KEN MEHLMAN
MEMBER, KKR
Kenneth Mehlman: Same-Sex Marriage = Conservative Values
As a Republican, Kenneth Mehlman has always pushed for strong family values. It was perhaps the tipping factor that put Bush ahead of Kerry in the 2004 election race. These days, he may be less involved in the political sphere, but he’s certainly still pushing for social causes he believes in, like same-sex marriage.
Ken Mehlman most recently spoke at a public event for the Iowa Republicans for Freedom (IRFF) at the Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines, urging Conservative Republicans to share his views on marriage equality. In his speech, he marks several philosophical and practical reasons to support same-sex marriage: increased family values, stronger societies, more stable homes, less taxation for same-sex families, honoring the “Golden Rule,” and promoting individual freedoms over government control.
“I’m a conservative because I believe in more freedom and I believe in less government,” Mehlman said, citing two key values for the Republican Party. “I think that we are endowed by our Creator, not by politicians, not by government, not by bureaucrats, with inalienable rights, including the pursuit of happiness. If you believe that, what could be more central to the pursuit of happiness that choosing the person that you love, that you have the right to marry?”
Calling out examples of other influential Conservatives who support same-sex marriage, Ken Mehlman included in his 11-minute speech references to Dick Cheney, Clint Eastwood, John Bolton, and Ted Olson. Hitting on the effect same-sex marriage has on society, Mehlman said, “It makes a society stronger… It creates stability in the lives of children across this country [with loving same-sex parents].”
David Kochel, who led the 2012 Iowa campaign for Mitt Romney, also joined Mehlman at the event. Kochel, who claims to have been a supporter of same-sex marriage for over a decade, said, “the Republican Party needs… to be a more modern party, we need to be a more inclusive party.”
Together, Ken Mehlman and David Kochel are a formidable force for anti-gay initiatives. The two have also spent time in the past few days meeting with Republicans in Iowa who are opposed to same-sex marriage, encouraging them to move forward progressively and embrace same-sex equality alongside the public.
Ken Mehlman- Support of Same-Sex Marriage is Conservative
Ken Mehlman was recently in Des Moines, Iowa speaking at a public event hosted by Iowa Republicans for Freedom. According to the Iowa Republican, Mehlman spoke on the fact that he “believes that not only is it in the best interest of the Republican Party to end its opposition to same-sex marriage, but it also fits with the conservative principles of small government the party holds dear.”
In the ten minute speech Kenneth Mehlman touched on several different issues, including the benefits that civil marriage can bring to society as well as individuals. Watch the video, or read the full transcript of his video tomorrow
Transcript:
Ken Mehlman: “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 disintegration. These are important things.
So if you believe that, isn’t a good way to promote family values and discourage family disintegration 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.
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.
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?
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.
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 it’s 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.”
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Ken Mehlman, of KKR, on the fiscal cliff and 2013 outlook
Is the fiscal cliff as scary as everyone says that it is? Ken Mehlman of KKR was interviewed by Debra Borchardt of The Street about the threat of the fiscal cliff and possible outlooks for 2013, and contrary to popular thought he explained that, if you stick to fundamentals, investments during this time might be a very good idea.
“We have found over the years that time like this are actually the best time to invest. If you look back historically at our track record, the periods where there was economic volatility and economic dislocation, we made some of our best investments,” Ken Mehlman explained in the interview. “So we think that this is actually a good time to invest if you focus on the fundamentals. It doesn’t meant that you don’t need to pay attention to these other issues, but the fundamentals matter most.”
Mehlman went on to explain that, while government austerity might have a negative effect in the beginning of 2013, KKR expects that the end of the year will be better for all involved.
“We are generally looking at things getting better as the second half of the year goes on in part because if you look at corporate balance sheets- if you look at the improving housing market- all of these things are trends that we think are positive.”
Watch the entirety of the piece below, or check it out on The Deal’s website.
Private Equity in the Public Eye
The past year has seen private equity companies becoming far more public than ever before. With former private equity Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in the spotlight, countless remarks, ads, and campaigns were pointed in their direction.
But Ken Mehlman has spent the past year keeping that fire under control. As the Global Head of Public Affairs for KKR, previous head of the RNC, and President G.W. Bush’s campaign manager, he knows how to get a message out to the public.
Private equity firms don’t traditionally like to share any information with the public or the media about operations or any specifics, and that has caused a number of misconceptions to arise. By working with the Private Equity Growth Capital Council (PEGCC), Ken Mehlman has successfully spearheaded the movement to get that information out there.
“Private equity is no longer private,” he says of the recent limelight the industry has been receiving in a piece with Fortune Magazine.
One of the misconceptions he’s working to overcome is that private equity is a heartless firm, when in fact they often pay close attention to what people want and need. “You can’t invest in large businesses around the world today unless you are willing to help provide a thorough understanding of who you really are, and engage around issues that affect things like the environment, workers, and local communities.”
