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Father Featured in Cornerstone Ad Writes Letter
Apologizing for Inadvertently Spreading Misinformation, Calling SB 500 "Good Policy"
Lynch Campaign Calls on Stephen Campaign and Friends to Pull False Ads, Apologize and Stop Deceptive Attacks
MANCHESTER - Michael Gilmore, the father featured in a recent National Organization for Marriage/Cornerstone ad attacking New Hampshire's bipartisan correction reforms, has written a letter to the Conway Daily Sun apologizing for inadvertently spreading misinformation and calling the law "good policy."
In his letter, Gilmore wrote, "Admit it, fix it, get on your life. It is how we were raised, how to handle our mistakes. Well, this is what I am doing here. It is in reference to some of my statements and 'facts' I posted about SB500.
"First, everything I (we) have said has been true to the best of our knowledge. As we continue to dig deeper, reach farther, and look everywhere, the details, more important details, are slowly coming out. There are enough 'sound bytes' floating around to confuse everyone. I apologize for my part in that and can only say that in our haste to get information out we were unable to get all the scattered details correct and verified," Gilmore wrote.
At the end of his letter, Gilmore wrote: "Conclusion: It is good policy."
The Lynch Campaign applauded Mr. Gilmore's courage in coming forward to correct the record, and called on John Stephen and his allies to do the same.
"Unlike Mr. Gilmore, John Stephen knows the facts. But John Stephen has chosen to mislead people and play politics with public safety," said Pamela Walsh, campaign manager for New Hampshire for John Lynch. "John Stephen's misinformation campaign is rapidly unraveling.
"John Stephen should apologize to the people of New Hampshire for deliberately trying to mislead them and call on his friends to stop their misleading attacks and pull their ads," Walsh said.
The National Organization for Marriage and Cornerstone, groups supportive of John Stephen's agenda, have been running misleading ads on this issue.
The Portsmouth Herald has called the misleading statements against the reform law a "cheap political trick."
Back during the Watergate era it was illegal. The only difference now is that its "legal"
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10...
"Contributors," he said, "were literally flying into Washington with satchels of cash."
The Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CREEP) was also illegally hauling in many millions of dollars from corporations, many of which felt pressured into making contributions.
The record of donors was so tightly held that it was kept in a locked drawer by Rose Mary Woods, Nixon's secretary. The list - which came to be known as "Rose Mary's Baby" - wasn't released until Mr. Wertheimer forced the issue through a lawsuit. Among those on the list were William Keeler, the chief executive of Phillips Petroleum, who pleaded guilty, during the post-Watergate prosecutions, to making an illegal corporate donation.
Read Tom Fahey's State House dome about Lynch/Stpehen money imbalance after the jump
Rather than Spend $9.68 at Pannera this afternoon I'm "Skipping Lunch" and giving it to John Lynch to help counter the $425k in ad the National Organization of (Opposite Sex) Marriage is spending in NH.
If you are interested in skipping your lunch (or Dinner, or Breakfast) I encourage you to make a donation of $9.68 and skip the meal of your choice.
Over on Facebook 20 folks have indicated they are skipping thier lunch will you join us?
The right-wing and their media enablers still doing their darndest to derail the Republican candidate with the best general election chances against Paul Hodes.
Maybe if they close their eyes and ears and shout LALALA long enough, they can pretend the electorate in the Granite State is as far right-wing as they are?
The New Jersey-based "National Organization for Marriage," or NOM, rolled its bus into Manchester NH in order to rally the troops against Marriage Equality and get signatures in support of DOMA. It must have been embarrassing for them that including the out of state contingency they brought on their bus, only about 50 people showed up in the City Hall Plaza. By contrast, those of us who showed up to quietly support NH's Marriage Equality numbered 40 - with no bus, no campaign, and no organized effort.
I can only describe the hour-long 'rally' as bizarre. Even Circus-like.
