From Rob Kall at Op-Ed News:Don't go to work today. Don't stay home. Work as a volunteer in the early AM, then vote between 10 and 3 when the polls are least busy, then work some more.When the polls close where you live, start making calls for other states, other candidates. Keep going until you drop. You will be a part of history either way. Make sure you know you've done all you can, not just for your presidential candidate, whoever he or she is, but also for congressional legislators all over the nation. Share your experience of the day with other OEN folks. Use this Diary:Voting Day Open Thread-- Post reports, observations, Thoughts Links Let us know what you're feeling, seeing, doing. Me, I was up at 3:30 AM, unable to sleep, thinking about vote theft. I found my other half had been up with the election on her mind since 2:30. I leave in five minutes to work the early shift at the polls.I spoke to my "ex" last night. She's a born-again who votes strictly on abortion (she wasn't when we met and married) and even she said she and her church people are saying prayers for whoever wins. I guess, if McCain wins, the world needs the US to go down the tubes, because it surely will, strangled, blinded, gelded, starved and tortured by right wing extremist traitors to democracy. But I am fearfully hopeful today. We'll see how it goes, right? It's all we can do, besides work our asses off today. And, BTW, there were plenty of people in their seventies and eighties out canvassing, knocking on doors and phone banking over the weekend, and people in wheel-chairs. What's your excuse for not doing MORE today?Laying the guilt on heavy today,rob kall -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.Have a great day,Tommy
Arizona voted NO in 2006
Now we have to vote NO again in 2008.Help us make it loud and clear —VOTE NO on Proposition 102 on November 4th
The state has more important issues to address.
Arkansas Families First is organizing and working to defeat Initiated Act 1—and we need your help! Please contribute to our campaign, sign up for email alerts, find opportunities to volunteer.
The following information will be included in the November ballot materials.
Ballot Title and Summary
Proposition 8:
ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
Fiscal Impact: Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact to state and local governments.
On August 8, 2008 Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley ruled that the Attorney General's Title and Summary of Proposition 8 is accurate.
Ballot Argument
OUR CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION -- the law of our land -- SHOULD GUARANTEE THE SAME FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS TO EVERYONE -- NO ONE group SHOULD be singled out to BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY. In fact, our nation was founded on the principle that all people should be treated equally. EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW IS THE FOUNDATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.That's what this election is about -- equality, freedom and fairness, for all. Marriage is the institution that conveys dignity and respect to the lifetime commitment of any couple. PROPOSITION 8 WOULD DENY LESBIAN AND GAY COUPLES that same DIGNITY AND RESPECT.That's why Proposition 8 is wrong for California.Regardless of how you feel about this issue, the freedom to marry is fundamental to our society, just like the freedoms of religion and speech. PROPOSITION 8 MANDATES ONE SET OF RULES FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES AND ANOTHER SET FOR EVERYONE ELSE. That's just not fair. OUR LAWS SHOULD TREAT EVERYONE EQUALLY.In fact, the government has no business telling people who can and cannot get married. Just like government has no business telling us what to read, watch on TV or do in our private lives. We don't need Prop 8; WE DON'T NEED MORE GOVERNMENT IN OUR LIVES.REGARDLESS OF HOW ANYONE FEELS ABOUT MARRIAGE FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES, PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE SINGLED OUT FOR UNFAIR TREATMENT UNDER THE LAWS OF OUR STATE. Those committed and loving couples who want to accept the responsibility that comes with marriage should be treated like everyone else. DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS are NOT MARRIAGE.When you're married and your spouse is sick or hurt, there is no confusion: you get into the ambulance or hospital room with no questions asked. IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND ESPECIALLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH. Only marriage provides the certainty and the security that people know they can count on in their times of greatest need.EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW IS A FUNDAMENTAL CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEE. Prop 8 separates one group of Californians from another and excludes them from enjoying the same rights as other loving couples. Forty-six years ago I married my college sweetheart, Julia. We raised three children -- two boys and one girl. The boys are married, with children of their own. Our daughter, Liz, a lesbian, can now also be married -- if she so chooses. All we have ever wanted for our daughter is that she be treated with the same dignity and respect as her brothers – with the same freedoms and responsibilities as every other Californian.My wife and I never treated our children differently, we never loved them any differently and now the law doesn't treat them differently, either. Each of our children now has the same rights as the others, to choose the person to love, commit to and to marry. Don't take away the equality, freedom and fairness that everyone in California -- straight, gay or lesbian -- deserves.Please join us in voting NO on Prop 8.
"Proposition 8… would eliminate the fundamental right to same-sex marriage. The very act of denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry – traditionally the highest legal and societal recognition of a loving commitment – by definition relegates them and their relationship to second class status."Los Angeles Times Editorial, August 8, 2008
Regardless of how you feel about this issue, we should guarantee the same fundamental rights to every Californian. Vote No on 8.
Let's remember that gay and lesbian people are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers and our family members. They are nurses, firefighters and small business owners. Same-sex couples are loving and committed couples who want to get married. They care for each other, they pay taxes and they want to protect each other and take responsibility for each other, just like other couples. We should not hurt same-sex couples in California by eliminating their right to marry.
It's not the government's place to tell couples who have been together for years whether or not they are allowed to marry. In California, we let people decide what is best for themselves – without government interference. Eliminating fundamental rights for same-sex couples treats them differently under the law – AND THAT'S WRONG. Vote No on 8.
Domestic Partnerships are NOT the same as marriage. Domestic partnerships are just legal documents. They don't provide the same dignity, respect, and commitment as a marriage. In a marriage, a paramedic doesn't tell you that you cannot get into an ambulance with your spouse. Married couples can automatically make life or death decisions for each other in these crisis situations, no questions asked. Vote No on 8.
Regardless of how you feel about this issue, it's wrong to eliminate the fundamental rights of fellow Californians – and hurt our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. THAT'S WRONG.
Here's what's fiction and what's fact:
Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless we pass Prop 8.Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it, and the Yes on 8 campaign knows they are lying. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley has already ruled that this claim by Prop 8 proponents is "false and misleading."
Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.Fact: Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says "no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs."
Fiction: A Massachusetts case about a parent's objection to the school curriculum will happen here.
Fact: Unlike Massachusetts, California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don't agree with. The opponents know that California law already covers this and Prop 8 won't affect it, so they bring up an irrelevant case in Massachusetts.
Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…Fact: Prop 8 is not about courts and judges, it's about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn't grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren't supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.
Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.Fact: California's laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.
Fiction: Pepperdine University supports the Yes on 8 campaign.Fact: The university has publicly disassociated itself from Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine University, who is featured in the ad, and has asked to not be identified in the Yes on 8 advertisements.
