Though the Maine Legislature passed legislation to allow same-sex marriage, residents voted against the bill in a ballot measure on election day by a margin of 53 to 47 percent. The Catholic church was a major funder of the forces opposed to same-sex marriage, and as MPR’s Tom Scheck notes, Minnesota Catholic were among those funding the opposition.
The Diocese of Crookston gave $5,000; the Dioceses of Winona and La Crosse, Wis., each donated $500; and New Ulm’s bishop personally gave $250.
Catholic dioceses around the country spent nearly $560,000 to repeal the same-sex marriage law (total fundraising by opponents of same-sex marriage was over $4 million), but not all Catholics opposed same-sex marriage.
Some 500 Catholics signed a letter stating in part, “We are Catholics who are concerned that the current political campaign to repeal Maine’s civil marriage equality law is at odds with fundamental principles of truth and charity, and with vital American traditions of separation of church and state.”Though the Maine Legislature passed legislation to allow same-sex marriage, residents... more
For the 10th year in a row, SELF Magazine set out to determine the healthiest cities in America for women to live. Sara Austin, Features Director at SELF, announces this year’s winner and shares how other cities across the country measure up.For the 10th year in a row, SELF Magazine set out to determine the healthiest cities... more
"Maine voters want to be tolerant of gays, but unfortunately, they weren't born that way."Can't Get Queer From Here
"Maine voters want to be tolerant of gays, but... more
The Maine gay-marriage initiative went down to defeat Tuesday. But the real tragedy is that it should never have been put to a vote in the first place.
Bigotry trumps compassion; Maine rejects gay marriage. In a shameful display of ignorance, bigotry and hate, Maine has rejected compassion, fairness, and moral decency by rejecting gay marriage. The defeat of gay marriage is deeply disappointing and a profound commentary on the power of religious ignorance and superstition in the 21st century.
http://bit.ly/D2ZZjBigotry trumps compassion; Maine rejects gay marriage. In a shameful display of... more
Both of the most-watched Governors races went to GOP candidates: Virginia and New Jersey. New Jersey is being seen as a blow to the Democratic Party at large since Obama personally came to campaign for Jon Corzine.
Consolation prize for the Dems: They won New York's 23rd Congressional District, beating out the Sarah Palin-backed Conservative Party candidate. (posted by current89)
New York's mayor had a surprising struggle for reelection. It ended up being 51 to 46 percent, far tighter than Bloomberg's campaign had been expecting. Why? Apparently low turnout and a strong anti-Bloomberg vote. Did Gawker almost swing an election?
And bad news for supporters of gay marriage, Maine voters overturned legislation allowing same-sex couple to get married in the state.
A big shout-out to current89 whose election day post yesterday served as our center for info and commentary.
Any other races out there catch your eye? Let us know.
Great Election Results Round-Up (& heated discussions on moving forward in the comments). Last night was a big night for LGBT rights and issues- Marriage Equality in Maine, Relationship Recognition in Washington State, and a Human Rights Ordinance in Kalamazoo. Add that to the openly gay candidates (Annise Parker in Houston) and races that effect our movement (the New Jersey Governor's Race), and you have a busy night for all things LGBT.
I was there in the ballroom with the No On One campaign watching the results come back. I was there with friends of mine who had worked our asses off on this campaign, watching as the northern precincts of the state started coming in, and we started losing our lead.
Suddenly "No on One" was only 300 votes ahead. Then a few more northern precincts came in, and we were 6,500 behind. Then 10,000 behind. Then 15,000 behind. Then 65,000 votes behind. It became clear that the 40,000 absentee votes left to be counted couldn't possibly carry the margin.
Justice, Equality, and Human Decency have lost this election.
==============================================
PORTLAND, Maine – Cecelia Burnett and Ann Swanson had already set their wedding date. When they joined about 1,000 other gay marriage supporters for an election night party in a Holiday Inn ballroom, they hoped to celebrate the vote that would make it possible.
Instead, they went home at midnight, dejected and near tears after a failed bid to make Maine the first state to approve same-sex marriage at the ballot box.
"I'm ready to start crying," said Burnett, a 58-year-old massage therapist, walking out of the ballroom with Swanson at her side. "I don't understand what the fear is, why people are so afraid of this change.
"It hurts. It hurts personally," she said. "It's a personal rejection of us and our relationship, and I don't understand what the fear is."
