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02/27/2012
NOM to NY: 'We don't care' if we help pro-marriage-equality party earn Senate majority
The Jewish alliance against state Senate candidate Lew Fidler/for David Storobin isn't the only NOM NY news of the day. The anti-gay organization is continuing its quest to oust those Republicans who voted for marriage equality last summer, even if it costs the GOP -- the only party that'd ever theoretically bring marriage back up for debate in NY state -- the majority in the Senate:
The National Organization for Marriage’s New York PAC today endorsed Democratic Senate challenger Chuck Swanick over incumbent Republican Mark Grisanti, announced a $5,000 contribution to Swanick’s campaign
...
In response to those who say that electing Mr. Swanick could cost Dean Skelos his majority in the Senate we say, ‘we don’t care,’” Brown said. “Mark Grisanti’s political career will be ended over same-sex marriage, and he might take Dean Skelos with him. But that is Skelos’ own doing for having allowed the same-sex marriage bill to come to a vote in the Senate. We are committed to electing a pro-marriage majority, not protecting Republicans like Mark Grisanti who betray our core values.”
NOM-NY PAC Endorses, Contributes to Chuck Swanick in Senate Contest Against Mark Grisanti [NOM Blog]
It is monumentally ridiculous, this strategy, and it should offend anyone who truly cares about doing right by the state of New York. I mean seriously, what the hell is the plan here, other than using out-of-state funds to divide the Republicans?
Say they do "send a message" and end Mark Grisanti's career. Say they end all four pro-equality Republicans' careers and even a few of the pro-equality Democrats. So what? So they can give Democrats the power in both chambers? Sure, the Democrats NOM is backing (or planning to back) might be "traditional marriage" supporters (for now), but do they really think they are going to radically reshape a party that championed the marriage equality bill in almost-unanimous numbers so that it becomes a party in favor of NOM's "protect marriage" game!? Not gonna happen. And if that's not gonna happen, then what they'd be left with under the fulfillment of this expressed strategy is a slate of elected Democrats with maybe a few more Ruben Diaz-like minds, but a leadership that'd never even consider taking away this right that a vast majority of NY Democrats both enjoy and celebrate.
The key to what NOM is doing in NY can actually be found above, right there in Brian Brown's statement: "We don't care." Brian and NOM don't care about New York, not really. They know it's a lost cause, in terms of marriage in this one state. NOM's engagement in New York is 100% about seeming "tough" on a national scale. The real reason they want to pick off these pro-equality lawmakers is so they can then turn around in every other state and say, "See, see -- you support gay marriage and we'll end your career! We did it 'liberal' New York, we can do it in your state too!" They couldn't care less about what they do to the state, its political conversation, its good will, or anything else that impacts the wellbeing of actual New Yorkers who need their legislator to be focused on the business of the state. NOM is acting like the selfish organization that we've long known it to be. This time, they're even admitting it.