Fiction: Unless Prop 8 passes, CA parents won't have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.Fact: California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
Regardless of how you feel about the issue, we should not eliminate fundamental rights for ANY Californians. Please vote NO on Prop 8
http://noonprop8.com/campaign_updates?id=0001
We need your help and we need it now. There are so many ways you can help fund the fight against Prop 8. You can help to raise much-needed funds and educate your friends and family about why it is so important for Californians to vote NO on Prop 8.
Sign up to receive more information on Prop 8
http://eqfed.org/equalityforall/join.tcl
It turns out there are still a lot of people in Washington and our state capitals who are working to discourage Americans from voting.
One of our most important groups working to register and protect voters -- Project Vote -- recently released a study which documented in great detail years of voter suppression all over the country. The result is that hundreds and thousands of minority voters, many of them 'single mothers,' were purged from the rolls and deprived of their right to vote in 2004 and 2006. That is outrageous!
And if it sounds sickeningly familiar, you are right. These are the same anti-American tactics that kept people from voting in the South during the Civil Rights movement. And it has to stop.
Please join is in this monumental battle for our democracy. Step up and say there is nothing more important than the ability to vote in America. Will you fight with us to ensure that every single eligible voter can go to the polls?
Dear MoveOn member,
The 2008 election is in 48 hours. Obama needs your help. And you can make a difference right now, right where you are.
The Obama campaign has put out an urgent request for volunteers in the swing states. It's up to us to recruit them by calling MoveOn members in swing states and helping them volunteer. Our website makes it easy for you to call. And it really, really works: our phone calls have recruited more than 145,000 volunteers in states like Ohio and Florida!
But Obama still needs more, and we're down to the wire. We set an audacious goal of making 175,000 calls this week—but our momentum is so phenomenal, we're raising the bar to 250,000 calls! Come through for Obama when it counts—click here now:
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To make calls with our tool, all you need is a phone and a computer. Try it for just five minutes, and you'll see how fun and easy it is; many of the MoveOn members you reach will be grateful you called. Here's one:
We can't leave anything to chance in this election. Help us hit our target of 175,000 250,000 calls, and send the reinforcements Obama needs for the final push—click here to sign up now:
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Thanks for all you do,
–Justin, Adam G., Peter, Aisling, and the rest of the team
IntroductionThe Empire State Pride Agenda is the statewide, bi-partisan civil rights and political advocacy organization dedicated to winning equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers and our families. We are committed to seizing all opportunities in the political and legislative arenas to advance our public policy goals and pursue our public policy agenda. Electing and appointing supporters of LGBT issues at all levels of government, educating candidates, and endorsing and providing campaign assistance to those who support our public policy agenda are important tools we use to achieve our goals. We believe that by supporting candidates for elected office, we increase the number of allies in government, solidify the commitment of current allies and hold opponents accountable.Endorsement CriteriaWhen deciding whether to endorse in a particular race, the Pride Agenda considers a number of factors including whether the endorsement: furthers our public policy agenda, allows for coalition building with strategic allies, results in significant community or capacity building within the LGBT community, contributes to the election of LGBT candidates, and allows for specific public education on an issue of importance or has the potential to influence the outcome of an election. We make our specific endorsement decisions based on responses to the Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire; an examination of a candidate's voting record (for those who have previously held elective office) and the voting record of their opponent; and a review of his or her public acts, statements, and consultations with other organizations throughout New York State, including local LGBT organizations. Non-incumbents are evaluated based upon the criteria above as well as the viability of their campaigns.Candidates request consideration of an endorsement by completing and returning a Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire. Those who do not complete a questionnaire are not considered for endorsement.About Our 2008 General Election EndorsementsThe Empire State Pride Agenda has endorsed 75 candidates for the 2008 general elections on November 4.
For Informational Purposes Only
Key: D=Democrat R=Republican WFP=Working Families Party I=Independence Party C=Conservative Party
Endorsements for the New York State AssemblyCandidates running for the New York State Assembly expressed support for all the issues at the top of our agenda such as: family protections for same-sex couples including the ability to legally marry; prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and expression; protecting youth from bias harassment in schools; increasing the availability of state funding for community based organizations providing LGBT-specific health and human services; and the unrestricted right to reproductive freedom including abortion. Because the Assembly took up and passed bills over the past two years bills that legalize marriage for same-sex couples, combat harassment and violence in schools against LGBT youth, and ban legal discrimination against transgender New Yorkers, support for these issues was a requirement of all incumbents and non-incumbents to be considered for a Pride Agenda endorsement. For incumbents, this meant actual votes in favor of these bills.State Assembly Endorsements:
AD 12 (Nassau) - Keith Scalia (D), Challenger
Keith Scalia is challenging four-year incumbent Assemblymember Joseph Saladino (R-WFP-I-C). Scalia, a high school English teacher, indicated in his candidate questionnaire that he would co-sponsor the marriage equality bill and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. He also stated that he believes "New York should be a pioneer in LGBT legislation." The incumbent, Saladino, is an opponent of LGBT rights who has voted against the marriage equality bill and Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). Saladino did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
AD 14 (Nassau) - Joe Ferrara (D), Challenger
Joe Ferrara is challenging eight-year incumbent Assemblymember Robert Barra (R-WFP-I-C). Ferrara, an Account Manager for a nonprofit organization, indicated in his candidate questionnaire his support for marriage equality and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. He also stated that he thinks "LGBT rights are civil rights," and that he "would do everything in [his] power, including co-sponsoring legislation, to support the rights of the New York LGBT community." In contrast, his opponent Barra is a vocal opponent of marriage equality and was quoted in the July 20, 2006 Herald Community Newspapers as saying about marriage equality for same-sex couples, "We don't let polygamy happen. We don't let people marry animals. Where do you draw the line at for something like that?" He voted against the marriage equality bill when it passed in the Assembly in June 2007. Barra did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
New York City:
AD 60 (Brooklyn, Staten Island) - Janele Hyer-Spencer (D-WFP-I), Incumbent
Janele Hyer-Spencer is running for re-election for the first time, having won an open seat in 2006 that was vacated by a retiring Republican. She co-sponsored and provided an important vote in the Judiciary Committee for a measure that became law this year that enables victims of domestic violence to seek orders of protection from non-family members and gives them the same access to Family Court as those who are married. This law covers same-sex domestic partners and achieves an objective the Pride Agenda has been working on since its earliest days as an organization. Hyer-Spencer also supported the passage of the marriage equality bill and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). Her opponent, Joseph Cammarata (R-C), did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
For more information on Janele Hyer-Spencer, read our extended profile here.
