8 ate it -- will DNC now help us win 1?

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08/24/2009

by Jeremy Hooper

Last year, under Howard Dean's leadership, the Democratic National Committee gave a respectable $25,000 to stave off that thoroughly un-Democratic DNC ballot measure that we all now know as Prop 8. But now, under the leadership of Governor Tim Kaine, can we count on the DNC to give as much to the equally crucial Maine fight? Or better yet: Can they maybe give a little bit more, so that Maine won't have to suffer the same historical stain that has tarnished California?

FACTS:

Maine's democratically controlled legislature and Democratic governor have already signed on to marriage equality. In the state Senate, only one Democrat voted no. In the house, only 8 of the 57 "no" votes came from Dems. And Gov. Baldacci, upon signing the legislatively approved marriage bill, highlighted why this issue of full equality is the only acceptable form of conferring rights to same-sex couples (rejecting civil unions as unequal).

Democrats voted against Prop 8 by a healthy margin (somewhere between 65--70 percent)

Our Democratic president has come out against anti-marriage equality ballot measures

Younger voters in general support marriage equality in big (and growing) numbers. Young Democrats even more so. The party's future is one where full marriage equality comes with no qualifiers. A positive Maine outcome could get us there sooner rather than later!

So this being the case, we challenge Chairman Kaine and the DNC to come on board sooner rather than later. An early financial donation could help us in immeasurably practical ways. But beyond that: The support would send a reassuring sign that this party is strongly committed to full fairness for their LGBT constituents! We're countin' on ya, donkey.

**Oh, and we'll gladly take your dollars as well, RNC. After all, Maine's two U.S. Senators both have an (R) next to their names, and both have been known to oppose measures like this (even if they're remaining mum about this one).

***

**UPDATE: Stonewall Democrats are on our same page. Here's a letter just sent our way by a tipster:

Stonewall Letter to the DNC