Friday, August 11, 2006
Friday, August 04, 2006
Im Very disappointed in my Ill. Republican Party
State GOP Betrays Republicans Yet Again
The below info was copyed from http://www.familytaxpayers.net/
Last week, still more Democrat leaders announced they are financially supporting the effort to keep the Protect Marriage Illinois advisory referendum off the November 7th ballot.
The Democrats’ announcement comes as no surprise. Many Democrats have made it clear they would have little problem with expanding the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. The Democrats also recognize that Republican candidates across the state would surely benefit if conservatives are inspired by the Referendum to go to the polls. That has been the experience in every other state where similar measures have appeared.
These Democrats are misguided in their desire to prevent Illinois voters from simply weighing-in on whether the Illinois Constitution should be amended to protect the definition of traditional marriage. The liberal Democrats are wrong in their efforts to lawyer-up in an attempt to short-circuit the democratic process. What’s wrong with simply allowing every Illinois voter to have a say on the issue?
But at least these Democrats are being honest about where they stand.
The big story about the Protect Marriage Referendum is the shameful way the Illinois Republican Party abandoned the effort early-on, and the pattern of lies that officials here have been telling Republicans to justify their non-support for a key plank on our party’s platform. Few probably realize that the State Republican Party organization not only failed to lift a finger on the petition drive, but in many cases the IL GOP actively worked against the effort.
This past weekend, John Tsarpalas, the State Party’s Executive Director, was asked during a meeting of Wheeling Township Republicans why the IL GOP had refused to help on the Protect Marriage project. Tsarpalas responded that he had contacted “someone” from the Republican National Committee, and was told essentially that the Illinois GOP shouldn’t get involved because that would make the effort “partisan” (maybe even “divisive”). He further claimed that the IL GOP didn’t get involved because other State Parties hadn’t when similar constitutional referendums appeared around the Country. Tsarpalas even reportedly claimed that it wouldn’t be appropriate for the IL GOP to do something as simple as place a link to Protect Marriage on its website.
Mr. Tsarpalas told a similar tale a few months ago. During the final stretch of the petition gathering, the Protect Marriage organizers asked the IL GOP one last time to help out. Tsarpalas said no, sorry, he had checked with other states and every single State Party told him they did not participate in their states’ protect marriage efforts - that whole “would make it partisan” thing again.
So has John Tsarpalas been telling Republicans the truth? Simply put, no. And a look at what just a few other State Parties have done recently proves it definitively.
Minnesota: As reported by Minnesota Public Radio the Minnesota Republican Party and supporters of a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage are stepping up their efforts to get the initiative on the ballot this November. Two days before the legislative session begins, the State GOP is sending hundreds of thousands of videos on the issue to voters. The goal is to force the state Senate to vote on the proposal. [Source: Minnesota Public Radio – January 27, 2006].
Wisconsin: The Republican Party of Wisconsin features the Protect Marriage initiative on the front page of its website, and has a petition form to download. The Wisconsin GOP’s Executive Director Rick Wiley recently said, “It's our job to be sure that people go to the polls to vote for the marriage amendment and the Republican candidates for governor. Not only are they out there in force voting for this amendment, but because Gov. Doyle is vulnerable, you get a two-for-one shot." [We wonder if Mr. Wiley would be interested in moving a little farther south.]
Nebraska: The Nebraska Republican Party is currently hosting an on-line petition to affirm their support of the Defense of Marriage Amendment which states: In 2000 an overwhelming majority of Nebraskans voted on an amendment that would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Activist Judges with their own agenda circumvented the wishes of the voters and declared the amendment unconstitutional. As a voter in the state of Nebraska I affirm my support of the Defense of Marriage Amendment.
Florida: Their State Party donated $150,000 to the organization heading-up Florida’s constitutional amendment effort this year. The Florida GOP was apparently the largest single contributor by far.
Florida GOP executive director Andy Palmer noted similar measures boosted Republican turnout in battleground states in 2004, but he said the party wanted to help the effort in Florida because it is "totally in line with the Republican Party philosophy."
Texas: From the Republican Party of Texas website: Proposition 2 will give Texans the opportunity to join more than a dozen states in statutorily and constitutionally banning same-sex marriage. Even though Texas law already prohibits homosexual marriages (the Defense of Marriage Act passed in 2003), Proposition 2 would safeguard that law from judicial challenges by defining marriage as one man and one woman. Vote YES on Proposition 2!
The Texas GOP’s website also includes a number of talking points on the reasons for protecting traditional marriage.