AD 61 (Staten Island) - Matthew Titone (D-WFP), Incumbent
Matt Titone is the incumbent for this seat, having served in the New York State Assembly since he was elected in a Special Election in January 2007. As an openly gay Assemblymember, he is a strong supporter and advocate for the LGBT community. He is also a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). Titone is being challenged by Thomas McGinley (R) and Rose Margarella (I), who did not submit candidate questionnaires seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
AD 64 (Manhattan) - Sheldon Silver (D-WFP), Incumbent
AD 65 (Manhattan) - Micah Kellner (D-WFP), Incumbent
Micah Kellner is the incumbent for this seat, having served in the New York State Assembly since he was elected in a Special Election in June 2007. As the only openly bisexual Assemblymember, he is a strong supporter and advocate for the LGBT community. He is also a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill, Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and Dignity for All Students Act. Kellner is being challenged by Georgiana Viest (R), who did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
AD 66 (Manhattan) - Deborah Glick (D-WFP), Incumbent
Deborah Glick is the incumbent for this seat, having served eighteen years in the New York State Assembly. As the Assembly's first openly lesbian Assemblymember, she is a strong supporter and advocate for the LGBT community. Glick was instrumental in passing the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) for the first time in the Assembly in 1993. She was also the prime sponsor in the Assembly of the Hospital Visitation Bill, which became law in 2004. She is a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill, Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and the Dignity for All Students Act. Glick is running unopposed.
AD 69 (Manhattan) - Daniel O'Donnell (D), Incumbent
Danny O'Donnell is the incumbent for this seat, having served six years in the New York State Assembly. As the first openly gay Assemblymember, he is a strong supporter and advocate for the LGBT community. In addition to being the prime sponsor in the Assembly of the marriage equality bill and Dignity for All Students Act, he is also a co-sponsor of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). The Pride Agenda worked with O'Donnell to pass the marriage bill by a vote of 85-61 in the Assembly in June 2007. O'Donnell is running unopposed.
AD 75 (Manhattan) - Richard Gottfried (D-WFP), Incumbment
Dick Gottfried is the incumbent for this seat, having served more than three decades in the New York State Assembly. He is a strong, longtime supporter of the LGBT community. In addition to being the prime sponsor in the Assembly of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), he is also a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill and Dignity for All Students Act. The Pride Agenda worked closely this year with Gottfried to pass GENDA for the first time in the Assembly by an overwhelming vote of 108-34. Gottfried is being challenged by Saul Farber (R-I), who did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
AD 100 (Dutchess, Orange, Ulster) - Frank Skartados (D-WFP), Challenger
Frank Skartados is challenging 14-year incumbent Assemblymember Thomas Kirwan (R-I-C). Skartados, a business leader who renovates properties in downtown Poughkeepsie, indicated in his candidate questionnaire his support for marriage equality and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. He stated that he is seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement "because of our common goals to treat all citizens equally and justly." His opponent, Kirwan, is a longtime, vocal opponent of LGBT rights who has voted against the marriage equality bill, Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), Dignity for All Students Act, and the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) when it became law in 2002. Kirwan did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
AD 102 (Dutchess) - Joel Miller (R-I-C), Incumbent
Joel Miller never hesitates to speak out about why equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers is an important part of the promise America makes to all its citizens. When the Assembly passed the marriage equality bill in 2007, Miller was the first Republican to stand up and state his support, and the same was true again this year when the Assembly passed a bill prohibiting discrimination against transgender New Yorkers. Miller is the only pro-marriage equality Republican in the Assembly facing a challenge in his race for re-election. His opponent is Jonathan Smith (D-WFP), who also filled out a questionnaire and has stated his support for our issues. The choice is this race, however, is clear. Miller received the Pride Agenda's endorsement because he has stood with the LGBT community over and over again as an Assemblymember, through both his votes and his words.
For more information on Joel Miller, read our extended profile here.
AD 118 (Jefferson, St. Lawrence) - Addie Jenne Russell (D-WFP), Open Seat
Addie Jenne Russell is running for the open seat vacated by Democrat Darrel Aubertine, who became a State Senator (SD 48) in a Special Election in February 2008. Aubertine as an Assemblymember voted against the marriage equality bill in June 2007. Russell, an attorney and member of the Jefferson County Board of Legislators, indicated in her candidate questionnaire her support for marriage equality and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. She also stated that she would, if elected, co-sponsor these bills. Russell's opponent is Robert Cantwell (R-I-C), who did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
AD 121 (Onondaga) - Albert Stirpe, Jr. (D-WFP), Incumbent
Al Stirpe is the incumbent for this seat, serving in the New York State Assembly since 2006. Stirpe, in his first term as an Assemblymember, voted to pass all three of the Pride Agenda's key bills: marriage equality, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and the Dignity for All Schools Act. Additionally, he is a co-sponsor of the GENDA and Dignity bills. He is being challenged by LaFayette businessman Dave Knapp (R-I-C). Knapp did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
AD 134 (Monroe) - David Garretson (D-WFP), Challenger
David Garretson is challenging six-year incumbent Bill Reilich (R-I-C). In his candidate questionnaire, Garretson indicated that he would co-sponsor the marriage equality bill and support bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. The incumbent Bill Reilich is one of very few Assemblymembers who has voted against all three of the Pride Agenda's legislative priorities: marriage equality, banning discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and a fully inclusive safe schools bill. Reilich did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
Brian Foley is challenging incumbent State Senator Caesar Trunzo (R-I-C). Foley is currently the Brookhaven Town Supervisor and before that served in the Suffolk County Legislature for twelve years where he worked to secure Ryan White funding for the County Health Department and supported municipal labor contracts that included partner benefits. Foley supports equality for LGBT New Yorkers, including policies that combat bias-based harassment of youth in schools and non-discrimination protections for transgender people. While he did not take a firm position in his questionnaire on marriage equality, he stated that he is not opposed to marriage for same-sex couples and is committed to working with the Pride Agenda and the LGBT community to continue learning about this issue. The Republican incumbent, Caesar Trunzo, has served in the State Senate since Richard Nixon was President (thirty-six years). He opposes marriage equality for our families and goes a step further by being a co-sponsor of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) that would limit marriage to a man and a woman. Trunzo is out-of-step with the needs of his LGBT constituents and votes to keep the current anti-LGBT Majority in power, a Majority that blocks movement on our community's legislative priorities and has said repeatedly it will not allow a vote on marriage equality for our families. Brian Foley has stated his commitment to making government accountable to New Yorkers and working with the LGBT community to bring about the changes that are needed to make New York a leader in providing equality for everyone.