One of the touted speakers was Dr. Jennifer Morse, who was introduced as a college professor who would address the group on the scientific basis for prohibiting same-sex marriage. She insisted that religious reasons were not necessary, because there were "bold" scientific reasons. My curiosity was piqued!
I was disappointed to say the least. Her 'scientific' opinion was that "Heterosexuality is Normal for our Species."
Huh? That's it?! Yup.
After a little research I discovered that our Scientific Doctor has a degree in Economics (not science, not sociology, not psychology, not family studies...). She runs the "Ruth Institute," a NOM-Project, working with church and college youth groups, and the faith-based Acton Institute.
She then informed us of all the horrible things happening in Canada as a result of same-sex Marriage. Three times she referred to the strange land of "KWEE-beck." Being a Californian, she apparently was unfamiliar with either the English or French pronunciation for the name of our neighboring Province, so she instead made it sound oddly remeniscent of the word "QUEER".
She concluded by warning us about what lay ahead for the US. Soon, she said, we might have Language Police listening in on (and I kid you not...) the jocular statements made between guys in locker rooms after sporting events to make sure they complied with politically correct speech codes.
Such was the Scientific Approach. Then we were treated to a sermon by Thomas Peetz, the Pastor at the Pentecostal Word of Life Church in Concord. Detecting another out-of-state accent, I checked his church bio to see that he claims to come from "the nation's heartland," and studied under Kenneth E Hagin. Yes, the Health & Wealth Televangelist who claims that "It is always God's will that every believer be 'financially blessed' through faith...," and who, apparently, died three times and even went to hell on one of those trips. Pastor Peetz said, "I'd like to read from the Good Book...if I'm allowed to call it that," in what became a constant, scripted litany for the rally: that religious people were being silenced. He then instructed us all that there is no 'separation of church and state in the Constitution...that's just in a letter Jefferson wrote." He concluded his sermon by imploring the group that "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."
I wonder if he realized the irony in that his purpose there today was to "put asunder" my lawful, Church-approved marriage.
NOM's Director, Brian S. Brown, probably took top prize for bizarre logic today. Towards the end, he waxed eloquently about how Christian leaders throughout history stepped out and championed unpopular causes in the name of civil rights, from William Wilberforce's fight against slavery to Dr. Martin Luther King's marches for racial justice. He emphasized how these men were ridiculed even by other churches and by the public, but they fought and expanded decency and civil rights.
He then took a spasmodic leap in irrationality and claimed that these good works could not happen now, because Christians had been 'silenced.'
Perhaps, being from out of state, he was blind to the logical, appropriate leap he SHOULD have made: that of Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who walked in the very tradition of those other leaders he mentioned in the fight for GLBT civil rights. It was not lost on those of us who live in New Hampshire.
One theme became very clear throughout the hour: no fewer than 16 times did speakers mention "the children," or the effect of same-sex marriage on "children," or depriving "children" of a mom and dad, or the primary purpose of marriage being to raise "children. And throughout the rally, Biblical and moral references were rampant...and the desire for a Theologically Appropriate response to Marriage Equality was the blatant, unabashed and constant undercurrent of this group.
(Great writeup. Part put below the fold, and thanks. - promoted by Dean Barker)
This is a public thank you to everyone who made it down to Manchester today as we stood as silent witnesses for equality against the National Organization for Marriage's unwelcome stop in New Hampshire on its nationwide bus tour.
Well, at least they're persistent. NOM pours money into the state to keep trying to thwart New Hampshire's decisions, attack our representatives and our governor (the only governor in the nation to sign a marriage equality bill!) and ignore our strong tradition of protecting civil liberties. We were there in Manchester today to bear witness to New Hampshire's commitment to marriage equality as NOM attempted to spread its lies here.
Pindell gets the Gov's reaction to the out-of-state intolerance brigade's media swarm:
"I'm disgusted with it. I think it's an attack on New Hampshire."
The ad, paid for by the National Organization for Marriage, is running on WMUR and cable television outlets. The group said they are spending $200,000 to air the ads
This is exactly right, and exactly the way to treat Maggie's out-of-state, ethically dubious front group.
