State Senator Curtis King and State Representative Norm Johnson are the object of the scorn of the far right in the Republican Party for their support of the bill expanding rights and responsibilities of domestic partners. This from the March 11, 2009 Yakima Herald article:
The county Republican Party could hold the vote against King in future elections, party Chairman Max Golladay said.
“It would seem to be a minority opinion in the Republican Party,” Golladay said. “So in that respect, I suppose it could have a detrimental effect on his constituents and how they receive it.”
Skip Schoff, vice president of Christian Broadcasting of Yakima and head of the local Christian Coalition chapter during the 1980s, was less diplomatic, saying he’ll do everything he can to ensure King’s defeat in the next election. King’s statement that he supported this bill but would never vote to legalize gay marriage struck Schoff as dishonest.
“It’s time for the Christian people of Yakima to stand up and oppose this guy,” Schoff said.
The same goes for Johnson, he added.
Add to that the so called righteous indignation expressed by the callers to KIT talk radio and we are beginning to see internal problems in the local GOP. These right wing hard core, narrow thinking, homophobes are willing to expel King and Johnson from their ranks! The Yakima County Republican Party is getting weaker every day. The longer they hang on to their outdated ideology the less relevant they become. Good riddance!