Question Conservative Party Endorsement of Candidate "Excited" to Perform Gay Marriages

Washington, D.C. — The National Organization for Marriage NY PAC, today, endorsed Rev. Erick Salgado for Mayor of New York City.

"NOM is proud to endorse a candidate who has the courage to stand up for conservative principles and join us in our support of traditional marriage," NOM President Brian Brown said.

"There are millions of people in New York City who support traditional marriage and deserve to have their voices heard. Rev. Erick Salgado is not only that voice, but is a true leader who has a vision for New York that is based on conservative values," Brown continued.

Brown also questioned the Conservative Party's endorsement of candidate Joe Lhota, pointing out that Lhota has not only expressed his support of gay marriage, but stated during a January 17, 2013 interview on NY1's "Road to City Hall" that he "looked forward" to performing gay marriages as mayor.

"Joe Lhota's view on gay marriage is extreme and not in step with conservatism," Brown said. "While I have great personal respect for the leadership of the Conservative Party, we reject the endorsement of Joe Lhota. Erick Salgado is the candidate who will work to restore marriage in New York, and we are proud to support him."

The National Organization for Marriage and NOM NY PAC has helped win a number of victories in New York City and across the State. "We worked together with local allies to elect Bob Turner to Congress, David Storobin to the State Senate and defeated three of the four State Senators who flip-flopped on gay marriage. Now we urge New Yorkers to show their support for marriage by rallying around Erick Salgado," Brown concluded.

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To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, or Jen Campbell (x145), jcampbell@crcpublicrelations.com, at 703-683-5004.

Washington, D.C. — The following statement may be attributable to Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage:

"We condemn in the strongest possible way the murder of a gay man in New York by a killer who apparently hurled anti-gay insults at him moments before the killing. This senseless act cannot be condoned in America or anywhere, and we urge that the perpetrator be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our heart goes out to the family of the victim, and we hold them in our prayers. While this killing appears to have no connection to the current debate about redefining marriage, there is no room for violence toward any American — whether they support traditional marriage or not. No person should be subjected to violence because they are gay or lesbian or because they believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. There is no place for violence, period."

###

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, or Jen Campbell (x145), jcampbell@crcpublicrelations.com, at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Well, imagine this promotion running in your grandparents’ Wall Street Journal as hopeful GI’s returned from World War II, and you tell me what you think:

NüVo Condoms to sponsor FIRST gay wedding ever at NYC PrideFest on June 30, 2013

NüVo Condoms is seeking a gay couple who is interested in getting hitched with an all expenses paid wedding at this years NYC PrideFest on June 30,2013. Are you a gay couple that has been looking to tie the knot? Wait no longer -- NüVo Condoms wants you to take the plunge! In honor of the 2nd year anniversary of the legalization of gay marriage in New York, NüVo will be sponsoring the FIRST WEDDING ever at NYC PrideFest for one lucky couple.

[…]

When speaking about the wedding at NYC Pridefest, BennyBwoy, spokesperson for NüVo Condoms stated, “We are excited about this event, we continue to create awareness for our brand, and more importantly the critical need for greater safe sex practices. This wedding is just another vehicle to get the word out about safe sex.”

The institution of marriage as “just another vehicle” to promote and advertise the use of condoms? Somehow I don’t think our ancestors would have seen it that way.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

In 2011, before same-sex marriage was legalized in New York, promises were made that the bill would not impact anyone but same-sex couples who simply desired to be 'married.' We knew that was false then... and New York parents are beginning to learn the truth now.

Christian News is reporting that in Red Hook, New York, 13 and 14 year old girls were encouraged to mimic lesbian behavior and to "ask one another for a kiss" at a school "anti-bullying" presentation. Two girls were brought on stage and asked to act like lesbians out on a date. The boys were told to carry a condom with them at all times.

Parents weren't given any notice of this school event. And, confronted by angry parents, "the principal and the district superintendant are defending the workshops, and are advising that they will schedule more."

My friend, this is what's at stake: our right to raise our children with our values, free from indoctrination into alternative "lifestyles" under the guise of "anti-bullying," "tolerance" and "gender identity."

Please click here right away to make a secure, confidential donation of $35, $50, $100, $500 or even $1000 or more to help NOM defend marriage and traditional family values all across the country!

And right now every donation you give will be matched by a generous supporter—so your donation today will have TWICE the impact!

You and I know that same-sex marriage isn't a "live and let live" proposition... it's a direct attack on the values and religious liberties of people with a traditional understanding of marriage.

Politicians never forthrightly tell citizens that their daughters could be encouraged at school to kiss another girl or that their sons should always carry a condom. They don't tell you that second graders can be taught about same-sex "marriage" in class, or that the existence of gay "marriage" would be used by a lesbian sex-ed teacher in Massachusetts to instruct her students in the details of having lesbian sex. And they don't tell you about all the people who are sued or punished for refusing to go along with a gay "marriage" regime and who hold firm for traditional marriage.

It's an agenda pushed by a set of people who truly believe that anyone who stands up for the simple truth that marriage is between a man and a woman because children have a right to both a mother and a father is a bigot and must be treated as such under the law. And as such, the law must be brought to bear to "correct" our hateful thinking and ensure that this "hatred" is not passed along to our children.

And yet, whenever bills to legalize same-sex marriage are proposed, activists and their political allies fall all over themselves to reassure the public that traditional values and religious liberties will be respected and that there will be no consequences for people of faith.

They're doing so again, right now in Rhode Island and Delaware—both of which have same-sex marriage legislation pending—making the same exact promises about values, religious liberty and education that have been broken time and again in other states.

