Republicans
Against Prop 8 Release Ad

A group of California Republicans has released a 60-second response to the first "Yes on 8" advertisement that emphasizes the GOP's history of expanding the rights of all Americans.

Scott Schmidt, campaign manager for Republicans Against 8, said in a press release that his group is "giving a voice to the more than one million Republicans who believe our Party should stand for freedom and limited government. Our Party shouldn't be trying to take away people's rights."

The video, called "Freedom is a Republican Value," targets GOP women by focusing on the party's support for the equal treatment of women, including women's right to vote, Richard Nixon's Title IX, which granted female college students equal access to athletic scholarships, and Ronald Reagan's appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The close of the video alludes to VP pick Sarah Palin as an example of the party's equanimity: "It will take a Republican to put a woman in the White House."

"Just a century ago, women had fewer rights than gays and lesbians have today," said Schmidt in the release. "It took Republican leadership to make progress in expanding rights for women. Members of our party should not turn their backs on that Grand Old legacy of promoting fairness and freedom."

Watch the video at www.RepublicansAgainst8.com. (The Advocate)