Michael Brodkorb, former top political strategist for Minnesota Republicans, recently made it perfectly clear that the Republican-proposed gay marriage ban amendment was motivated by politics, not principles.

As WCCO-TV’s Pat Kessler reported:

 In an interview with WCCO, Mr. Brodkorb discussed the scandal, and gave a surprising inside look at the gay marriage amendment.

…Brodkorb — once a powerful Republican insider — says a big reason it’s on the ballot isn’t family values. Top Republicans needed a way to get conservatives off the couch and into the voting booth.

“It provided a turnout opportunity for Republicans,” he said.

Brodkorb was former Deputy Chairman of the State Republican Party and top Senate staffer, and says GOP Senators knew a driving force behind the gay marriage amendment wasn’t morality. It was political reality.

Top GOP leaders thought they couldn’t beat incumbent Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Republicans would stay home.

“The belief was, the United States senate race was not going to be close, and that Republicans needed and social conservatives needed a reason to get to the polls in November,” he said.

So despite the Republicans claims about backing the amendment to defend “family values,” Brodkob says that is nonsense.  Mr. Brodkorb was the chief political strategist at the time, and he says this amendment was pushed to promote partisan politics, not principles.

So gay marriage opponents, elite GOP operatives are using you like their political puppets.  Feel like chumps?

And speaking of crass partisan amendments, what about the Photo ID amendment?  Behind closed doors, Republicans in other states have made it clear that the Photo ID requirement is also being pushed because of politics rather than principles.  That is, Republican political hacks want to  erect bureaucratic barriers that disproportionately impact the voters who are most likely to vote for their opponents – minorities, students and seniors.

Now that Mr. Brodkorb is inclined to tell the truth about the Republicans’ political playbook, he should be asked by reporters about the photo ID ruse too.  Before next week’s election, photo ID supporters also deserve to know about the political puppeteers trying to control their strings.

– Loveland