The Republican governor of Pennsylvania recently compared the marriage of same-sex couples to incest involving marriage between brother and sister.
During a recent interview with WHP-TV in Harrisburg,PA, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett was asked about a recent court filing where his lawyer compared same-sex marriage to young children getting married. While the lawyers remarks caught everyone off guard, the governor's statement took the issue to the next level.
“It was an inappropriate analogy, you know? I think a much better analogy would have been brother and sister, don’t you?....The Supreme Court left it up to the states to determine under their laws as to what is and isn't a marriage...The federal court shouldn't even be involved in this. But if they say they are, then they’re going to make a determination whether the state has the right to determine that a marriage is only between a man and a woman and not between two individuals of the same sex.”
Following backlash, Corbett attempted to walk back his statements by issuing an apology in a prepared statement.
“During a recent interview, I was asked to comment on the ruling by Judge Pellegrini that the Montgomery County Clerk of Courts did not have the power to decide the constitutionality of state laws. My words were not intended to offend anyone. If they did, I apologize.”
Corbett isn't a stranger to unkind headlines. Earlier this year a report was released noting that the governor had accepted thousands of dollars in gifts in exchange for "favors." Corbett received free dinners, tickets to sporting events and vacations.
Gov. Corbett's response is right in line with the usual rhetoric from Republicans, but consistent anti-gay language will not help the party moving forward. With the Republican party struggling in recent national elections, they will need to find the pulse of the American people when it comes to social issues or they will continue to fall into disarray.