North Carolina: The North Carolina Republican Party has taken an especially strong stand. In May of 2004 it was reported that State Chairman Ferrell Blount said he would not allow the Log Cabin Republicans to purchase a booth at the Party’s State Convention. “I reviewed what the Log Cabin national web site was advocating and promoting,” said Blount, “and in my opinion, it is diametrically opposed to the values of the North Carolina Republican Party…As State Party Chairman, I support the definition of marriage as being a union sanctioned by God between a man and a woman. That is what the Republican Party talks about in its platform and will talk about this weekend.”
Note that on September 8, 2004, the national Log Cabin Republican organization chose not to endorse President Bush for reelection specifically due to his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Tennessee: From a press release just last week by the Tennessee Republican Party (their Party Chairman Bob Davis is taking their Democrat Governor to task):
"Governor Bredesen wants to have it both ways. Political convenience is his middle name. The governor continues to bad mouth the Marriage Amendment and his position should be clear to every voter in Tennessee," said Bob Davis, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.
In the past, Bredesen has called such legislation "divisive." He has also stated he did not like "the idea of messing around with the constitution in a political year."
"Governor Bredesen – you are either for protecting traditional marriage or against it. Which one is it? Tennesseans deserve the right to know," said Davis.
Actually this is hardly the first time that we’ve caught the IL GOP’s Executive Director not being honest with Republicans.
These latest undermining efforts against the Protect Marriage project also aren’t new. Last year the State Party leadership refused to even allow a representative from Protect Marriage to talk briefly about the petition drive at a meeting of the State Central Committee. The State Party even used its influence to disallow a presentation to a meeting of the GOP County Chairmen. A promise had been made to at least include petition packets and information in the materials being distributed to the County Chairmen, but even that promise was broken.
If Party Chairman Andy McKenna and John Tsarpalas are unwilling to support their own Party’s fundamental issues, they should step down. But of course they won’t.
A State Party with leadership this inept can't win. And a State Party that has this much trouble with the truth doesn’t deserve to.
By the way, we called the RNC this week to find out if there was any truth to Tsarpalas’ claim that the National Party had advised the IL GOP against getting involved in the Protect Marriage project. No one we spoke with could possibly imagine why any State GOP would not support a fundamental plank of the National Platform and a protection of marriage that the Republican Congress and the President continue to fight for at the Federal level.
Posted June 15, 2006
The below info was copyed from http://www.familytaxpayers.net/
Last week, still more Democrat leaders announced they are financially supporting the effort to keep the Protect Marriage Illinois advisory referendum off the November 7th ballot.
The Democrats’ announcement comes as no surprise. Many Democrats have made it clear they would have little problem with expanding the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. The Democrats also recognize that Republican candidates across the state would surely benefit if conservatives are inspired by the Referendum to go to the polls. That has been the experience in every other state where similar measures have appeared.
These Democrats are misguided in their desire to prevent Illinois voters from simply weighing-in on whether the Illinois Constitution should be amended to protect the definition of traditional marriage. The liberal Democrats are wrong in their efforts to lawyer-up in an attempt to short-circuit the democratic process. What’s wrong with simply allowing every Illinois voter to have a say on the issue?
But at least these Democrats are being honest about where they stand.
The big story about the Protect Marriage Referendum is the shameful way the Illinois Republican Party abandoned the effort early-on, and the pattern of lies that officials here have been telling Republicans to justify their non-support for a key plank on our party’s platform. Few probably realize that the State Republican Party organization not only failed to lift a finger on the petition drive, but in many cases the IL GOP actively worked against the effort.
This past weekend, John Tsarpalas, the State Party’s Executive Director, was asked during a meeting of Wheeling Township Republicans why the IL GOP had refused to help on the Protect Marriage project. Tsarpalas responded that he had contacted “someone” from the Republican National Committee, and was told essentially that the Illinois GOP shouldn’t get involved because that would make the effort “partisan” (maybe even “divisive”). He further claimed that the IL GOP didn’t get involved because other State Parties hadn’t when similar constitutional referendums appeared around the Country. Tsarpalas even reportedly claimed that it wouldn’t be appropriate for the IL GOP to do something as simple as place a link to Protect Marriage on its website.
Mr. Tsarpalas told a similar tale a few months ago. During the final stretch of the petition gathering, the Protect Marriage organizers asked the IL GOP one last time to help out. Tsarpalas said no, sorry, he had checked with other states and every single State Party told him they did not participate in their states’ protect marriage efforts - that whole “would make it partisan” thing again.