In the comments to my earlier post on this, Douglas made an incredibly perceptive observation:
No other Governor is in the position Lynch is in with respect to marriage equality. Vermont's Governor (a Republican) vetoed it and was overruled. Maine's Governor signed it, but it was repealed by referendum before it had the chance to take effect. Every other state that has it got it by a judicial ruling.
John Lynch is the only executive in this country who has ever signed a law that granted marriage equality. And that deserves some serious support from the progressive community.
If you've been on this site at all for the past three and a half years, you know I haven't spent a whole lot of time promoting Governor Lynch and his re-election efforts.
And you know I am at odds with him on the Pledge. And that we on the site have had some back and forth with him during the march to marriage equality, as well as on some other issues.
But just so we're clear: Governor Lynch signed a bill into law that gives some of my tax-paying, patriotic friends in this state the same rights that I have. In the end, that's what matters a whole lot more than the way we got there.
And for that, he deserves my full support and defense from suspiciously funded, out-of-state anti-marriage groups like the National Organization for Marriage.
So bring it on, Maggie. You tried to stop freedom here in the Live Free or Die state, and lost. You tried to gin up a phony referendum, and that failed too.
Spend your money freely against a Governor that advanced the cause of civil rights in this, the greatest state in the union. I will enjoy it being wasted here in a place whose citizenry is well accustomed to outside groups coming in to astroturf on behalf of candidates and causes.
The Headline from NH Political Report says it all:
Lynch attacked with 200k worth of tv ads from National Organization for Marriage
This is only the beginning. The address listed on the NOM website is in Princeton, NJ. Last I looked, that's so far from NH, I can't even see it from my backyard!
An out of state organization dedicated to curtailing individual freedom is pouring its money into New Hampshire to influence our next election. They will most likely be funding Republican state senate and state representative campaigns as well.
From the Wiki page on NOM,under the heading "Alleged Disclosure Violations" :
Accusations by Karger also lead the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to schedule consideration of an investigation.[57] Maine laws require that organizations which solicit more than $5000 for a ballot question campaign file disclosure reports.[21] NOM has contributed $1.6 million to Stand For Marriage Maine, as of October 23, 2009, without filing any disclosure reports.[21] The commission approved an investigation on a 3-2 vote, overriding the recommendation of their staff.[58] NOM responded by filing suit, claiming that the state's election laws violate the Constitution.[59] NOM used the likelihood of their suit's success as an argument to obtain a federal restraining order which would keep them from having to provide donor names before the date of the election; the request was turned down by federal Judge David Brock Hornby.[60] In January 2010, representatives of the group were subpoenaed to appear before the commission. In February, the group requested that those subpoenas be dropped, but the commission voted unanimously to deny that request.[61]
In Iowa, the organization faces accusations from the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund and One Iowa that it has failed to properly disclose its contributors.[19] NOM's efforts in that state included spending $86,060 on the failed state House of Representatives campaign of Stephen Burgmeier.[62]
The National Organization for Marriage's "Gathering Storm" television ad has sparked many parodies.
There are puppets, there's computer animation, the Gathering Storm Chasers, the original ad remixed to be against interracial marriage, but this one is the best so far. (Some of those get a tad vulgar.)
You've seen the ridiculous ad from the National Organization for (Heterosexual Only, With a Creepy WASP Vibe) Marriage about the "Gathering Storm" of - EEK! - equality.
It's sufficiently backfired, and the Gathering Storm of parodies has helped that happen. Here's the top ten funniest videos.
God bless YouTube.
#10 - A new song in the background really jazzes things up. How did NOM not see this one coming?
#9 - A more in-depth variation on the same theme.
#8 - Perhaps they could have tried a little harder to scare the crap out of us.
#7 - Variation on the theme. Think grindhouse horror film.
#6 - Sometimes the "tell it like it is" approach works best.
#5 - "Tell it like it is" revisited - What would they have been saying 40 years ago?