SD 6 (Nassau) - Kristen McElroy (D-WFP), Challenger
Kristen McElroy is challenging incumbent Kemp Hannon (R-I-C). McElroy, an attorney, indicated in her candidate questionnaire that she would co-sponsor the marriage equality bill and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. She stated that she "will do anything within [her] power" to help achieve marriage equality and protections from discrimination." Her Republican opponent, Hannon, has been in the State Senate for almost twenty years, and is a part of the anti-LGBT Senate Majority that refuses to move LGBT legislation forward. In addition, Hannon voted against the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) when in became law in 2002. Hannon did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
SD 7 (Nassau) - Craig Johnson (D), Incumbent
Craig Johnson is the incumbent for this seat, having won it in a Special Election in February 2006. During his Special Election campaign, Johnson was openly in support of marriage equality—and was attacked by anti-gay forces attempting to turn his support for LGBT equality into a liability. Since winning the seat, Johnson has become the first Long Island State Senator to sign on as a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill and the Dignity for All Students Act. In his candidate questionnaire, he has indicated that he would also co-sponsor the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA). Additionally, Johnson has a record of supporting pro-LGBT legislation during his years as a member of the Nassau County Legislature. Johnson is being challenged by Village of Plandome Manor Mayor Barbara Donno (R-I-C), who did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
James Gennaro is challenging thirty-two year incumbent Frank Padavan (R-I-C). Gennaro is currently a New York City Councilmember, serving since 2002. He has a record of supporting pro-LGBT legislation as a Councilmember, including a vote that banned discrimination against transgender people in New York City and a vote that would make New York City schools safe for LGBT youth. In his candidate questionnaire, Gennaro indicated that he supports marriage equality and would co-sponsor bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make New York public schools safe for LGBT youth. He also stated that "every New Yorker, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be free from discrimination and enjoy the same rights and responsibilities afforded to everyone—period." Frank Padavan voted against the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) when it passed in 2002. He is also a co-sponsor of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA). Padavan did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
SD 13 (Queens) - Hiram Monserrate (D-WFP), Open Seat
Hiram Monserrate is running for the open seat which is being vacated by John Sabini, a Democrat who has been a supporter on all of our issues during his six years in the Senate. Monserrate is currently a New York City Councilmember, serving since 2001. He has a record of sponsoring and supporting LGBT-related legislation, including a vote that banned discrimination against transgender people in New York City and a vote that would make New York City schools safe for LGBT youth. On his candidate questionnaire, he indicated his support for all of the issues at the top of our agenda. He also stated that as Senator, he plans to create an LGBT advisory board in his District. Monserrate is running unopposed.
SD 15 (Queens) - Joseph Addabbo (D-WFP), Challenger
Joseph Addabbo is challenging incumbent Serphin Maltese (R-I-C). Addabbo is currently a New York City Councilmember from Queens and has a long record supporting LGBT issues on the City Council. This record includes a vote that banned discrimination against transgender people in New York City and a vote that would make New York City schools safe for LGBT youth. Addabbo has promised to champion these and other LGBT issues as a State Senator, including outreach to his fellow Senators to have them co-sponsor important pieces of legislation. While he did not take a firm position in his questionnaire on marriage equality, he stated that he is not opposed to marriage for same-sex couples and is committed to working with the Pride Agenda and the LGBT community to continue learning about this issue. The twenty-year Republican incumbent Serphin Maltese is a stark contrast to Addabbo when it comes to LGBT issues. Maltese is arguably the most anti-gay member of the State Senate. Not only has he worked behind the scenes to prevent LGBT legislation from being considered by the State Senate, but he has also voted against every major piece of legislation that did eventually go before the full Senate. He voted against Hate Crimes legislation when it passed in 2000 and the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) when it passed in 2002. Maltese is a vocal and strident opponent of marriage equality for same-sex couples. He is the lead sponsor of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) that would limit marriage to a man and a woman. In 2004, he spoke at an anti-marriage equality rally on the steps of the State Capitol where he specifically talked about our relationships in the same breath that he spoke about polygamy and incest. As a State Senator, Joseph Addabbo has promised to meet regularly with his LGBT constituents, and to work to bring our community's legislative priorities to the forefront of the State Senate's agenda in order to bring about their swift passage.
SD 25 (Brooklyn, Manhattan) - Daniel Squadron (D-WFP), Open Seat
Daniel Squadron defeated thirty-year Democratic incumbent Martin Connor in the September 9 Primary Election. Connor was a consistent supporter of LGBT issues, and Daniel Squadron has indicated that he will be an even stronger champion of LGBT equality as a Senator. Squadron is a former top aide to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. In his Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire, Squadron indicated that he would co-sponsor the marriage equality bill and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. He also said that he would be an outspoken supporter of LGBT issues in his conference, and would help secure additional support on pieces of pro-LGBT legislation. Democrat Squadron is running against openly gay Republican John Chromczak. Chromczak, who did not complete a Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire, has been written up in the press as being in support of marriage equality. If elected, however, he would vote to maintain the current anti-LGBT Senate Majority in place, which refuses to bring the marriage bill to the floor for a vote.
For more information on Daniel Squadron, read our extended profile here.
SD 29 (Manhattan) - Thomas Duane (D-WFP), Incumbent
Tom Duane is the incumbent for this seat, having served ten years in the New York State Senate. As the first and only openly gay Senator, he is a strong supporter and advocate for the LGBT community. He is also the prime sponsor in the Senate for the marriage equality bill, Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), and Dignity for All Students Act. Senator Duane is being challenged by Debra Leible (R), who did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
SD 37 (Westchester) - Suzi Oppenheimer (D-WFP), Incumbent
Suzi Oppenheimer is the incumbent for this seat, having served in the New York State Senate for more than twenty years. She is a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill and has indicated on her candidate questionnaire that she would also co-sponsor legislation that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. As a long-serving member of the State Senate, Oppenheimer has a long record of support for LGBT issues, including voting for the Hate Crimes bill when it passed in 2000 and the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) when it passed in 2002. Oppenheimer is being challenged by Larchmont Mayor Liz Feld (R-I-C), who did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
SD 43 (Rensselaer, Saratoga) - Mike Russo (D), Open Seat
Mike Russo is running for an open seat, left vacant by the retirement of former Republican Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno. Russo is the former district director for U.S. Congresswoman Kristen Gillibrand (NY-20). He indicated in his candidate questionnaire that he supports marriage equality and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. He is running against Roy McDonald (R-I-C), who is currently a member of the New York State Assembly. An Assemblymember since 2002, McDonald voted against the marriage bill when it passed in the Assembly in June 2007. McDonald did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
SD 51 (Otsego, Schoharie, Cortland, Chenago, Tompkins, Herkimer) - Don Barber (D-WFP), Challenger
Don Barber is challenging 22-year incumbent James Seward (R-I-C). Barber is currently in his eleventh year of service as Caroline Town Supervisor. He indicated in his candidate questionnaire that he supports marriage equality and would co-sponsor bills that ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. His opponent, Seward, voted against the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) when it passed in 2002. He is also a co-sponsor of the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) that would limit marriage to a man and a woman. Seward did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
SD 55 (Monroe) - David Nachbar (D-WFP), Challenger
David Nachbar is challenging twelve-year incumbent Senator Jim Alesi (R-I-C). In his previous position as Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Bausch & Lomb, Nachbar helped the company achieve a perfect score from HRC's Corporate Equality Index by extending equal benefits to the domestic partners of employees. In his candidate questionnaire he indicated that he would co-sponsor the marriage equality bill and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. Nachbar's opponent Jim Alesi is against marriage equality legislation and has gone a step further in co-sponsoring the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA) that would limit marriage to a man and a woman. Alesi has indicated that he is also opposed to banning discrimination against transgender New Yorkers, and although he has told constituents that he would consider supporting legislation that would make schools safe for LGBT youth, he has not taken any steps to move the bill forward. He voted against the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) when it passed in 2002. Alesi did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
For more information on David Nachbar, read our extended profile here.
