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Angie's List head could challenge Pence after religious freedom battle. Quits job to fight law.
Oesterle quit his Angie's List job on WednesdayWashington (CNN)Mike Pence's stumbles over Indiana's religious freedom law could soon land him in an expensive primary battle against one of the leaders of the backlash the governor faced.
Bill Oesterle, the co-founder and chief executive of Angie's List, the Indianapolis-based consumer review publication who once managed former Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels' campaign, says he is so frustrated with how "badly damaged" Pence left the state that he's returning to politics.
...And he's suggesting that he wants to take Pence on himself.
Oesterle quit his Angie's List job on Wednesday, telling TheStatehouseFile.com that he wants to "begin the long process of repairing that."
"I haven't figured out how I'm going to do that," Oesterle said. "That could involve helping somebody else run. That could involve working on legislative races. That could involve becoming a candidate myself."
More:
Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle released a statement rejecting the new RFRA deal.
Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle is seen at a news conference on the “religius freedom” law on March 30, 2015. He was was not present at the legislative news conference on Thursday, April 2, and says the deal worked out by lawmakers to address problems with the law is “insufficient.” (Photo: Charlie Nye/The Star)
Angie's List
Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterle released a statement rejecting the new RFRA deal.
"Employers in most of the state of Indiana can fire a person simply for being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning. That's just not right and that's the real issue here."
Read more from the statement and what this could mean for an expansion of the Indianapolis-based company's corporate campus on the Near-Eastside in Jeff Swiatek's full article.
A couple of paragraphs from Swiatek's article:
The Angie's List CEO has said he won't partner with the state in the expansion as long as the RFRA remains intact and protections against those in the LGBT community aren't put in place.
Other businesses that had been critical of the passage of RFRA, including Eli Lilly and Co. and Salesforce.com, showed up to express their support for the revision. Oesterle wasn't seen at the Statehouse announcement.
6 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
Cause not every post is about Hillary. 
I couldn't find much on Oesterle's politics.
He is a republican who appears to be socially liberal regarding discrimination/gay rights. I wonder where he stands on other social/political issues.
Oesterle said his opinions on gay rights were formed in part from running a company that has hired gays and wants them to feel comfortable living and working in the state. His opinions also are personal, he said.
"I abhor discrimination, I just do," he said. "I certainly support religious freedom ... right up to the point that that discriminates against somebody else and actively does so."
Oesterle said he has donated money to Indiana Equality, a gay rights group.
Melyssa Hubbard, a self-professed dominatrix who works in sales at Angie's List, said the company hired her in 2006 despite knowing about her work in sexual bondage. She wrote a book, "Spanking City Hall," about her conflicts with the city.
"I wish every place on earth was like this," she said in a recent interview. "The employees come from various walks of life. That's important to Bill. I've always told him how grateful I am to be working here.
"We have the conservatives and the liberals and really buttoned-up people and people with pink hair and tattoos. Bill creates platforms for people to self-actualize."
Oesterle said he keeps an autographed copy of Hubbard's book in his office.
"She found a job here. It's kind of a safe place for her. She is not being judged," he said.
http://www.indystar.com/story/money/2015/04/15/bill-oesterle-stepping-angies-list-ceo/25810565/
"I abhor discrimination, I just do," he said. "I certainly support religious freedom ... right up to the point that that discriminates against somebody else and actively does so."
Oesterle said he has donated money to Indiana Equality, a gay rights group.
Melyssa Hubbard, a self-professed dominatrix who works in sales at Angie's List, said the company hired her in 2006 despite knowing about her work in sexual bondage. She wrote a book, "Spanking City Hall," about her conflicts with the city.
"I wish every place on earth was like this," she said in a recent interview. "The employees come from various walks of life. That's important to Bill. I've always told him how grateful I am to be working here.
"We have the conservatives and the liberals and really buttoned-up people and people with pink hair and tattoos. Bill creates platforms for people to self-actualize."
Oesterle said he keeps an autographed copy of Hubbard's book in his office.
"She found a job here. It's kind of a safe place for her. She is not being judged," he said.
http://www.indystar.com/story/money/2015/04/15/bill-oesterle-stepping-angies-list-ceo/25810565/
I applaud him for taking on the religious bigots.
