Priebus’s comments come several days after the RNC unveiled its self-assessment. Priebus: Marriage is man-woman

Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus on Wednesday reiterated that the Republican Party believes marriage is between a man and a woman, even as he called for greater tolerance in the GOP.

“I know what our principles are, I know our party believes marriage is between one man and one woman,” Priebus told MSNBC’s Luke Russert. “But I also know our party’s going to be inclusive, and it’s going to listen to people and it’s going to allow for differences in our party.”


Under the heading “preserving and protecting traditional marriage,” the GOP’s 2012 platform reads in part, “…even as we believe that marriage, the union of one man and one woman must be upheld as the national standard, a goal to stand for, encourage, and promote through laws governing marriage. We embrace the principle that all Americans should be treated with respect and dignity.”

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Priebus’s comments on MSNBC come several days after the RNC unveiled an assessment of what’s ailing the Republican Party — and how to fix it.

“Our point in the report is, you know, when I was asked at the National Press Club … one [reporter] asked, are you still going to fund Rob Portman?” Priebus said, referencing the Ohio senator who has recently walked back his opposition to same-sex marriage. “My response was, of course we’re going to help Rob Portman. He’s a good conservative Republican … what I will tell you is, I think our party needs to have the attitude that if I disagree with you on one issue, it doesn’t mean you’re a lousy Republican. It means you’re a good Republican, it means we agree on most issues and it means we need to unite our party.”

He backed Portman earlier this week in an interview with POLITICO, noting that he hasn’t thrown Portman “under the bus” over the same-sex marriage issue.

“I’m trying to show what that leadership looks like, standing up for Rand Paul, by not throwing Rob Portman under the bus. I’m trying to lead by example, I guess, and reaffirm that we’re not compromising our principles either,” Priebus said in an interview with POLITICO’s Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen on Monday.

Next week, the Supreme Court will consider cases related to same-sex marriage. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week showed that Americans back gay marriage 58-36 percent.