Ken Mehlman and David Kochel spoke out in January of 2013 about how marriage equality is consistent with conservatives core values. On the article on the Iowa Republican, you can watch a video of Ken Mehlman's speech as well.

1. Ken Mehlman and David
Kochel Speak out in Iowa
about why Marriage
Equality is Consistent with
Conservative Values -
Transcript

2. So the men and women who were here today and the reason that I am here in
Iowa is to stand with and salute the excellent work of men and women who stand
in favor of civil marriage because they are conservative, not in spite of being
conservative. If you think about what permitting civil marriage is about it is actually
consistent with conservative principles.
I’m a conservative because I believe in more freedom and I believe in less
government. I think that we are endowed by our creator- not by politicians, not by
the government, not by a bureaucrat- with inalienable rights including the pursuit of
happiness. If you believe that, what could be more central to the pursuit of
happiness than choosing the person that you love that you have the right to marry.
What could be a more basic and a more fundamental and a more core right? A
right in which the individual has and frankly the government shouldn’t be
involved. How could smaller and less intrusive government not include the right to
choose the person that you would like to marry?
The second reason that a lot of us are conservatives is that we believe in family
values. We think that it is good for society when families are promoted- when
stability is promoted. It is one reason that I for one was proud when I was working
in Congress to have helped out members of Congress that were working on behalf
of welfare reform. It is a reason you hear a lot of people talk, and I think rightly
so, about the dangers of family disinigration. These are important things.

3. So if you believe that, isn’t a good way to promote family values and discourage
family disinigration to allow families to form in the first place? Isn’t that
important, doesn’t that make sense? How does standing in the way of two adults
who love each other discourage rather than promote family values?
If you think about it what- in fact- it does (and you’re seeing it across Iowa) is it
makes our society stronger. It makes it more caring. It makes it more focused on
the long term. It creates stability in the lives of children across the country who
are raised by two members of the same gender who are loving moms or loving
dads and- because of what happened in Iowa- now have the stability and security
in the knowledge that their home is now more secure.
We are also conservatives because we believe in protecting religious liberty and
because we believe in the golden rule. Protecting religious liberty. We know that
here in Iowa, that in New York, we know that in New Hampshire, all around the
country there are civil marriage laws. And what those laws do- in addition to
promoting freedom and in addition to encouraging family values- is that they
protect religious liberties.
How? They say that if it’s a church, or a synagogue, or a knights of Columbus, and
their doctrine says that they don’t perform the ceremony, then the ceremony
doesn’t happen there. And that’s as it should be
But there’s something else. Even though many of us come from different religious
traditions, so many of those traditions are rooted in the golden rule. Do unto
others- put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

4. So how does that apply here? Well think about it. Put yourself in the shoes of
your neighbor. Your neighbor works hard like you do. He or she pays the same
taxes that you do. He or she may serve in the same military that you
do. Shouldn’t they be subjected to the same laws? How would you feel if you
were in their shoes and you had special laws that applied to you that precluded
you from marrying the person you loved?
Or put yourself in the shoes of the 14 year-old, or the 12 year-old, or the kid that is
growing up. Sitting on your mom or dad’s counter is a wedding album. And it
celebrates one of the greatest things that happened in their life- when they chose
to get married. As you thought about your own future wouldn’t you hope that you
had that same opportunity?
So when you do unto others- when you think about the golden rule- it seems to me
that allowing civil marriage is also consistent with permitting that to occur. And
that’s another reason that we as conservatives stand on behalf of civil marriage
because we are conservatives, not in spite of being conservatives.
There are also real world practical implications. I’m talking about conservatism and
philosophy and all that, but there are real world implications that affect people’s
lives. One of them is before the United States Supreme Court. There is a woman
in New York by the name of Evie Winsor. She’s an older woman. She is someone
who had a partner for her whole life and when her partner died she ended up with
a more than $700,000 estate tax simply because they were a couple who were of
the same gender. As conservatives who don’t like taxes and who feel that a
fundamentally unfair rule like that ought to be overturned shouldn’t we stand with
Evie against such an onerous tax? That’s a real world implication.

