Dave Agema served from 2006 to 2012 as a state representative in the Michigan Legislature. He hit his term limit and moved on to other things in 2012.
Now he represents Michigan as a member of the Republican National Committee. Many Republicans wish he weren't.
Some are naming names and calling for his ouster. Others aren’t calling him out by name but are “asking for more civility,” as MPRN’s Rick Pluta reported:
So Agema says he’s been misrepresented.
Take a look for yourself. Here are the three big things he’s been called out on in the last year.
1) There was this post on his Facebook page on March 23, 2013:
The post was pointing to this article, which contains many statements and “statistics” about the “filthy” lifestyle of homosexuals.
Agema said the post was “worth sharing, given the debate over gay marriage that is happening in the Supreme Court.”
For a party trying to win elections, many said this is not a person they want speaking for them.
Here’s what a young Republican delegate told Stateside back then.
“Quite frankly, for a political party that’s lost five out of the last six presidential elections in terms of the popular vote, you’re spitting it in the face of the people whose votes you need.” – Dennis Lennox, a Republican precinct delegate from Grand Traverse County.
No apology from Agema. He defended the posting.
2) Then on Dec. 5, 2013, he said this at a Berrien County Republican Party holiday reception (from the Herald-Palladium):
“I worked with these individuals for almost 30 years with American (Airlines). I know what they do. I know what happened to American Airlines when San Francisco said we could not land in San Francisco and do business with American Airlines unless we paid same sex unmarried benefits. The pilots said, 'Bologna. Don't go there anymore.' Can't do it. Too big a market. Can't do it. Well, what happened? Say me and, what's your name again, first name? Martha. I'm a flight attendant. You have AIDS. You come to me and say, 'hey, tell them I'm your lover for the last six months.' You get on our health care. American Airlines spends $400,000 before you die of AIDS. And he goes on to the next, and the next, and that's what was happening. Folks, they want free medical because they're dying between 38 and 44 years old. It's a biggie. So, to me it's a moral issue. It's a Biblical issue. Traditional marriage is where it should be and that is in our platform, so people that are opposed on that issue within our party are wrong. It's in our platform.” (audience applause)
More calls for his resignation from the Republican National Committee followed.
3) And then came the Jan. 10 post on his Facebook page:
It prompted Gov. Snyder to address “civility” in his State of the State address, and the Republican chorus for his resignation continues to grow.
As Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta pointed out in It's Just Politics, Agema has become a national problem for Republicans:
GOP leaders say there’s nothing they can do under party rules to actually remove Agema. But would that be the case if Dave Agema had made similar comments regarding other groups?
It seems the pressure is building on Agema…. everywhere except on his Facebook page.
