Bloomberg lobbies GOP to back gay marriage

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has bankrolled many a campaign for Republicans, traveled to the Capitol Tuesday to personally lobby Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and numerous GOP members to support legalizing same-sex marriage.

It appeared the mayor left without shifting the debate.

Bloomberg called gay marriage "the issue of our time" and said he warned Republicans that the longer they oppose legalization, "the higher the [political] price they will pay" when it becomes law in New York, which he thinks is inevitable.

He pledged that any lawmaker who backs it "will have my support no matter what stance they take on any other issue."

The billionaire mayor has been a frequent contributor to Senate Republicans, donating a reported $900,000 in 2010.

Besides Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), Bloomberg met separately with state Sens. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) and Jack Martins (R-Mineola).

All but Martins were in the Senate and voted "no" on this issue in 2009, when it was defeated, 38-24. Flanagan said Bloomberg did not change his mind, Skelos remained in his office after Bloomberg exited, and Fuschillo and Martins did not immediately return phone calls.

A Skelos spokesman reiterated the majority leader's pledge that he would discuss within the GOP conference in the next few weeks whether to bring the issue to a vote before the end of this year's legislative session.