With 87 percent of precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the vote in a referendum that asked Maine voters whether they wanted to repeal a law allowing same-sex marriage that had passed the Legislature and was signed by Democratic Gov. John Baldacci.
"The institution of marriage has been preserved in Maine and across the nation," said Frank Schubert, the chief organizer for Stand for Marriage Maine, which lobbied for the repeal.
For the gay rights movement, which has gained a foothold in New England, it was a stinging defeat. Gay marriage has now lost in every state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine, framing same-sex marriage as a matter of equality for all families in a campaign that used 8,000 volunteers to get out the message.
Five states have legalized gay marriage — Iowa, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut — but all did so through legislation or court rulings, not by popular vote.
Portland resident Sarah Holman said she was torn, but decided — despite her conservative upbringing — to vote in favor of letting gays marry.
"They love and they have the right to love. And we can't tell somebody how to love," said Holman, 26.I was there in the ballroom with the No On One campaign watching the results come... more
[BREAKING] Once again, the American population is showing the world that they are unable to treat it's citizens like human beings. Citizens of Main voted no on a law that would allow Same-Sex couples to wed...[BREAKING] Once again, the American population is showing the world that they are... more
Reporting from Portland, Maine - Opponents of Maine's law allowing same-sex marriage claimed victory Tuesday night in their repeal effort, after a heated campaign that polarized the state and drew national attention.
With 87% of the 605 precincts reporting, the Associated Press said, opponents of same-sex marriage led with 53% of the vote, while those seeking to uphold the law had 47%.
The battle was the latest in whether to let gay couples marry. A year ago, Californians passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. If the law is repealed, Maine will join more than 30 other states that have rejected gay and lesbian marriage at the ballot box.
Same-sex unions are recognized in five states -- Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont -- as a result of judicial rulings or legislative action. Voters in Washington on Tuesday approved a measure extending the same legal rights to registered domestic partners that married couples enjoy.
Marc Mutty, chairman of Stand for Marriage Maine, which sought to overturn the state law, said the vote appeared to signal a "victory for traditional marriage."
"This has never been about gay rights," he said. "It's about marriage, and this is reaffirmation by the people of Maine that marriage between men and women is special and unique."
Earlier, gay rights supporters were hopeful of victory when state officials reported that voter turnout appeared unusually heavy. Officials had to print extra ballots to meet the demand.
"That's great for us," said Mark Sullivan, spokesman for No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, the coalition that is seeking to allow same-sex couples to marry. "It means we succeeded in reaching younger people and others who don't always vote."
The optimism was palpable several hours later, when more than 1,500 gay rights supporters packed a hotel ballroom in downtown Portland.
Across town, a few dozen supporters of the repeal movement sat quietly at mostly empty tables in another ballroom. The mood was considerably more subdued.
"Regardless of the outcome tonight, we fought the good fight," Mutty told the gathering. "We have nothing to be ashamed of."
But the moods shifted when an early lead by same-sex marriage supporters evaporated.
Jesse Connolly, chairman of No on 1/Protect Maine Equality, took the stage at 12:30 a.m. today but did not concede. "We won't quit," he said, noting that officials had not counted thousands of absentee ballots.
"It's gonna be a long night," he said.
Amy Fried, a political scientist at the University of Maine in Orono, said the state Legislature almost certainly would pass another same-sex marriage law if voters rejected the statute. If the law were upheld, she added, gay rights activists around the country would look for lessons in what worked and why.
Well, not necessarily for everyone. It's not a presidential election year (obviously) and not a midterm election year for Congress, but yes there are a fair number of elections going on tomorrow. Lots of local races and a few bigger ones. Here are some of the highlights on the national stage:
NY-23: A little corner of New York state you've probably never heard of is attracting big attention for its special Congressional election. Why? First, because commentators think it could be a bellwether for the 2010 midterm elections. Second, because it suddenly got real crazy. There was a three-way race between a moderate GOP incumbent, a Democrat, and a Conservative Party candidate. Then suddenly Sarah Palin swooped in and endorsed the third party candidate, and it ignited a firestorm about tea party conservatives in the GOP. So much so that Dede Scozzafava, the GOP candidate, dropped out. What does it mean? What does it meeeeean? We'll let the politico-blogo-sphere sort it all out after we get the results.
New York City Mayor: New York is voting on their mayor. Incumbent mayor Michael Bloomberg had the law changed so he could run for a third term, and seems to be strongly in the lead. Except Gawker anti-endorsed him. (Ouch).
