RNC Chair Michael Steele on Civil Unions:'Are You Crazy?'

God bless Michael Steele. Or should I say "Inclusive Deity-style higher power bless Michael Steele. The Republican National Committee Chair is firing nails into the GOP's coffin with a nail gun, which means before long, he'll need a permit for that thing.

He was asked about civil unions today, a right favored by 63% of Americans, and he took a hard line against it. From Politico:

In response to a question from radio host Mike Gallagher today, RNC chairman Michael Steele took a hard, dismissive line against civil unions -- which have increasingly become a fallback, compromise position for blue-state Republicans and others who oppose same-sex marriage.

"Do you favor civil unions?" Gallagher asked:

STEELE: No, no no. What would we do that for? What are you crazy? No. Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country. I mean this isn't something that you just kind of like, "oh well, today I feel, you know, loosey-goosey on marriage." I mean, this is a foundational principle of this country. It is a foundational principle of organized society. It isn't something that, you know, in America we decided, "let's make it between a man and a woman, oh well now, let's change our mind and make it between anyone and anyone. No.

This is just the direction Steele needs to take the GOP if they are to successfully lose worse in 2010 than they did in '06 or '08.

Why the overreach? The GOP has a modicum of cover to oppose gay marriage, since, you know, President Obama does. Maybe Steele feels like his party needs an applause line right about now.