SD 56 (Monroe) - Rick Dollinger (D-WFP), Challenger
Rick Dollinger is challenging six-year incumbent Joe Robach (R-I-C). Dollinger held this seat previously, from 1992-2002, but left to serve as Brighton Town Justice. While previously serving in the State Senate, Dollinger was a champion of LGBT equality, voting to pass the Hate Crimes bill in 2000 and the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) in 2002. He has also indicated in his candidate questionnaire that he will co-sponsor the marriage equality bill and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT Youth. He stated that he will not only be a "yes" vote on important pieces of pro-LGBT legislation, but will also be an outspoken advocate in his conference and will help secure additional support on the bills. Joe Robach has consistently acted against the interests of LGBT New Yorkers. As a member of the New York State Assembly for eleven years, he voted against the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) ten years in a row. He frequently shows up at LGBT events in Rochester and tells his LGBT constituents that he supports their interests, but behaves in an opposite manner when he goes to Albany for the legislative session. He does not support marriage equality or a fully inclusive safe schools bill. Joe Robach took the extra step of informing the Pride Agenda that he would not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement "due to the narrow parameters of the questions."
For more information on Rick Dollinger, read our extended profile here.
SD 61 (Genesee, Erie) - Joe Mesi (D-WFP), Open Seat
Joe Mesi is running for the open seat being vacated by fifteen-year State Senator Mary Lou Rath. Mesi, an undefeated professional heavyweight boxer and entrepreneur, has a longstanding commitment to his local community. On his Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire, he indicated his support for marriage equality and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. He stated that he will "fight for the values that are important to working families – including equal rights for LGBT working families." Mesi's leadership would make a big difference in the 61st Senate District by replacing Rath, a Republican who is publicly opposed to marriage equality for same-sex couples and who voted against the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) when it became law in 2002. Mesi's opponent is Michael Ranzenhofer (R-I-C), an Erie County Legislator who did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
Tom Hasman is challenging current Monroe County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo (R-I-C). Hasman, a Senior Information Security Analyst for SRA International, supports marriage equality, banning discrimination against transgender New Yorkers, and making schools safe for LGBT youth. He stated in his questionnaire that he will "publicly support the LGBT community and advocate for LGBT issues." Having an ally in elected county-wide office in Monroe County would be an important advance for the LGBT community, given the County's longstanding opposition to LGBT issues. The County Legislature is controlled by an anti-LGBT Majority and the County Executive, Maggie Brooks, has refused to provide spousal benefits to county employee Pat Martinez, who was legally married in Canada to her partner, Lisa Golden. The ensuing court case, Martinez v. Monroe County, has made news nationally, and the appellate-level ruling in favor of Pat Martinez is currently the binding decision on all courts in the state. County Clerk Cheryl Dinolfo did not submit a candidate questionnaire seeking the Pride Agenda's endorsement.
Mayor of Ossining - William Hanauer (D-I), Incumbent
William Hanauer is the incumbent for this seat, having served as Mayor of Ossining for two years. When he was elected in 2006, he became Westchester County's first openly gay mayor. As mayor, Hanauer has lobbied the state legislature to pass the marriage equality bill, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and the Dignity for All Students Act. Additionally, as a Village Trustee, he rejected a request from the Boy Scouts of America to use village property for a fundraiser because of their discrimination against LGBT people. Hanauer is running unopposed for his second term.
Ossining Trustee - Janis Castaldi (D-I), Open Seat
Janis Castaldi is running for an open seat for Village of Ossining Trustee. Castaldi, a career coach, is an open lesbian, and has a history of involvement with the LGBT community. Castaldi indicated support for marriage equality, banning discrimination against transgender New Yorkers, and making schools safe for LGBT youth., and wrote that she will "champion" LGBT issues and "work constantly to make our lives equal and fair."
Long Island:
AD 1 (Suffolk) - Marc Alessi (D-WFP-I)AD 4 (Suffolk) - Steve Englebright (D-WFP-I)AD 20 (Nassau) - Harvey Weisenberg (D-WFP-I)
AD 23 (Queens) - Audrey Pheffer (D-WFP)AD 24 (Queens) - Mark Weprin (D-WFP)AD 25 (Queens) - Rory Lancman (D-WFP)AD 26 (Queens) - Ann Margaret Carrozza (D-WFP)AD 27 (Queens) - Nettie Mayersohn (D)AD 28 (Queens) - Andrew Hevesi (D-WFP)AD 31 (Queens) - Michele Titus (D-WFP)AD 32 (Queens) - Vivian Cook (D-WFP)AD 35 (Queens) - Jeffrion Aubry (D)AD 36 (Queens) - Michael Gianaris (D-WFP)AD 39 (Queens) - Jose Peralta (D-WFP)AD 41 (Brooklyn) - Helene Weinstein (D-WFP)AD 42 (Brooklyn) - Rhoda Jacobs (D)AD 50 (Brooklyn) - Joseph Lentol (D)AD 51 (Brooklyn) - Felix Ortiz (D-WFP)AD 54 (Brooklyn) - Darryl Towns (D-WFP)AD 55 (Brooklyn) - William Boyland Jr. (D-WFP)AD 59 (Brooklyn) - Alan Maisel (D)AD 68 (Manhattan) - Adam Clayton Powell IV (D)AD 70 (Manhattan) - Keith Wright (D-WFP)AD 71 (Manhattan) - Herman D. Farrell, Jr. (D)AD 74 (Manhattan) - Brian Kavanagh (D-WFP)AD 76 (Bronx) - Peter Rivera (D-WFP)AD 78 (Bronx) - Jose Rivera (D)AD 80 (Bronx) - Naomi Rivera (D)AD 81 (Bronx) - Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-WFP)AD 82 (Bronx) - Michael Benedetto (D-WFP)AD 84 (Bronx) - Carmen Arroyo (D)
Hudson Valley:
AD 91 (Westchester) - George Latimer (D-WFP-I)AD 98 (Orange, Sullivan) - Aileen Gunther (D-I-C)
Upstate:
AD 132 (Monroe) - Joseph Morelle (D-I)AD 145 (Erie) - Mark Schroeder (D-WFP-I-C)AD 150 (Chautauqua) - William Parment (D-I)
Information on Federal RacesThe Pride Agenda does not make endorsements in federal races (i.e. President of the United State and races for the U.S. Congress) because it does not have a federal Political Action Committee (PAC) and is therefore not legally able to do so. The Pride Agenda has a state-based PAC which enables us to make endorsements of candidates running on the local level, for the state legislature and for statewide office. To learn where the two major Presidential candidates stand on LGBT civil rights issues, go to HRC's online report card. To learn where the two major Presidential candidates and their Vice Presidential running mates stand on HIV/AIDS issues, go to GMHC's website.
ALBANY — They have sent microfilm clerks and security guards from their desks in the Capitol to the hustings of eastern Long Island and the Buffalo suburbs. They have brought in a dozen outside consultants, including a firm that produced the Swift Boat campaign against John Kerry, to cut advertisements and raise money. They have spent millions of dollars to fight for seats that were once safely Republican.
No effort is being spared by New York Republicans in the final days of this election season, which will determine whether they continue to control the State Senate, their only outpost of power in an increasingly Democratic state. Even veterans like Senator Caesar Trunzo — 82 years old and running against the son of a candidate he beat a quarter-century ago — are making eight appearances a day to shake hands and ask for votes.
"We just keep going along, doing what we have to do, and then hope for the best," Mr. Trunzo said recently as he rushed off to a campaign rally in Patchogue, on Long Island. "It's so important that we control the New York State Senate."
Republicans have held a majority in the Senate for all but one of the last 70 years, outlasting governors and presidents, Watergate and Jack Abramoff, seemingly immune to the ebb and flow of national politics. The Senate majority has helped Republicans garner millions of dollars for their campaigns and 10 times that in state aid for their mostly suburban or rural districts. It has been the party's storehouse of institutional knowledge, the career springboard for generations of politicians and operatives, and the lifeblood of some of Albany's most powerful lobbyists.
But now the Republican majority is down to a single seat, provoking the most intense, expensive and sweeping campaign in many years. Eight Republican seats are being seriously contested, double the number in most recent election years.
"It's different, because they're fighting for their survival," said Michael D. Dawidziak, a Republican consultant. "They haven't fought for survival in any of their lifetimes."
The potential loss of the Senate majority is usually mentioned only glancingly on the campaign trail, in veiled references to the need for "balanced government." But it is the urgent undercurrent to conversations in campaign offices, in the hallways of the Capitol and among local Republican activists.
"Our troops, the committeemen, the volunteers — they are very aware of the Albany piece, where they usually are not," said James P. Domagalski, the Republican chairman of Erie County. "They understand what would happen if we lose the Senate."
The long tenures of many Republican senators fighting for re-election — some came into office in 1972 during Richard Nixon's landslide re-election — is a testament to the Senate Republicans' endurance and agility. But facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, a party name damaged by an unpopular administration in Washington, and the chance that Senator Barack Obama's presidential bid will bring a surge of Democratic voters to the polls, the challenge has never seemed so great.
"This is a national tide," said Alfonse M. D'Amato, a lobbyist and a former United States senator, who has been a major fund-raiser and booster for State Senate Republicans. "Sometimes the tide comes in."
Mr. D'Amato said he was convinced that Senate Republicans would hold on this year despite the obstacles they faced. And publicly and privately, Republican senators and aides scoff at the suggestion that this will be the year the majority cracks.
"I'm confident we're going to be victorious, and I'm not thinking about 'what if,' " said Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., of Long Island. "Because we're not going to have deal with the 'what if.' "
On the campaign trail, Republicans have used their fund-raising advantage to expand the playing field, devoting hundreds of thousands of dollars to races in which Democrats have shown unexpected weakness, to offset possible Republican losses. On Friday, they sent Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a key ally, to campaign with Senator Serphin R. Maltese of Queens, who is the Democrats' top target.
In recent weeks, Republicans have aggressively have stoked fears that communities upstate and on Long Island would suffer from a Democratic takeover of the Senate, which would leave the governor's office and both legislative leadership posts in the hands of Democrats from the five boroughs. They are blunt about what is at stake.
"The biggest fear is that if we lose the majority, all funding goes to New York City," said Mr. Fuschillo.
After a devastating loss in February in an upstate special election, Republicans revamped their campaign committee, bringing on new senior staff members, several with experience on presidential campaigns. Since that race — where much of the television advertising was handled by a firm linked to a former party chairman — the committee has broadly expanded its roster of campaign and advertising consultants, bringing in highly regarded talent from the Beltway.
"We learned from the special that the TV in particular has to be top-notch. It can't be the same old same old. You can't use the same old political tactics," said Senator Thomas W. Libous, an upstate Republican and a leader of the party's campaign effort.
Facing an unprecedented number of races, Senate Republicans have devised a buddy system — as it is known internally — to send senators from safe districts to campaign for and advise incumbents in tight races. Party officials say they have also gotten safe incumbents to contribute more campaign money than in the past to their more vulnerable colleagues.
"They now say, 'Instead of trying to drive up my margins in my district, I should spend that time trying to help one of the weaker guys win his race,' " Mr. D'Amato said.
Republicans are also preparing to unveil the kind of technology more familiar from presidential campaigns with hundred-million-dollar budgets. In several key races on Tuesday — party officials would not say which — workers will use BlackBerrys to check off Republican voters as they arrive at polling places and send the lists to a central database, making the party's turnout operation far more efficient.
In some races, the G.O.P. has resorted to methods that are lower-tech but no less intensive. In Westchester County, where Republicans are hoping for an upset victory, the Republican candidate, Liz Feld, has been sending handwritten notes to voters to ask for their support.
The loss of the majority, Republicans say, would not only put their districts at a disadvantage in Albany. It could also cripple the party itself. The majority, after all, comes with roughly $85 million in earmark spending and hundreds of extra staff jobs in Albany and in district offices. In most areas of the state, Republican senators sit atop a well-established political food chain, providing patronage jobs, smoothing political disputes and running local party organizations.
Vincent F. Liguori, who is active with the Republican committee in Islip, on Long Island, said that having Mr. Trunzo as his senator was "like having my father looking out for me."
"It's like they say: To the victor belong the spoils," he added. "There's going to be a lot of people looking for work if he loses."
Trick or Vote is a nationwide nonpartisan costume canvass taking place on Halloween in a city near you. A spooky crew of monsters will be out in full force to remind young folks to vote, and you can be spooky too.Studies show that the most effective way to get young people to vote before an election is to knock on their doors and encourage them to. And what's the one day when we're all culturally ready for a knock on the door? Halloween! Just 5 days before the general Election. So while you might be too old to trick or treat, you're never too old to Trick or Vote!We need canvass volunteers! Sign up nowTrick or Vote is nonpartesan, and explicitly is not associated with the campaign, and I am just posting it because I think it's a cool way to help get the vote out.
Trick or Vote is a nationwide nonpartisan costume canvass taking place on Halloween in a city near you. A spooky crew of monsters will be out in full force to remind young folks to vote, and you can be spooky too.
Studies show that the most effective way to get young people to vote before an election is to knock on their doors and encourage them to. And what's the one day when we're all culturally ready for a knock on the door? Halloween! Just 5 days before the general Election.
So while you might be too old to trick or treat, you're never too old to Trick or Vote!
We need canvass volunteers! Sign up now
Trick or Vote is nonpartesan, and explicitly is not associated with the campaign, and I am just posting it because I think it's a cool way to help get the vote out.
Right around the corner: the High Holy Days of Halloween, up there with Chinese New Year and Thanksgiving in importance in our household. Agonizing over and careful selection of a costume starts in July and is a multi-month and fickle process, Chez Cynematic. (The five year old will be Yoda.)
You getting excited too? First of all, you need to get your pumpkin and carve a big Obama logo on it. Patterns and instructions here, at YesWeCarve. (Do yourself a favor, you MUST look at the awesome pics.)
Then, you need to figure out your costume. Paper Obama masks available here. People who want to be (or exorcise through playacting) scary-ass race-baiting, soul-sucking, brain-eating zombies can find McCain masks here.
I won't even Go There on the Palin thing. Too. Effing. Frightening.
Next, get youth voters & Parentocrats out with their kiddies fired up to vote with a Trick or Vote canvass. Looks like it can work a couple different ways: you organize and hit the street giving out vote-happy treats, or (maybe more workable for the Parentocrats on candy-dispensing duty?) you stay at home and let the voters come to you for those vote-happy treats.
Things you can hand out along with candy: pamphlets that have poll location-finding information. Stars and stripes pumpkins with election day information. Halloween-themed door-hanger reminders for those too grumpy to answer the door or out partying. For more about this nonpartisan, fun way to ask registered voters to vote, visit the Trick or Vote Wiki.
Parents, check the kids' candy extra carefully this Halloween. Some Broward Republicans plan to drop a little something extra into the bags: a piece of political propaganda.Each is about 3 by 4 inches on heavy paper, the brainchild of Sharon Day, Broward's state Republican committeewoman. When parents go through the kids' candy, they'll find messages telling them, "Don't Make Everyday Halloween in America! Keep Barack Obama from using your hard earned dollars as his own personal 'Trick or Treat' bag!"
If the media digs into Obama, then they better dig into Palin and McCain too. You say Ayers, I say G. Gordon Liddy. You say Wright. I say Hagee. You say political corruption in Chicago, I say Keating Five. You say 'elitist', I say McCain's a failure, and has been all his natural born life.
McCain: Veteran, yes. Tortured veteran, yes. But, why was he tortured? Because they caught him. 894th out of 899 in his class. Crashed 5 planes. Caught behind enemy lines. Navy cover-ups, saving his political future. Keating Five. Gordon Liddy. Absolute, complete, fundamental flip-flop on his ideology for this campaign. Commited adultery and abandoned his wife and children for a wealthy Busch heiress. Lied and Lied and Lied.
Please Pass this message on and help expose the Republican party of corruption before the election!
10/28/08, 1:40 am EST
This Ted Stevens fiasco is baggage of the McCain camp's own choosing. Before they added Sarah Palin to the ticket, Alaska was anything but Main Street America. Under the old rules, Steven's corruption scandal could well have blown over as a parochial scandal of the great, oily North.
But since picking Palin, McCain & Co. have staked out Alaska as the living, beating heart of American authenticity. And so, today, Ted Steven's felonious betrayal of the public trust is going to allow Democrats to campaign like it's 2006 — against the Republican "culture of corruption" that proved so electorally toxic to the GOP two years ago.
Let's remember that the McCain camp knew in late July that Stevens was under indictment and demanding a speedy trial that would put Alaska's frontier ethics front-and-center in the days before the election.
And yet, thanks to a vetting free Veepstakes, in August the campaign chose Palin, who not only owes her governorship to Stevens' throaty endorsement, but as recently as 2005 served as the director of "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service" 527 group.
As usual, the intrepid Anchorage Daily News offers the go-to coverage of the Stevens/Palin entanglements. This adn.com video offers a glimpse of their buddy-buddy relationship:
Watch the video here:
http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2008/10/28/ted-stevens-palin-mentor/
At minute 1:13 you can see the last-minute 2006 campaign commercial in which Stevens passes the baton to Palin's "new generation" of leadership, asking his fellow Alaskans to "help Sarah become governor, which we all want to see."
Half way through, we see Palin and Stevens joshing around together at a press conference from this past July — post the FBI raid of Stevens' home, but just prior to his indictment. Stevens chummily calls it "The Sarah and Ted Show."
Minute 3:39
Stevens: Hell, I don't know if you know it but when Frank Murkowski was first elected this lady and I … traveled around the state for two weeks. We've known each other a long time. Worked together a long time.
Minute 4:12
Palin: I have great respect for the senator…. His voice, his experience, his passion needs to be heard across America. So that Alaska can contribute more. So that we can be producers. So that we can help lead the rest of the U.S. I, again, have great respect for him. There's a big difference between reality and perception regarding our relationship.
So here's my question: If Sarah Palin was such an all-American maverick, what was she doing palling around with a suspected felon like Ted Stevens?
Graham Long for US Congress; Help Defeat GOP Bushco incumbant Pete King on Long Island, NY 3rd Congressional District
Graham Long spends every day at work seeking solutions to Long Island's challenges. As an economic development advisor, working with Nassau County, he helps to shape a better future for Long Island.
This is his first run for public office.
Born and raised on the island, he is concerned, along with so many others, that he will not be able to afford to stay in his hometown.
With a background in suburban planning, historic preservation, & government, his goal is to restore the unique character of the island that has always been the frontier of America's future.
Graham is a regional planning specialist, and has worked with Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi on his initiatives to reduce our tax burden, create senior and next-generation affordable housing in our downtowns, strengthen our economy, and preserve our environment and the history and character of Long Island.
