality.

In denouncing the party's muted response to this week's Supreme Court action that let several pro-equality lower court rulings go into effect, "Governor Huckabee is exactly right and is speaking for millions of Americans who are sick of Republican elitists remaining silent and refusing to fight for the survival of marriage, the principal building block of society and the foundation of civilization," NOM president Brian Brown said in a blog post Friday.

Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas and onetime GOP presidential hopeful, made his comments on a right-wing radio show this week, saying "God-fearing, Bible-believing" people like himself will abandon the Republican Party if it makes concessions on same-sex marriage.

Some prominent Republicans, such as U.S. senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee and U.S. representative Tim Huelskamp, have spoken out strongly against the court decision not to review the lower court rulings. And opposition to marriage equality is part of the party's national platform. But some Republicans are apparently reluctant to discuss the issue, considering it a political liability as support for marriage equality has spread.

That leads the likes of Huckabee and Brown to conclude that the party is just not antigay enough. "If more Republican leaders do not speak up and join the fight, then millions of conservatives will abandon them and join with officials who will fight," Brown said. "Marriage is on the line in our country, and it's time for people to get off the bench and into the battle."