Maine on Gay Marriage: Last May, Maine's legislators legalized same sex marriage. Now its voters will decide whether or not to repeal it. Boy wonder statistician Nate Silver gives the vote to repeal "5-to-2 underdog" odds.
New Jersey's Governor: Why should you care about who's governor of the Garden State? Well according to the AP: it's "...a campaign being billed as a vote on President Barack Obama's popularity." Democratic governor Jon Corzine is fighting to keep his seat as his Republican opponent has fared well in the polls. Will a GOP win foretell doom for Obama's efforts? Again, we'll let the politico-blogo-sphere sort it all out after we get the results.
What else is going out there? Here in San Francisco we're having a municipal election with two uncontested candidates and a few local propositions.
How about where you live? Any local races out there that could be resonant to the rest of the country?
Public opinion surveys in Maine show a dead heat on Question 1, which would cancel the marriage statute that passed the legislature in May and was signed by Gov. John E. Baldacci (D).Public opinion surveys in Maine show a dead heat on Question 1, which would cancel the... more
So if you're a loyal Democrat, you're probably all riled up about the health insurance reform going on in congress. You're probably anxious for Congress to get something, ANYTHING passed. Not so fast there buddy. Health insurance reform, even if it's done by Democrats could end up making things WORSE, not better.
"What? How could this possibly be?" you might ask. Well...
It's old news by now that insurance giant Wellpoint, owner of Maine's Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, is suing the State of Maine, to increase their profits. But you may not know the entire backstory: Anthem Blue Cross, in anticipation of the individual mandate for health insurance, has jacked up their rates 18% from what they were previously, jacking many people's rates through the roof.
What may surprise you if you're not paying close attention, is that the Health Insurance industry is actually in favor of health insurance "reform." How could this be? Did they suddenly grow a concience, and decide that letting people die to increase their profit margin was wrong? Are they crying out to Big Government to regulate them like Sinners calling out to Jesus? "Please, Government! Save us from our own wicked nature!"
Not a chance in Hell.
It's no surprise that Wellpoint has run television ads in favor of the health insurance "reform" being pushed by Democrats in Congress. If the individual mandate becomes a final part of the bill, whether you can afford to or not, we will all end up having to pay these new increased rates, or face federal fines of up to three thousand dollars, depending on which version of the individual mandate ends up in the final bill.
Maine's state government has the power to regulate insurance rates. In light of this 18% increase, the State of Maine stepped in, and reduced the increase from 18% to 11%. So people's rate are still going up, and health insurance is still becoming less affordable. But that wasn't enough for the private insurance giant.
Last year Wellpoint made $2 billion in profits. In Maine alone, they've paid out over one million dollars in CEO bonuses. Rather than cut CEO bonuses to reduce their overhead, they are increasing their rates. Let's call a spade a spade. Wellpoint is essentially suing to ensure not their profit margin, but their CEO bonus margin.
[full article at link]So if you're a loyal Democrat, you're probably all riled up about the health insurance... more
Next week, the voters of Maine will decide whether to overturn Governor John Baldacci's legislation which allows same-sex couples to legally marry.
Here's an excerpt:
"Baldacci, who originally opposed the legislation, said upholding the bill comes down to a fundamental understanding of equal protection and constitutional responsibility.
"Initially, I had the opinion for several years that civil unions were the limitations of what I was willing to support," Baldacci said. "But, the research that I did uncovered that a civil union didn't equal a civil marriage."
On May 6 when Baldacci signed the legislation, he did so knowing there was a possibility that voters could overturn it.
"Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the state belongs to the people," Baldacci said in a statement released as he signed the bill.
On September 2, opposition groups delivered the 55,087 signatures necessary to put the legislation to a vote on the November 3 ballot.
California's state Supreme Court issued a similar ruling in May 2008 after which some 18,000 gay and lesbian couples got married there. But in November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to ban gay marriage.
If the legislation is upheld, Maine would join Massachusetts, Vermont, Iowa, Connecticut and New Hampshire in allowing same-sex marriage.
Chris Potholm, a professor of government at Bowdoin College and a Maine resident, said the spotlight is now on Maine because of the defeated bill in California.
"I think this is a nationwide effort to get the gay marriage agenda back on track -- not just in Maine, but in terms of the whole country," Potholm said.
But the leading opposition group, Stand for Marriage Maine, says accepting the legislation would strip the meaning and tradition out of marriage.
"Question one on the ballot offers Mainers a choice, and the choice is whether to keep marriage legally defined ... or to take that definition and replace it with a radical definition," said Stand for Marriage Maine communications director Scott Fish.
