CPAC attendees condemn Sen. Portman's endorsement of marriage equality

While some people may have been eager to heap praise on Republican Sen. Rob Portman (OH) for his endorsement of marriage equality this week, many conservatives, including several attendees of the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference were not so supportive. Portman gave a press conference on Thursday of last week in which he said he has reversed his position against same sex marriage since his son, Will, came out of the closet.

Tony Mele, 88, said Portman's announcement is "Horrible!" When informed that Portman's gay son prompted his change of heart, Mele said, "That’s his fault! He gets no sympathy from me.”

William Temple, a Baptist pastor from Brunswick, Georgia, who was attending CPAC in Revolutionary War garb, said Portman should “quit being so selfish as to only think about his son." If he can't do that and toe the conservative party line against marriage equality, said Temple, he should "step down and go home.”

Another CPAC attendee, David Kern blamed Will Portman's choice of university for his sexual orientation.

"Well what did Sen. Portman expect when he sent his son to Yale?” he asked.

Watch the video, embedded via Think Progress, below: