http://thepoweronline.wordpress.com/2009 04/06/the-power-to-win-equality-is-in-a -single-phone-call
Today full marriage equality for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender citizens lies in persuding a few state legislators who initially voted against marriage equality to support the vote to override Governor Jim Douglas's expected veto. You have THE POWER  to get that single vote we need. Your voice and your story are more POWERful that the fact sheets and legal arguments by any of our LGBT lobbying organizations.

Back in the spring of 1990 I was still living in RI and planning my move to NYC. Massachusetts had recently passed a gay rights law and RI was giving it another try. Previously the our bill passed the House and died in the State Senate. This year we introduced the bill into the Senate first. The vote looked very tight with the probability of narrow defeat. My Senator was Charlie Donovan Sr. I went to the same school as his son, Charlie Jr. who was a few years younger. My dad was one of Jr.'s teachers. I got Sen. Donovan's home number from my parents and nervously called. The answering machine picked up and the taped messaged rolled as I blanked on what to say. The vote was tomorrow so I had to say something to the machine. When the voice gave way to a shrill beep I blurted out "Mr. Donovan, this is Jon Winkleman, Murray's son, and I'm gay." I didn't have a fact sheet to reason with logic or the morality of equal rights. I told him I went to school with Charlie Jr. and I can get fired from my job just cause I'm gay. Also my landlord can evict me from my apartment just because I'm gay. Tomorrow you are really voting on my life. I begged him to support the bill and hung up as the second beep interrupted me.

My friends in the RI Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights said Rep. Charlie Donovan Sr. was on record as a solid "NO" to LGBT equality but thanked me for making the call. The next day the gay rights bill passed the State Senate. My friend Padric called elated "I don't know what you said Winkleman but Donovan flipped and voted `YES'." The bill passed the Senate by ONE VOTE. The victory was ephemeral as national religious right groups then flooded RI with money and lobbyists. The Religious Right didn't get any House members to change their vote. Still they did managed to pressure enough weak supporters to miss the roll call and in 1990 RI's gay rights bill died in a tied vote in the House.

http://thepoweronline.wordpress.com/2009 04/06/the-power-to-win-equality-is-in-a -single-phone-call
Today full marriage equality for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender citizens lies in persuding a few state legislators who initially voted against marriage equality to support the vote to override Governor Jim Douglas's expected veto. You have THE POWER  to get that single vote we need. Your voice and your story are more POWERful that the fact sheets and legal arguments by any of our LGBT lobbying organizations.

Back in the spring of 1990 I was still living in RI and planning my move to NYC. Massachusetts had recently passed a gay rights law and RI was giving it another try. Previously the our bill passed the House and died in the State Senate. This year we introduced the bill into the Senate first. The vote looked very tight with the probability of narrow defeat. My Senator was Charlie Donovan Sr. I went to the same school as his son, Charlie Jr. who was a few years younger. My dad was one of Jr.'s teachers. I got Sen. Donovan's home number from my parents and nervously called. The answering machine picked up and the taped messaged rolled as I blanked on what to say. The vote was tomorrow so I had to say something to the machine. When the voice gave way to a shrill beep I blurted out "Mr. Donovan, this is Jon Winkleman, Murray's son, and I'm gay." I didn't have a fact sheet to reason with logic or the morality of equal rights. I told him I went to school with Charlie Jr. and I can get fired from my job just cause I'm gay. Also my landlord can evict me from my apartment just because I'm gay. Tomorrow you are really voting on my life. I begged him to support the bill and hung up as the second beep interrupted me.

My friends in the RI Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights said Rep. Charlie Donovan Sr. was on record as a solid "NO" to LGBT equality but thanked me for making the call. The next day the gay rights bill passed the State Senate. My friend Padric called elated "I don't know what you said Winkleman but Donovan flipped and voted `YES'." The bill passed the Senate by ONE VOTE. The victory was ephemeral as national religious right groups then flooded RI with money and lobbyists. The Religious Right didn't get any House members to change their vote. Still they did managed to pressure enough weak supporters to miss the roll call and in 1990 RI's gay rights bill died in a tied vote in the House.

I have sat in and observed many of the RBC meeting mostly out of interest in the Shay Amendment. However I also witnessed first hand the jealousy and competitiveness of so many state parties who want the special status to go first and all of the political, media and financial benefits that go along with the early window. The RBC's needed to act swiftly in August and December to prevent total chaos before January. Your job was to herd cats through a minefield. You truly have my sympathies.

I have read the complete DNC Delegate Selection Rules along with the RBC transcripts for both the August and December meetings when both Florida and Michigan were ruled in violation and lost all of their delegates (I also observed the December meeting in Vienna VA).

There are a number of points worth considering.

There is a lot more I am writing myself about Donna's role in the DNC's decision to not seat Fl and MI.

In this blog the author posts real Email conversations Donna had with her.
Donna is out of her mind and is claiming that SHE saved Bill Clinton's presidency and that the nation still sees Donna as Gores spokesperson. So if Donna officially endorses Obama everyone will see it as Gore's position as well.

BTW: if Obama wins, Donna is speculated to be the probable chair of the DNC.
http://hillarysbloggers.soapblox.net/sho wDiary.do?diaryId=53

Please forward this to CNN and tell them they can no longer let Brazile pretend to be a "neutral" commentator.

Obama and his supporters are deliberately spreading misinformation regarding the timing sanctions against both Florida and Michigan. Much of the media is parroting their press releases without referring to the actual DNC Delegate Selection Rules for 2008.

I co-wrote the following true and false about the most common myths regarding FL and MI.

One new point I would add is there are two aspects to seating these states. First, FL and MI political insiders will get VIP passes to the biggest shindig of the year. Secondly we need to count the candidate preference of the rank and file voters of these states.

Of the recent solutions being proposed the most disturbing and offensive is that the delegates of these States be split 50/50. Although political operatives get their VIP passes to the convention, the will of the voters is totally ignored. A 50/50 split would be assigning votes to Florida and Michigan Democrats. Do not refer to it as anything less.
Jon Winkleman