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Date: 2006-10-26 17:20:35
August 2006 Newsletter
Log Cabin Republican Club of Virginia
August 2006 Newsletter
Log Cabin Annual Summer Picnic This Sunday, August 13, in Oakton
This year’s annual summer picnic, held in lieu of the regular monthly meeting, will be hosted by Daniel Gri and James Abbott at their home in Oakton. Daniel and James have graciously offered their beautiful home to the Club and will be hosting the picnic and pool party! Parking, food, drink, and escape from the elements, if necessary, will all be available for a suggested contribution of $15.00. Their home is at 10329 Hickory Forest Dr. in Oakton, and the time will be from 1 until 5 pm. We urge all members to invite their family and friends to this great annual event. For more details and directions, or to RSVP, visit www.VirginiaLogCabin.org or call (703) 281-1571. BATTLE OF THE POLLS: Recent Mason-Dixon poll on Virginia Amendment Seriously Flawed
On July 31, the Mason-Dixon Poll (commissioned by the major newspapers in the state) reported on the results of its initial polling about the proposed “marriage” amendment that will be on the November ballot as Question #1. The headlines from the poll in most of the newspapers around the state were that 56 percent of Virginians support the amendment, seemingly contradicting the other recent poll on the amendment conducted by the polling firms of Tony Fabrizio and Beth Schapiro and commissioned by the Commonwealth Coalition, the umbrella organization spearheading the opposition to this draconian measure. Now, the fact is that if the results of the Mason-Dixon poll were actually true, it would still be a lower percentage of support than most people would have expected in Virginia. But in fact a quick analysis of the Mason-Dixon poll revealed that it was seriously flawed because the polling personnel read only the first sentence of the amendment to the voters that were polled! They left out the second two sentences, those two by-now-famous lines that are so convoluted they leave folks shaking their heads after reading them. Brad Coker from the Mason Dixon polling firm actually admitted to the Associated Press the following day that his poll was flawed because of this oversight, and he publicly agreed with Claire Gastanaga from the anti-amendment Commonwealth Coalition that the Yes vote in his poll was skewed because those polled were not given the entire language they will be voting on. On the other hand, the recent poll done for the Commonwealth Coalition showed 45 percent of voters were for the amendment, 40 percent were opposed, and 14 percent were undecided, making Virginia the first state in the union where such an amendment began with support under 50 percent. The big difference between the two polls was simply the fact that in the Fabrizio/Schapiro poll, the respondents were read the entire amendment before they were asked their opinion. As a consequence, Coker told the Associated Press that his future polls on this amendment would probably include the full text of the amendment. Polling in two other states with amendments coming up in the fall showed similar results. The amendment in South Dakota is also under 50 percent (ironically, the polling there was also done by Mason-Dixon) and in Wisconsin, voters are evenly split on their proposed amendment. There has been a sea change in public attitudes about this topic over the past two years. Folks are realizing that virtually all state and federal courts have no intention of forcing same-sex marriage on reluctant legislatures and voters. The proponents of the amendment here in Virginia can’t name one judge or court where there is any likelihood whatsoever that same-sex marriage might be mandated. This amendment is a “solution” in search of a problem. This polling controversy highlights the single most important thing the opponents of this amendment must do: Urge voters to read the entire amendment! Only then do they realize that this amendment goes far, far beyond merely “protecting” marriage, outlawing virtually any legal recognition of either same-sex or unmarried heterosexual couples and no doubt leading to unexpected consequences and inevitable court battles, as in other states. Keep in mind that even a bill that did nothing more than codify the right of unmarried straight or same-sex couples to inherit each other’s property, make medical decisions for each other, and guarantee hospital visitation rights would be unconstitutional if this amendment passes! Think about that! It is up to us to tell the truth about this amendment to our Republican friends, allies, and families. There is nothing “defensive” about this amendment; it is an all-out assault on what should be fundamental rights for everyone.July Meeting – Candidates Field Questions and Discuss ElectionsAt the Club’s July meeting, the Republican nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 8 th Congressional District, Tom O’Donoghue, and the Republican candidate for the Arlington County Board, Mike McMenamin addressed members and answered questions on what they hope to achieve, if elected. Tom will take on Rep. Jim Moran and Mike will take on Chris Zimmerman in November. Both candidates recognize the uphill battle they face and asked for our Club’s support. For more information on Tom’s campaign, or to contribute or volunteer, log on to www.TomO’Donoghue.com. If you can volunteer, don’t hesitate to tell Tom what your strengths and interests are, and don’t hesitate to tell him what is important to you, as a constituent. Mike said that he will be stressing neighborhoods and taxes, pointing out that the Arlington County Board voted unanimously and without discussion in July to raise the car tax for most Arlingtonians for the second time in three months. Contact Mike at www.WeLikeMike.net to learn more about his campaign. Renew Your Membership Now—And Recruit One New Member
If you have not yet renewed your membership, please do so as soon as possible, and recruit a new member while you’re at it. Another round of renewals will be going out to members shortly, so please respond right away. You can also send in your renewal check right now to the address below, and we’ll sign you up for another year. We can’t do it without you!
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The Only Question That Matters: Do People Choose Their Sexual Orientation?
Noted author Chandler Burr has written a new white paper for the Liberty Education Fourm. Burr's white paper clearly demonstrates that we already know the answer to this question--people don't choose their sexual orientation. This has important political implications and it's a powerfull tool for achieving equality. Click here to read this new report. |
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Quotable Quotes |
Richmond Times-Dispatch Friday, February 17, 2006 Barry Goldwater, speaking in 1981: "I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that, if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in A, B, C, or D . . . .I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate." |
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