Another thing to remember, Mehlman says, is that private equity provides a nice boost to the economy, taking bigger risks than most companies and therefore seeing a bigger return. By doing so, they are able to turn struggling companies around, rather than letting them fail. They can provide valuable resources and training to portfolio companies as well.
Ken Mehlman has been the leading influencer for getting PEGCC to the successful point it is at today. He provided a vision and helped the movement of taking a traditionally guarded industry and making it visible and transparent to the American public.
New LGBT Equality Project From Ken Mehlman
Project Right Side is Ken Mehlman’s newest endeavor to achieve LGBT equality. Launched in November, the project is a research and analysis nonprofit that hopes to further all aspects of the LGBT agenda politically in the coming years.
Ken Mehlman, who helped raise millions for the marriage equality efforts in this year’s election, wants to keep the fight going. This year saw huge successes in Maine, Maryland, and Washington, where marriage equality was approved for the first time by popular vote. We also saw an anti-gay Constitutional amendment in Minnesota shot down. But there’s still a long way to go before LGBT equality is achieved.
Current research and polls from Ken Mehlman’s Project Right Side have concluded the following:
- A majority of Americans favor civil marriage for same sex couples, a ratio of 49% to 46%
- These trends are growing quickly and across all demographics
- The marriage-equality issue is more important to supporters than to opponents
- A majority of independents (58%) favor marriage equality
- Republicans are increasingly supportive of legal protections for gay Americans. 73% support employment nondiscrimination protections for gays and lesbians, 61% agree that there should be safe-school protections, and 46% support joint tax returns by same-sex couples
- Voters under 45 strongly favor marriage equality (60%)
Keeping his focus on his fellow Republicans and Conservatives, Ken Mehlman appeals to the principals that drive them. “Conservatives don’t need to change core convictions to embrace the growing support for equal rights for gay Americans,” he writes. “It is sufficient to recognize the inherent conservatism in citizens’ desire to marry, to be judged on their work, and not to be singled out for higher taxes or bullying at school.”
This isn’t the first time Ken Mehlman has stressed that Republicans’ dearest principles fall in line with the lives that same-sex couples seek to create. He is influential in the Republican sphere and has worked tirelessly to find allies there.
Ken Mehlman featured in the Advocate
Ken Mehlman was recently featured in the Advocate for his work on Project Right Side, a new non-profit that, through research and analysis, ” identifies the intersections between conservative beliefs and the growing public support for gay and lesbian civil rights measures, including marriage equality, employment nondiscrimination protections, and antibullying laws.”
Project Right Side is unique in the fact that it is focused on research and analysis, and how it has provided important data about how supportive Republicans in general are of legal protection for gay Americans.
“Of the 7,000 Republicans we surveyed, 73% support employment nondiscrimination protections for gays and lesbians,” Ken Mehlman explained. “61% support safe-schools protections (such as those signed into law by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie) and 46% support allowing same-sex couples to jointly file tax returns.”
Ken Mehlman launches project to build conservative support for marriage equality
Ken Mehlman recently launched Project Right Side which, according to Amanda Terkel’s piece in the Huffington Post, “is aimed at convincing more conservatives to support marriage equality.”
According to Terkel, in his discussion about the issue, Mehlman explains how marriage equality really is as much an issue of individual freedom as it is one of civil rights.
As part of a study that Project Right Side commissioned of voters in the election in the last year, there is growing GOP support for marriage equality.
Terkel also brings up the fact that Mehlman has been a strong supporter of LGBT rights ever since he announced that he was gay in August of 2010.
“He has fundraised for marriage equality initiatives and has publicly spoken out in favor of such measures,” she wrote.
Ken Mehlman featured in the Wall Street Journal
Ken Mehlman has a featured piece in the Wall Street Journal about demography, American politics, and marriage equality.
Ken Mehlman brings up the interesting idea that marriage equality is not solely a progressive issue. Indeed, it is one that is closely tied in with conservative values.
“Some misperceive the issue of marriage equality as exclusively progressive. Yet what could be more conservative than support for more freedom and less government?” Mehlman wrote. “And what freedom is more basic than the right to marry the person you love?”
He also explains Project Right Side, which commissioned leading GOP polling firm Target Point to survey voters and help Republicans appreciate this changing environment.
To read more about this data, and Ken Mehlman’s entire piece, click here.
Could the private equity business use a makeover?
Ken Mehlman, who oversees global external affairs for the New York-based private equity firm KKR & Co., was the keynote speaker at an event for institutional investors hosted by Crain’s Detroit Business and Pensions & Investments.
During the event, Mehlman talked about the changing nature of the private equity business, especially in light of the recent election and how Romney explained, or failed to explain, his association with the private equity business.
According to Mehlman, this caused the general American public to generate quite a few negative opinions about private equity.
To read the full piece in MiBiz, and find out more about the nature of private equity click here.
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