http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/80483.html#ixzz258bfEvPo
David Koch breaks from GOP on gay marriage, taxes, defense cuts
TAMPA, Fla. â Billionaire industrialist David Koch, who is helping steer millions of dollars to elect Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans, on Thursday told POLITICO he disagrees with the GOPâs stance on gay marriage and believes the U.S. needs to consider raising taxes to balance the budget.
Koch, who is serving as a delegate to the Republican National Convention from New York, spoke to POLITICO after delivering brief remarks at a reception held in his honor by Americans for Prosperity, the political advocacy group he chairs and has helped fund.
The 1980 vice presidential nominee for the socially liberal â but fiscally conservative â Libertarian Party, Koch told POLITICO âI believe in gay marriageâ when asked about the GOPâs stance on gay rights.
Romney opposes gay marriage, as do most Republicans, and when that was pointed out to Koch, he said âWell, I disagree with that.â
Koch said he thinks the U.S. military should withdraw from the Middle East and said the government should consider defense spending cuts, as well as possible tax increases to get its fiscal house in order â a stance anathema to many in the Republican Party.
âI think itâs essential to be able to achieve spending reductions and maybe itâs going to require some tax increases,â he said. âWe got to come close to balancing the budget; otherwise, weâre in a terrible deep problem.â
As for whether military spending cuts should be on the table, Koch said, âI think to balance the budget, probably every federal department has to take cuts in my opinion. We have to spread it around.â
David Koch breaks from GOP on gay marriage, taxes, defense cuts
TAMPA, Fla. â Billionaire industrialist David Koch, who is helping steer millions of dollars to elect Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans, on Thursday told POLITICO he disagrees with the GOPâs stance on gay marriage and believes the U.S. needs to consider raising taxes to balance the budget.
Koch, who is serving as a delegate to the Republican National Convention from New York, spoke to POLITICO after delivering brief remarks at a reception held in his honor by Americans for Prosperity, the political advocacy group he chairs and has helped fund.
The 1980 vice presidential nominee for the socially liberal â but fiscally conservative â Libertarian Party, Koch told POLITICO âI believe in gay marriageâ when asked about the GOPâs stance on gay rights.
Romney opposes gay marriage, as do most Republicans, and when that was pointed out to Koch, he said âWell, I disagree with that.â
Koch said he thinks the U.S. military should withdraw from the Middle East and said the government should consider defense spending cuts, as well as possible tax increases to get its fiscal house in order â a stance anathema to many in the Republican Party.
âI think itâs essential to be able to achieve spending reductions and maybe itâs going to require some tax increases,â he said. âWe got to come close to balancing the budget; otherwise, weâre in a terrible deep problem.â
As for whether military spending cuts should be on the table, Koch said, âI think to balance the budget, probably every federal department has to take cuts in my opinion. We have to spread it around.â