He has extensive background in both planning and government, starting out as an intern with The White House, working for the director of the President's National Economic Council in 2002.
While in Washington DC, Graham acted as Advisory Commissioner for the District of Columbia, focusing on regional planning, controlling development, and transportation infrastructure.
Since then he worked as an operations manager for the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City. After the current administration in Washington proved to be drifting away from the challenges our nation faces, Graham returned to Long Island and became active in local government issues.
He holds a B.A. in American Studies, concentrating in economic development and regional planning, from The George Washington University.
His family hails from Franklin Square, and Graham is a graduate of Locust Valley Central School District. He continues to reside in his hometown.
Visit and Bookmark Graham's website here:
http://grahamlong2008.com/
Graham Long is challenging Congressman Peter T. King for his long-held seat in the 3rd Congressional District.
While Mr. Long has never held elected office, he is no neophyte to the governmental arena, beginning with his work as an intern with the White House, working for the director of the President's National Economic Council in 2002 and acting as advisory commissioner for the District of Columbia, focusing on regional planning, development and transportation infrastructure. Mr. Long stated that "After the current administration in Washington proved to be drifting away from the challenges our nation faces, I returned to Long Island and became active in local government."
He currently works as an economic development advisor and regional planning specialist for Nassau County, working "to restore the unique character of the Island that has always been the frontier of America's future." His initiatives have served to help reduce the tax burden, create senior and next-generation affordable housing in downtowns, strengthen the economy, and preserve the environment, history and character of Long Island. These county issues, said Mr. Long, also apply to more local governments.
Concern for Long Island's economic base has led Mr. Long to the realization that "We need to bring in high-tech research and development industries and to steer our economy in a new direction that is centered on 'green' industries, building a renewable energy network, and rebuilding and reworking our crumbling infrastructure." Long Island has the educated workforce to do that, Mr. Long added, but the economy must provide that workforce the affordability to live here. Affordable rental and condominium units in the downtowns, which are often near public transportation, will serve to encourage seniors and young adults to remain on Long Island and will promote greater use of trains and buses, thus reducing traffic, as well as gasoline usage, he said.
Mr. Long believes property taxes can be reduced not only through increased federal and state aid for our schools, but also through restructuring and consolidating local government to make the system more efficient.
Mr. Long said he is running as the candidate of change, and that Rep. King is "the candidate for the status quo." The fact that he has never run for, nor held, political office serves to his advantage, Mr. Long believes, because, "I'm not beholden to any special interests. We can no longer trust the politicians in Washington to fix the problems they helped create in the first place."
If elected, Mr. Long said he vows to help Long Island preserve the legacy, neighborhoods, landmarks and environmental resources "that make our Island unique and attractive" while continuing "to grow responsibly and bring more development into our downtowns, encourage clean energy industries to come to Long Island, and rebuild and enhance our [public and private] transportation network."
In regard to international affairs, Mr. Long said, "We must encourage the next president to re-deploy our combat forces in Iraq, give our troops the benefits and breaks they deserve, and increase our troop levels in Afghanistan where Al-Qaeda is regrouping." The U.S. should reduce combat forces in Iraq, he said, while continuing to work as peacekeepers, which could provide our nation with greater international support. Mr. Long said he will also seek to reverse the current trend in Washington to export our economic base, which he said, has "left us with an unstable economy and a government based on borrowing."
Mr. Long stated, ""I am thrilled and honored to have the support of Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, State Assemblyman Charles Lavine, Presiding Officer of the Nassau County Legislature Diane Yatauro and former Town of North Hempstead Supervisor May Newburger."
At press time, Mr. Long has also received the endorsement of the Nassau Women's Democratic Caucus and the Alliance for Retired Americans.
Mr. Long is running on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines. He holds a BA in American studies, concentrating in economic development and regional planning, from George Washington University. He resides in his home city of Glen Cove.
On The Pulse Of Morningby Maya Angelou
A Rock, A River, A TreeHosts to species long since departed,Mark the mastodon.The dinosaur, who left dry tokensOf their sojourn hereOn our planet floor,Any broad alarm of their of their hastening doomIs lost in the gloom of dust and ages.But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,Come, you may stand upon myBack and face your distant destiny,But seek no haven in my shadow.I will give you no hiding place down here.You, created only a little lower thanThe angels, have crouched too long inThe bruising darkness,Have lain too longFace down in ignorance.Your mouths spelling wordsArmed for slaughter.The rock cries out today, you may stand on me,But do not hide your face.Across the wall of the world,A river sings a beautiful song,Come rest here by my side.Each of you a bordered country,Delicate and strangely made proud,Yet thrusting perpetually under siege.Your armed struggles for profitHave left collars of waste uponMy shore, currents of debris upon my breast.Yet, today I call you to my riverside,If you will study war no more.Come, clad in peace and I will sing the songsThe Creator gave to me when IAnd the tree and stone were one.Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your browAnd when you yet knew you still knew nothing.The river sings and sings on.There is a true yearning to respond toThe singing river and the wise rock.So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew,The African and Native American, the Sioux,The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek,The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh,The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,The privileged, the homeless, the teacher.They hear. They all hearThe speaking of the tree.Today, the first and last of every tree Speaks to humankind. Come to me, here beside the river.Plant yourself beside me, here beside the river.Each of you, descendant of some passed onTraveler, has been paid for.You, who gave me my first name,You Pawnee, Apache and Seneca,You Cherokee Nation, who rested with me,Then forced on bloody feet,Left me to the employment of other seekers--Desperate for gain, starving for gold.You, the Turk, the Swede, the German, the Scot...You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru,Bought, sold, stolen, arriving on a nightmarePraying for a dream.Here, root yourselves beside me.I am the tree planted by the river,Which will not be moved.I, the rock, I the river, I the treeI am yours--your passages have been paid.Lift up your faces, you have a piercing needFor this bright morning dawning for you.History, despite its wrenching pain,Cannot be unlived, and if faced with courage,Need not be lived again.Lift up your eyes uponThe day breaking for you.Give birth againTo the dream.Women, children, men,Take it into the palms of your hands.Mold it into the shape of your mostPrivate need. Sculpt it intoThe image of your most public self.Lift up your hearts.Each new hour holds new chancesFor new beginnings.Do not be wedded foreverTo fear, yoked eternallyTo brutishness.The horizon leans forward,Offering you space to place new steps of change.Here, on the pulse of this fine dayYou may have the courageTo look up and out upon me,The rock, the river, the tree, your country.No less to Midas than the mendicant.No less to you now than the mastodon then.Here on the pulse of this new dayYou may have the grace to look up and outAnd into your sister's eyes,Into your brother's face, your countryAnd say simplyVery simplyWith hopeGood morning.
