If you thought New York politics got crazy with the recent scandal over Representative Weiner’s wiener, check out the intrigue and deal-making going on behind the scenes over marriage equality right now.
New York Magazine does an excellent job of summing up why the process of passing the bill is so aggravatingly complicated: despite a highly disciplined campaign, informed by the failures of 2009, a handful of Senators still won’t commit to marriage. (Typical men! Amirite, ladies and bottoms?)
With less than three weeks left to pass this bill (eek!), now come the really tough choices.
Is it time to cut a deal? Do marriage backers keep up the grassroots pressure on undecided pols, in an effort to show them that constituents have their back? How do we convince them that supporting marriage isn’t as risky as they think?
How about we take this to the next level?
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And when is it time to call out the heavy artillery, and have Governor Andrew Cuomo (a Democrat) lean on Senate majority leader Dean Skelos, a Republican? Skelos has only a tenuous grasp on his majority, and he sure could use Cuomo’s help to keep it. But if Cuomo promises support to Skelos, will that come back to haunt him on other issues?
Even though New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been pushing hard for marriage equality, he still gets plenty of heat for his big financial donations to Republicans. In fact, many of the anti-gay Senators currently in power have Bloomberg to thank for funding their campaigns.
If Cuomo promises a favor to Republicans in order to pass this bill, when will they come calling to collect?
christopher di spirito
Marriage equality will never pass in New York.
Outside of Manhattan, New York is populated with older, Catholic conservatives who will call and write their legislators and say some variation of, “Vote YEA on gay marriage and I will vote you out of office.”
Marriage equality is more likely to pass in Texas than in New York.
Shamrock
Actually when you look at the breakdown vote it would pass in NYC without the other counties, but as a state NYC is the one holding it back. 4 Democrats from the city alone won’t commit to the vote. With them it would be a done deal. The most liberal city is currently failing itself.
CHIP1218
Marriage Equality is held up in NY by one man, Michael Long, the chairman of the Conservative Party. He is the one keeping this vote from passing. You can try and find all my extensive postings about this in years past. Long story short, he has told every Republican or Democratic Senator that has the Conservative Party endorsement that they will lose the endorsement if they vote for marriage equality. NOT A SINGLE REPUBLICAN SENATORIAL CANDIDATE WON AN ELECTION IN THE PAST 20 OR MORE YEARS WITHOUT BEING ENDORSED BY THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY! So, if you are a Republican and want to win re-election, you have to abide by Michael Long.
Trelind
If Michael Long and Anthony Weiner ran together, their campaign name would be the best.
Long Weiner
Yesss!!
Bob
@christopher di spirito:
Yeah, just forget about Rochester, Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse! I’d hardly call any of those places bastions of conservatism. *smh*
Danny
The 10th anniversary of 9/11, which is coming up, can be used to highlight all the politicians who are violating the human rights of millions of Americans, and comparing their use of religion as an excuse to violate human rights with the religious excuse the 9/11 villains used to violate human rights.
christopher di spirito
@Bob: I used to live in a suburb of Rochester, NY. Penfield. The bulk of the population of Monroe county isn’t in Rochester — it’s in the conservative suburbs and these folks ain’t supportive of marriage equality.
Mark
I live in St. Lawrence County in the North Country of New York and I would say there isn’t much of a chance of it passing. My partner and I are making our plans to relocate to Vermont.
Cam
“Do marriage backers keep up the grassroots pressure on undecided pols, in an effort to show them that constituents have their back? How do we convince them that supporting marriage isn’t as risky as they think?”
_____________________________________
Such a shame that politicians no longer go to office trying to fight for what they think is right, but rather only with the intention of doing whatever it takes to stay in office. The Civil Rights legislation would have taken another decade to pass if politicians in the 60’s had been this weak spined.
mikeandrewsdantescove
Mr. Weiner has a big nose. So it would make sense that he’s packing heat. I watched his interview with Wolf Blizer. He didn’t deny possessing these underwear.
Mike
http://spotlite928.blogspot.com/2011/05/alists-out-loud-episode-3-features-kory.html
Joetx
@christopher di spirito:
TX has a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage, so there’s no way TX would have SSM before NY.
Our bigots are worse than your bigots.
christopher di spirito
@Joetx: Yeah, TX totally sucks. It’s going to be interesting if DOMA is repealed. Federal law trumps state law so unless Gov. Goodhair successfully leads a secession movement, TX will be forced to allow gay marriage.
robert in NYC
Shamrock, do you really think New York City is the most liberal? Just because its in a blue state doesn’t mean it is necessarily. Although the Democrats carried Iowa in 2008, traditionally its a red state, the one which produced Michele Bachmann, yet was able to pass marriage equality. I’m sure our brothers and sisters in Boston, Mass. would differ with you, the first state in the country to legislate same-sex marriage, among other things such as universal health care introduced by Mitt Romney of all people. It doesn’t say much for New York or the city.
The 4 democrats who haven’t committed, probably won’t. Ruben Diaz definitely won’t. We’d need at least 4 republicans to make up the difference to get this passed with the minimum majority and I don’t see that happening. I hope I’m wrong but my gut feeling says no.
Ernest
Fuck em let’s create our own communities buy out city blocks and create our own laws!
the big one
atleast we know his wife gets some good dick! you know most skinny boys have long fat pipes!
damendo
@christopher di spirito. trust me brother, TX does suck when it comes to gay rights. Our cops down here are straight out of the wild wild west! I would be very curious to see what happens if DOMA is repealed down here in Gov Goodhair land! Good one! 😉
Joetx
@ robert in NYC:
1. That demon, Michelle Bachman, is from MN, not IA.
2. IA did not “pass” marriage equality. SSM became legalized in IA b/c of the IA Supreme Court.
3. There is no perfect “Blue State.” You’ll find plenty of so-called Blue States w/ Republican governors & lacking in marriage equality.
@christopher di spirito:
TX isn’t all bad. Austin kicks ass. Plus, there are parts of Dallas & Houston which are very gay-friendly. The problem is, we’re surrounded by a bunch of Bible-thumping “Christians” who behave very unChristian-like. But there is NO section of the U.S. which doesn’t have that problem.
robert in NYC
Joetx, Bachmann was born in Waterloo, IA and moved with her parents to MN, so technically, she’s not from Minnesota although she now resides there. I’ll concede #2. #3, I know there is no perfect blue state, there never will be. Although I believe Connecticut was a blue state at the time when Jody Rell was its republican governor who I might add and she also put her pen to marriage equality legislation, surprisingly.