2 users logged on

Tips: BlueJerseyDotCom (AIM) |

Epic diversity fail for the anti-equality all-stars

by: Rosi Efthim

Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 11:48:32 AM EDT

Today is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

And in a stupid move that ends up revealing more than they want you to know about who they really are, NJ's most virulent anti-gay leaders chose today to stage a press event 11:30am at the State House opposing marriage equality. Yeah. This narrow little bunch, who claim broad religious support, obviously doesn't have it or someone might have suggested that Yom Kippur isn't a great day to attract attention to yourself. So much for their diversity.

My own (shoot me now) Sen. Mike Doherty leads today's anti-equality squad, which also includes Alison Litell McHose, Steve Lonegan, Richard Merkt, Gerald Cardinale, Steve Oroho, Gary Chiusano, and Carolee Adams of the Eagle Forum of NJ. They must be feeling the tide turning on them.

New Jersey Family Policy Council, led by Len Deo, is there too, with their mission to restore public opinion, attitudes, and behaviors to reflect a Judeo-Christian worldview.

And yet, today's news conference is being held on a holiday unsurpassed in its solemnity for the Jewish people.

That, from our own Jeff Gardner, who is also GSE's Vice-Chair. Chair Steven Goldstein is unavailable, observing Yom Kippur.

Among the 50 states, NJ has the second-highest percentage of Jewish citizens, behind only New York. Two-thirds of NJ's 21 counties rank in the top 100 counties in the size of their Jewish population. GSE stresses they don't expect all public figures refrain from public events today. But there's an obvious inconsistency in claiming religious support while not recognizing a major holy day.

Goldstein said yesterday: It is appropriate for me, in these hours before Yom Kippur, to wish everyone well. But that's too generous for me. I say New Jersey's anti-equality gang has more than enough sins to atone for, and they ought to head home, STFU, and give that some thought.

Rosi Efthim :: Epic diversity fail for the anti-equality all-stars

Tags: marriage equality, epic fail, Michael Doherty, Alison Litell McHose, Len Deo, NJ Family Policy Council, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

Epic diversity fail for the anti-equality all-stars | 12 comments

poor Rosi (0.00 / 0)

I didn't realize you had Doherty.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

by: Hopeful @ Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 17:13:38 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Poor me is right. (4.00 / 1)

Nice enough fellow, on a personal basis. But when he starts to talk, I'm white-knuckling my chair, gritting my teeth and looking around the room for eye contact with the people actually living in current time and place.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 18:09:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

gutless losers (4.00 / 5)

It's the one day of the year Steven Goldstein is absolutely utterly unavailable. It's hardly a coincidence.

by: denniscmcgrath @ Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 18:29:03 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

That's a very juicy point. n/t (4.00 / 1)

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.

by: Rosi Efthim @ Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 18:43:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Religion??? (2.00 / 1)

As a man of the Left, I just don't get the current fixation with religion. Who cares?

Am I required to keep a list of every religious group's holidays before thinking about any political activity? I expect that kind of thinking from the right, but from the Left?

I guess there is a big difference between the Left and "Progressives".

by: don mills @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 17:32:42 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

welcome, Mr. Mills (0.00 / 0)

I think ... what part of this doesn't make sense to you? The anti-ME crowd held their 'love' fest on the one day their chief opponent couldn't respond for religious reasons. It was deliberate. We're not fixated on religion, they are. GET IT?

by: denniscmcgrath @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 17:52:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Not a single spokesperson? (0.00 / 0)

There wasn't a single religious skeptic available to act as a spokesperson?

Is this a one man band? Come on, we're supposed to be about the masses NOT the man.

by: don mills @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 23:32:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Has Nothing To Do With "Fixation".... (0.00 / 0)

...it's a matter of being considerate to a group of people. That's respectful and good politics.

You don't have to believe in God to be respectful of those who do.....or of those who at least profess a loyalty to some religious ideals.

So, yes, if you wish to be (effectively) politically active, a sensitivity to religion can be a useful attribute.

by: Nick Lento @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 18:24:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Somebody publish a list then. (0.00 / 0)

So that we can all know all the days when we have to be sensitive and not speak out for our political beliefs.

Not just the big religions either. I don't care if NJ is the second most Jewish state because that sounds like to heck with all the smaller minorities. If you do a list, do them all, make it exhaustive.

Who knows, maybe we'll have two or three days left to practice secular politics.

by: don mills @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 23:37:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Now you're talking "sin"??? (1.00 / 1)

Sin? Whose sin? Some people think Goldstein sins. You think they sin. Why are we talking sin? What thinking person thinks in the tribal terms of sin?

What's up?

by: don mills @ Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 17:37:57 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Don, you're right, but you missed what Jeff's release said (0.00 / 0)

Jeff Gardner, my wonderful Garden State Equality colleague who did the press for the organization yesterday, Yom Kippur, said it so well. He specifically made the point that the objectionable thing here was not that these right-wingers were doing a public event on one religion's holiday. As Jeff pointed out, hypocrisy was the issue here - the right-wingers who held this news conference never miss a chance to talk about how they have the broad religious support. That, in fact, was what made their news conference objectionable.

by: Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality chair @ Wed Sep 30, 2009 at 01:55:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

You too Steve (0.00 / 0)

You never miss the chance to stress your religious support. Heck, didn't Christie and Corzine have press conferences yesterday? They like photo ops with clergy too.

I remember when Rosi used to host the ACLU for some pretty interesting talks. I think they'd be shaking their heads over this.

by: don mills @ Wed Sep 30, 2009 at 04:01:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]