....Both campaigns have waged a ground war, airing television ads, handing out pamphlets, canvassing door to door and running phone banks.
Like Baldacci, No on 1 says the bill is a true testament to Maine values.
"[Citizens] don't believe in a separate set of laws for a separate set of people," said Mark Sullivan, the organization's communications director. "When you try separate, it's never equal.""
===
Read article for more. Share your thoughts on same-sex marriage issue that continues to be fought in America.Next week, the voters of Maine will decide whether to overturn Governor John... more
According to victims of prosecutions in Maine’s Bar Harbor region, what is taking place is a modern day Witch Hunt. Court documents suggest that numerous men are currently facing charges of sexual misconduct in a small county of little more than 50,000 people. At the center of these prosecutions is a 44 year old Assistant District Attorney Mary N. Kellett, who has a reputation for prosecuting men on questionable evidence and questionable probable cause. As in the Salem Witch Trials, these prosecutions are often based solely on accusations with no physical or corroborating evidence.
The public’s notions that prosecutors are faithful guardians of civil rights and conservative discretion prove to be false in Hancock County. In practice, the prosecutor’s credibility is publicly re-enforced solely through wide publicity of rare convictions. The line between justifiable and unjustifiable prosecutions of men is blurred by selective media coverage.
The prosecutors like Mary Kellett act with full immunity for their actions against men.
And it’s not just for alleged sex crimes for which men are systematically punished by the District Attorneys office in Hancock County. Men in the community have been criminally charged for such alleged crimes as splashing water on their wives, spitting, for “terrorism” due to offensive song lyrics, visual aggression, and for what often can be viewed as any action against a female. But at least those “crimes” don’t carry the stigma and a 30 year prison sentence which comes with each class “A” gross sexual assault charge, which is a frequent charge against men in Hancock County, and one of the easiest and most profitable for a prosecutor to undertake.
One Bangor television station aired an interview with a local rape crisis center official who stated that even if a woman falsely accuses a man of rape, it is most important for law enforcement to believe the woman, act on her report, and do exactly what she wants them to do. This implies that arresting, charging, and publicly prosecuting innocent men is less harmful than for authorities to question the words and motives of a woman making the accusations. This appears to be the policy adopted in the Bar Harbor region of Maine.
Crime statistics for the region have consistently shown a low rape rate, yet not long after becoming a prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Mary Kellett offered her own statistic of the Bar Harbor region. Speaking to a local newspaper she stated that it could be difficult to find jurors in the area for sex cases because many people have been victims of sex offenses or have been accused of committing them.
Prior to being arrested and charged for his wife’s accusations, Filler sought help from a local domestic violence organization which turned him away and chose to give assistance to his abusive wife instead. Filler sought a protection order from court and his wife decided to drop the “nuclear bomb” of divorce and custody battles. She accused Filler of abuse, child molestations, and spousal rape. She demanded immediate custody of their children. A video about the events appeared on YouTube.
So powerful is the myth against men, that despite difficult fiscal and economic times, the flow of funding to the domestic violence industry continues to be strong, as does the prosecution of men. The message of the rhetoric being sent to the girls in Maine is “blame the boys for everything and the State will do the rest”, so maybe the message to the boys in Maine should now be “God help you”.
--More at the linkAccording to victims of prosecutions in Maine’s Bar Harbor region, what is taking... more
President Barack Obama is actively discouraging Senate Democrats in their effort to include a public insurance option with a state opt-out clause as part of health care reform. In its place, say multiple Democratic sources, Obama has indicated a preference for an alternative policy, favored by the insurance industry, which would see a public plan "triggered" into effect in the future by a failure of the industry to meet certain benchmarks.
The administration retreat runs counter to the letter and the spirit of Obama's presidential campaign. The man who ran on the "Audacity of Hope" has now taken a more conservative stand than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), leaving progressives with a mix of confusion and outrage. Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill have battled conservatives in their own party in an effort to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Now tantalizingly close, they are calling for Obama to step up.
"The leadership understands that this is a somewhat risky strategy, but we may be within striking distance. A signal from the president could be enough to put us over the top," said one Senate Democratic leadership aide. Such pleading is exceedingly rare on Capitol Hill and comes only after Senate leaders exhausted every effort to encourage Obama to engage.
(Continued at Link)President Barack Obama is actively discouraging Senate Democrats in their effort to... more
