April 06, 2011 07:36 PM UTC

Kaminsky and Stephens agree: civil-unions debate hurt GOP

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• by: Jason Salzman

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Ross Kaminky’s “Backbone Radio” may have a silly name, but the show is often a good place to find conservatives airing out their differences in an intelligent fashion.

Kaminsky has guests with different views, mostly nuances of conservative opinion, but still. And Kamninsky himself, though usually falling in line with the GOP establishment, isn’t always predictable. And he’ll ask his guests uncomfortable questions.

For example, on his show Sunday, he interviewed Rep. Amy Stephens about SB 200, the insurance-exchange bill that now appears to be dead. He had a Tea Party activist on as well, in a different segment, to give his conservative audience red meat of various cuts.

But at the end of his interview with Stephens, Kaminsky decided to ask Stephens about the civil unions bill, which Republicans in a State House Committee killed in a party-line vote last week.

Stephens repeated her standard line on civil unions, which is that the issue should go to the ballot.

But then Kaminsky said to Stephens:

“I do think in the long run, I think this issue is going to end up hurting Republicans. I mean, not you and not where you live, but when we need to get independent voters, and we keep spending so much time on what looks like, you know, gay bashing, I think it’s bad news.”

Stephens essentially agreed with Kaminsky that issue will hurt Republicans.

“Oh, I hear you. I hear you. Right. And if you look at SB 200, the actual opposite could be said too, right. Will it hurt you in a conservative district where TPs [vote in larger numbers] and be great in Arapahoe or whatever.  These are the things you and I talk about. Is it good policy bad politics? I’m up there to try to craft something good, and work hard at it, and come up with solutions. You’re the same way. I mean, you’re a solution-oriented person. The politics are rough.”

This is the kind of honest debate that you can find on Kaminsky’s show sometimes.