Regarding the marriage amendment - Action you can take

[Helios]

As early as tomorrow the senate is going to take up the marriage amendment with a vote expected by the middle or end of the week. If it passes the senate it is then going to be more likely to pass the house. PLEASE try to stop it in the senate.

Here is an ACLU article indicating that this amendment may deny more than marriage as well: http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRights.cfm?ID=15287&c=101

The human rights campaign is urging everyone to write and ask your congress people to oppose the amendment. Please go here for more info http://www.hrc.org/. They have a form that will send email to your congress people. It will be counted for the goal of 250,000 emails. It is better to modify the letter to make it more personal.

There is also a petition here with over 500,000 signatures, but is still short of the million goal: http://www.hrc.org/millionformarriage/index.shtml

Also the ACLU will let you send a *FREE FAX* to your congress people here: http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRightslist.cfm?c=278

Just click on "Send a free fax" in the middle of the page.

Please take the time to do so if you are opposed. A FAX may be better than email, and you can do both! Please take advantage of this.

Also - if you think mailing a paper letter could reach your congress person in time please consider that as well. Even better - if you have the opportunity to see your congressperson in person please do so.

Even if your congress people are republicans contact them anyway. Some of them are considering opposing it including Hutchison. (If anyone has the complete list of these republicans please post it)

Please spread the word to your friends as well!

Thank you!

[NewJerseyDem]

1. These are all the republicans I think may oppose it

From what I've read over the past months it seems like the following republicans could vote no:

Olympia Snowe
Susan Collins
Lincoln Chafee
Arlen Specter
John Warner
George Allen
Lamar Alexander
George Voinovich
Mike DeWine
Richard Lugar
Norm Coleman
Chuck Hagel
John McCain
Ben Campbell
Conrad Burns
Bob Bennett
Ted Stevens
Lisa Murkowski

Some may have announced their position more recently but I believe that Chafee, Snowe, Hagel, Murkowski, Alexander, Coleman and Collins have said they will vote no. Fritz Hollings of South Carolina is one democrat that may vote yes. Other than him and Zell Miller, I doubt any others will, maybe Mary Landrieu.

EDIT: The amendment will not pass or even get a majority. And there is not likely to be a final vote, just one on cloture so that might give some senators the ability to say they would have voted differently on final passage, giving them the ability to kind of straddle the fence on the issue.

[stubertmcfly]

2. can you imagine...

...the embarassment i feel that the two dipshits endorsing this stupidity come from my state? believe me... it is painful. i have emailed, called, faxed and written from day one and hope that my efforts can at least sway campbell's opinion. last i heard, he was still on the fence.