Stonewall Democrats Criticize GOP Anti-Gay Ballot Scheme
Florida Republican Party Donates $150,000 to Anti-Gay Activists
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Washington, DC - Today, the National Stonewall Democrats heavily criticized the Florida Republican Party for bankrolling an anti-gay organization seeking to place an amendment to bar marriage recognition for same-sex couples on a November 2006 statewide ballot. According to an investigative report in the St. Petersburg Times, of the $193,000 that has been raised by Florida4Marriage.org, $150,000 came from a single donation by the Florida Republican Party.
"The corruption of the Republican Party is failing to convince voters to support their candidates, so they are turning to controversial activist groups to push unnecessary initiatives in an attempt to scare individuals in the electoral fringe into voting," said Eric Stern, NSD Executive Director. "It's a desperate strategy that may have been forced now that Republican candidates have started dramatically slipping in opinion polls - especially in Florida."
Florida Republican Party Executive Director Andy Palmer told the Times that it made the donation because the party believed that similar ballot measures helped to increase the Republican vote in battleground states during the 2004 elections. Palmer also noted that the party made the donation because the ballot measure was "totally in line with the Republican Party philosophy." His statements echoed comments made in 2004 by the Republican Secretary of State for Ohio, Kenneth Blackwell, who told reporters that members of the Bush White House and reelection campaign urged him to campaign for a similar measure in order to boost turnout for the Bush/Cheney ticket.
According to the report, the Florida Republican Party approached the struggling organization with the unsolicited gift, which was made in the final three months of 2005, according to the party's financial reports. "I'm not at liberty to discuss the details, but they came to us and gave us the money," Florida4Marriage.org chairman John Stemberger told the newspaper.
"Voters should be weary of these stealth tactics used by the Republican Party both nationally and here in Florida," said Michael Albetta, President of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, an official caucus of the Florida Democratic Party representing more than 10 GLBT Democratic chapters across the state. "Republicans fear a Democratic trend in this state, and they are attempting to force measures like these as a substitute for productive policies."
Florida4Marriage.org has so far fallen far short of the benchmarks needed to place such an initiative on the November ballot. Of the 600,000 petition signatures required to be verified by the state of Florida by February 01, it has collected only 250,000. "It is clear we are not where we want to be," Stemberger told the Times.
Congressman Jim Davis and State Senator Rod Smith, both Democratic candidates for Florida Governor, have opposed the proposed amendment to the state constitution. Both candidates first made their opposition public in 2005 at meetings organized by the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, and reiterated their opposition to Stonewall members this December during meetings with the caucus and the National Stonewall Democrats.
The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus is an affiliate of the National Stonewall Democrats.
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National Stonewall Democrats is the only national organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats, with more than 90 local chapters across the nation. NSD is committed to working through the Democratic Party to advance the rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Washington, DC - Today, the National Stonewall Democrats heavily criticized the Florida Republican Party for bankrolling an anti-gay organization seeking to place an amendment to bar marriage recognition for same-sex couples on a November 2006 statewide ballot. According to an investigative report in the St. Petersburg Times, of the $193,000 that has been raised by Florida4Marriage.org, $150,000 came from a single donation by the Florida Republican Party.
"The corruption of the Republican Party is failing to convince voters to support their candidates, so they are turning to controversial activist groups to push unnecessary initiatives in an attempt to scare individuals in the electoral fringe into voting," said Eric Stern, NSD Executive Director. "It's a desperate strategy that may have been forced now that Republican candidates have started dramatically slipping in opinion polls - especially in Florida."
Florida Republican Party Executive Director Andy Palmer told the Times that it made the donation because the party believed that similar ballot measures helped to increase the Republican vote in battleground states during the 2004 elections. Palmer also noted that the party made the donation because the ballot measure was "totally in line with the Republican Party philosophy." His statements echoed comments made in 2004 by the Republican Secretary of State for Ohio, Kenneth Blackwell, who told reporters that members of the Bush White House and reelection campaign urged him to campaign for a similar measure in order to boost turnout for the Bush/Cheney ticket.
According to the report, the Florida Republican Party approached the struggling organization with the unsolicited gift, which was made in the final three months of 2005, according to the party's financial reports. "I'm not at liberty to discuss the details, but they came to us and gave us the money," Florida4Marriage.org chairman John Stemberger told the newspaper.
"Voters should be weary of these stealth tactics used by the Republican Party both nationally and here in Florida," said Michael Albetta, President of the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, an official caucus of the Florida Democratic Party representing more than 10 GLBT Democratic chapters across the state. "Republicans fear a Democratic trend in this state, and they are attempting to force measures like these as a substitute for productive policies."
Florida4Marriage.org has so far fallen far short of the benchmarks needed to place such an initiative on the November ballot. Of the 600,000 petition signatures required to be verified by the state of Florida by February 01, it has collected only 250,000. "It is clear we are not where we want to be," Stemberger told the Times.
Congressman Jim Davis and State Senator Rod Smith, both Democratic candidates for Florida Governor, have opposed the proposed amendment to the state constitution. Both candidates first made their opposition public in 2005 at meetings organized by the Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus, and reiterated their opposition to Stonewall members this December during meetings with the caucus and the National Stonewall Democrats.
The Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus is an affiliate of the National Stonewall Democrats.
------
National Stonewall Democrats is the only national organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democrats, with more than 90 local chapters across the nation. NSD is committed to working through the Democratic Party to advance the rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
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