According to the Huffington Post Karl Rove protege Ken Mehlman was responsible for this in New York. The Rove proteges are now seeking to build from the New York model to take over the Republican party in other states, using the power of the purse to shut down pro-marriage Republicans.

Too strong a reading? Remember this story about another Rove protege's appointment to the RNC inance committee specifically to elect "pro-equality" Republicans.

Read HuffPo yourself and see what you think:

The passage of historic legislation legalizing same sex marriage in the state of New York last Friday was owed in large part to a compelling political motivator: money.

... Increasingly, a cadre of deep-pocketed Republican donors is joining in the charge. And the enticements they are using to sway lawmakers are not just conservative arguments for civil liberties or public opinion polls that show a generational divide on gay rights, but the promise of contributions or other forms of political support.