5. I have a good friend of mine who lives in New York. A couple. They have been
together for about 15 years. Because they live in New York and if they came to
Iowa, when they travel with their children they’re in a good place. But if they go to
a number of other states in their country they have to carry papers proving that
they have custody of the children in case, heaven forbid, that something happened
to one of the children and a medical decision had to be made.
The way they got those papers was by a judge sitting in their house for a week
and ascertaining whether they are fit parents. That happens all across America
today. Not in Cuba, in America. That is unjust, and it’s unfair, and it’s a very
practical- not philosophical- but practical fact that can be changed when other
states follow what Iowa has done and civil marriage is available.
I have another friend who is in a wonderful relationship with someone who lives
overseas. And every five years this couple has to go through a harrowing
experience about worrying about whether they are going to have to deal with a
situation where the couple can stay together. How are they going to do it?
So these are real world, actual implications. Not philosophical. Not about matters
about what you call it or not call it. The fact is that all across our country are
couples that lose their homes, who pay unfair taxes, who worry about making
medical decisions for their children who they care about and love, and who worry
about whether a loved one overseas can be with their mate for life in this
country. And that’s all because other states do not have what we have in Iowa,
what we have in New York, and that is the right to civil marriage.
Finally, it always interests me when I talk to people about this, what does it mean
to have marriage? Think about this state. There are probably four or five thousand
couples who are together today as married couples that weren’t together before
there was marriage in this state. And what does it mean?

6. It means a whole lot to that couple. It means their lives are better. It means that if
they have kids their kids live in a more secure home. It means that if they live in
your neighborhood they are two people, not one, who if you are sick or old that
they can look after your house, who can mow the lawn if you need the help. That
can make sure that if your child is wandering the streets that your child is taken
care of.
It means that when these folks get older that they will, in fact, be able to care for
each other and the public taxpayer is protected. It means that their families feel
better knowing that there is someone out there to look after their son or their
daughter.
The fact is that for those 5,000 people and for all the people in their lives, their
families, their neighbors, their friends, their work colleagues, it’s a better place to
live. And who’s at worst for it? Can you find anyone?
I was in a discussion with a state legislator in another state and I explained to him
why I felt that civil marriage made sense. And he said, “I’m against it.” And I said,
“Well, you’ve had it in your state for a few years. Can you find me one person,
one example where it’s worse? One example where the parade of horrible
happened?” The fact is, he couldn’t.
So if you think about it, Iowa is a better place today because of the fact that loving
couples can be married. It’s a freer place, it’s a juster place, it’s a place with
stronger families, it’s a place with stronger neighborhoods, it’s a place with
stronger communities.
The conservatives who stand here today are not alone. All across our country
from Dick Cheney who more than eight years ago to John Bolton to Clint
Eastwood to Ted Olsen, people who are extremely conservative, who are proud of
their support of freedom, who are proud of their support of family values who are
proud of their support of the golden rule, believe that civil marriage ought to be
available.

7. And obviously conservatives are not alone. We saw what happened in the last
election- more Americans support the right to civil marriage than oppose it and that
number continues to grow every day.
So I am proud to stand here today with men and women who have taken the term
“Iowa first” and have proven it to once again be true. Proven it by standing up first
for justice, standing up first for freedom, and standing up for conservative and
frankly American values that we look forward to seeing expand across the
country.
I salute the head of One Iowa that we have with us today and I want to salute and
thank you for your wonderful leadership and there are a number of One Iowa staff,
raise your hands and stand so that we can give you a round of applause.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for your leadership. It is an honor for me to
stand with you all today and its an honor to be back here in the wonderful city of
Des Moines. And I appreciate the members of the press taking the time to be with
us today.
For more information on Ken Mehlman’s speech and to watch the video, visit
The Iowa Republican.