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Gay marriage debate splinters GOP into 3 camps

By WTOP Staff

DAVID CRARY
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — As same-sex marriage cases cascade through the federal courts, Republican politicians find themselves awkwardly split into three camps.

There’s a small but growing number who favor legalizing gay marriage, a hard-core faction that continues to denounce it, and a sizable group in between that seems to wish the issue would disappear.

At one end of the spectrum, at least eight GOP members of Congress have endorsed same-sex marriage, and two openly gay GOP candidates for the House hope to join them.

In Massachusetts, Richard Tisei has run ads featuring his husband. In California, Carl DeMaio ran an ad showing him and his long-term partner in San Diego’s gay-pride parade.

On the other flank, conservative Republicans in Congress have introduced legislation seeking to protect states from being forced to recognize same-sex marriages. One of those lawmakers is Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a potential presidential contender who drew applause at a recent conservative gathering by saying, “We stand for marriage,” and insisting that his party not shy away from “family values.”

Then there’s the large group in middle, not ready to embrace same-sex marriage but wary of antagonizing its supporters, including what polls suggest is a solid majority of Republicans under age 30.

Several GOP governors fit into this category, including Chris Christie of New Jersey, Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania, Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Brian Sandoval of Nevada. Each decided within the past year to back away from all-out legal fights against gay marriage.

Sandoval said Nevada’s gay-marriage ban “is no longer defensible in court.”

In the Great Lakes region, three GOP governors who are up for re-election and may be nursing presidential ambitions rarely raise the topic on their own.

Rick Snyder of Michigan, Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Kasich of Ohio haven’t disavowed past support for their states’ bans on gay marriage, but don’t seem eager to make it a high-profile issue as the bans are challenged in court.

The Supreme Court may soon say whether it will take up one or more same-sex marriage cases in its term that begins Monday. Were the justices to rule that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry in all 50 states, some activists and political analysts believe it would be a relief for the GOP’s 2016 presidential hopefuls.

“Then they wouldn’t have to talk about it,” said Evan Wolfson, who heads the advocacy group Freedom to Marry. “They’d really like the Supreme Court to finish the job and be able to move on.”

For now, the issue remains volatile in several campaigns.

Three conservative groups, including the National Organization for Marriage, recently told GOP leaders in Congress that they would actively oppose Tisei, DeMaio and the GOP Senate nominee in Oregon, Monica Wehby, in large part because of their support for same-sex marriage.

“These candidates are betraying the party,” said the group’s president, Brian Brown. “The base of the party is very solid on social issues. The leadership cannot throw this base to the curb and expect to win any national election.”

From the other direction, American Unity PAC, launched in 2012 by billionaire hedge fund manager and Republican donor Paul Singer, has been donating money to federal and state GOP candidates who support same-sex marriage. Money from the political action committee helped Rep. Richard Hanna, a gay-rights supporter, fend off a more conservative challenger in the June primary in the central New York district.

Jeff Cook-McCormac, a senior adviser to American Unity, said the GOP establishment is increasingly reluctant to take an aggressive stance against same-sex marriage, which is legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

“Republicans now recognize that focusing on this issue in a divisive way doesn’t sell,” he said. “People on both sides of the issue can and should be able to peacefully coexist.”

At an American Unity event in Washington on Thursday, the president of a leading gay-rights group, Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign, said Republicans have “an indispensable role” in the push for marriage equality and nondiscrimination laws.

“Once folks realize that LGBT people and our families aren’t boogeymen, that we have real stories to tell, that’s when we start to move forward not as Democrats and Republicans, but as Americans,” Griffin said.

A major test for the GOP may come at its 2016 national convention in Cleveland, when a coalition called Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry will learn the results of its campaign to strip the party platform of a plank opposing same-sex marriage.

The campaign’s manager is Tyler Deaton, a GOP state committeeman in New Hampshire.

“The Republican Party has to become much more respectful and inclusive of gay people and the people who love them,” Deaton said. “It’s the right thing to do. It’s the politically smart thing to do.”

Among the members of the Young Conservatives’ leadership committee are Meghan McCain, daughter of GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and the three eldest daughters of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a GOP moderate who ran for the presidency in 2012.

Another political offspring, Mary Cheney, spoke Sept. 17 at a dinner hosted by the gay GOP group Log Cabin Republicans. In 2012, Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, married her longtime partner — a union that caused a rift last year with Mary’s sister, Liz.

“Simply and clearly affirming the rights and dignity of gay men and women will not make us a weaker party — it will help make us a majority party,” Mary Cheney said.

A former head of the GOP Senate campaign committee, political consultant Rob Jesmer, predicted that the same-sex marriage issue would fade in prominence as today’s young Republicans take a bigger role in the party.

“It’s going look completely out of step to oppose it under all circumstances,” Jesmer said. “For people 40 and under, they look at you like you’re from Mars.”

___

Follow David Crary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CraryAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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