So has John Tsarpalas been telling Republicans the truth? Simply put, no. And a look at what just a few other State Parties have done recently proves it definitively.
Minnesota: As reported by Minnesota Public Radio the Minnesota Republican Party and supporters of a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage are stepping up their efforts to get the initiative on the ballot this November. Two days before the legislative session begins, the State GOP is sending hundreds of thousands of videos on the issue to voters. The goal is to force the state Senate to vote on the proposal. [Source: Minnesota Public Radio – January 27, 2006].
Wisconsin: The Republican Party of Wisconsin features the Protect Marriage initiative on the front page of its website, and has a petition form to download. The Wisconsin GOP’s Executive Director Rick Wiley recently said, “It's our job to be sure that people go to the polls to vote for the marriage amendment and the Republican candidates for governor. Not only are they out there in force voting for this amendment, but because Gov. Doyle is vulnerable, you get a two-for-one shot." [We wonder if Mr. Wiley would be interested in moving a little farther south.]
Nebraska: The Nebraska Republican Party is currently hosting an on-line petition to affirm their support of the Defense of Marriage Amendment which states: In 2000 an overwhelming majority of Nebraskans voted on an amendment that would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Activist Judges with their own agenda circumvented the wishes of the voters and declared the amendment unconstitutional. As a voter in the state of Nebraska I affirm my support of the Defense of Marriage Amendment.
Florida: Their State Party donated $150,000 to the organization heading-up Florida’s constitutional amendment effort this year. The Florida GOP was apparently the largest single contributor by far.
Florida GOP executive director Andy Palmer noted similar measures boosted Republican turnout in battleground states in 2004, but he said the party wanted to help the effort in Florida because it is "totally in line with the Republican Party philosophy."
Texas: From the Republican Party of Texas website: Proposition 2 will give Texans the opportunity to join more than a dozen states in statutorily and constitutionally banning same-sex marriage. Even though Texas law already prohibits homosexual marriages (the Defense of Marriage Act passed in 2003), Proposition 2 would safeguard that law from judicial challenges by defining marriage as one man and one woman. Vote YES on Proposition 2!
The Texas GOP’s website also includes a number of talking points on the reasons for protecting traditional marriage.
North Carolina: The North Carolina Republican Party has taken an especially strong stand. In May of 2004 it was reported that State Chairman Ferrell Blount said he would not allow the Log Cabin Republicans to purchase a booth at the Party’s State Convention. “I reviewed what the Log Cabin national web site was advocating and promoting,” said Blount, “and in my opinion, it is diametrically opposed to the values of the North Carolina Republican Party…As State Party Chairman, I support the definition of marriage as being a union sanctioned by God between a man and a woman. That is what the Republican Party talks about in its platform and will talk about this weekend.”
Note that on September 8, 2004, the national Log Cabin Republican organization chose not to endorse President Bush for reelection specifically due to his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Tennessee: From a press release just last week by the Tennessee Republican Party (their Party Chairman Bob Davis is taking their Democrat Governor to task):
"Governor Bredesen wants to have it both ways. Political convenience is his middle name. The governor continues to bad mouth the Marriage Amendment and his position should be clear to every voter in Tennessee," said Bob Davis, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.
In the past, Bredesen has called such legislation "divisive." He has also stated he did not like "the idea of messing around with the constitution in a political year."
"Governor Bredesen – you are either for protecting traditional marriage or against it. Which one is it? Tennesseans deserve the right to know," said Davis.
Actually this is hardly the first time that we’ve caught the IL GOP’s Executive Director not being honest with Republicans.
These latest undermining efforts against the Protect Marriage project also aren’t new. Last year the State Party leadership refused to even allow a representative from Protect Marriage to talk briefly about the petition drive at a meeting of the State Central Committee. The State Party even used its influence to disallow a presentation to a meeting of the GOP County Chairmen. A promise had been made to at least include petition packets and information in the materials being distributed to the County Chairmen, but even that promise was broken.
If Party Chairman Andy McKenna and John Tsarpalas are unwilling to support their own Party’s fundamental issues, they should step down. But of course they won’t.
A State Party with leadership this inept can't win. And a State Party that has this much trouble with the truth doesn’t deserve to.
By the way, we called the RNC this week to find out if there was any truth to Tsarpalas’ claim that the National Party had advised the IL GOP against getting involved in the Protect Marriage project. No one we spoke with could possibly imagine why any State GOP would not support a fundamental plank of the National Platform and a protection of marriage that the Republican Congress and the President continue to fight for at the Federal level.
Posted June 15, 2006
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