For the sake of our children, we cannot let them get away with this!

Please donate right away to support NOM's efforts to fight against this assault against our religious liberties and our children.

It is critical that we demonstrate the American people's support of marriage as the union of one man and one woman at precisely the time when the Supreme Court is deliberating the most important cases of our generation!

If same-sex "marriage" is passed in Rhode Island and Delaware, people of faith and their children will be in the crosshairs. In addition, it will provide a boost to efforts in other states to redefine marriage and feed the false narrative that marriage redefinition is inevitable.

Supporter, redefining marriage is NOT inevitable. NOM has defeated countless bills seeking to redefine marriage in the past... and with your help, we will continue to do so at this most critically important juncture!

Because wherever marriage has been redefined, people of faith have suffered and children are targeted.

Please click here right away to make a generous donation to support NOM's efforts around the country to protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it.

Remember—thanks to a generous supporter, every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar. But that powerful support can only be activated if you make a donation today!

We MUST stand up and fight to defend marriage. Please join us.

Thank you.

Only two members of Congress were among the several dozen Republicans who signed on to a legal brief asserting the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, and one of them was upstate New York congressman Richard Hanna.

Hanna's support for the brief comes in defiance of last fall's election results, when three of the four Republicans in the State Senate who voted in favor of same-sex marriage were defeated at the polls. And, in the eyes of same-sex marriage opponents, what Hanna did was even worse.

"It's much more egregious," said Brian Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage.

"To sign on to this completely novel and erroneous understanding of our law is an embarrassment to him, and obviously they should be primaried," he added. (Capital New York)

As some Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature weigh whether to support legalizing same-sex marriage, an analysis of gay-marriage votes from other states shows that GOP lawmakers who backed it often faced consequences, including loss of their seats.

... Republicans inclined to back gay marriage face risks.

"It was largely responsible for my loss," said Jean White, a former Republican state senator in Colorado whose 2011 vote for civil unions became an issue in a primary challenge by a fellow Republican...

According to roll call votes, in the eight times nationwide that state legislatures voted for gay marriage, just 47 Republicans bucked the party line out of many hundreds who voted against it.

Of those 47 Republicans who voted yes starting in 2009, 21 are in office today.

In New York, one of four Republican senators who supported gay marriage is still in the Legislature. One lost a primary, one retired, and one lost the general election after narrowly winning a bitter primary.

A New Hampshire Republican representative lost a primary after her 2009 vote for gay marriage, and in Maryland the former Senate Republican leader relinquished his leadership post when he started working with Democrats on a gay-marriage bill that passed last year.

"I got a lot of flak, a lot," said that senator, Allan Kittleman. He's planning to leave the Senate this year to run for a county office instead.

In Washington, which passed gay marriage in 2012, two of six Republicans who backed the bill are no longer in office.

"... While Quinn is running a historic campaign to become the city’s first lesbian mayor, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is married to a woman who was out and proud in the 1970s.

De Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, penned a seven-page article for Essence magazine in 1979 titled “I Am a Lesbian” that detailed her emotional path to coming out as a gay woman.

... After the article surfaced Thursday on the Politicker website, de Blasio’s campaign released a statement from McCray.

“In the 1970s, I identified as a lesbian, and wrote about it,” she said. “In 1991, I met the love of my life, married him, and together we’ve raised two amazing kids. I’m reminded every day how lucky I am to have met my soulmate.”

... Essence described McCray at the time as a 24-year-old “free-lance writer.” She wrote that she was “fortunate because I discovered my preference for women early, before getting locked into a traditional marriage and having children.”

"When Terry Gipson stood on a chair to announce that he had been declared the winner by Gannett publishing in his race to unseat state Senator Stephen Saland, he received a warm ovation from the crowd at the Election Night party at Shadows on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie.

... And while the final ballot count is still not in, the Gipson victory comes as a surprise to many who were unsure that anyone could unseat Saland, a Republican who has been in the state Legislature for 32 years, especially after Saland was endorsed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo after he voted to approve same-sex marriage. The endorsement and a letter from the governor to voters’ mailboxes came in the final days of the campaign.

In response to those actions, the Gipson campaign had pointed out that Saland opposed many of Cuomo’s other key priorities and that Gipson, who is pro-choice and supports same-sex marriage, would be a better match to the governor’s agenda.

“It’s quid pro Cuomo,” said one Democratic committee member not affiliated with the campaign who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. “Saland finally voted for same-sex marriage after years of helping block it, and it got him the endorsement.”

Saland has not yet been mathematically eliminated from the race and has not conceded."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, congratulated President Barack Obama, November 7, the day after his re-election as President of the United States.

Cardinal Dolan promised the prayers of the bishops saying that "The Catholic Bishops of the United States offer our prayers that God will give you strength and wisdom to meet the difficult challenges that face America."

He added that "In particular, we pray that you will exercise your office to pursue the common good, especially in care of the most vulnerable among us, including the unborn, the poor, and the immigrant. We will continue to stand in defense of life, marriage, and our first, most cherished liberty, religious freedom. We pray, too, that you will help restore a sense of civility to the public order, so our public conversations may be imbued with respect and charity toward everyone."

In the meantime we wanted to point out a silver lining outcome from last night:

"The fight for control of New York's state Senate was too close to call hours after the polls closed.

With most precincts reporting in unofficial results, it appeared two Republican seats would switch to Democrats leaving the chamber tied 31-31. A new seat was too close to call.

It appeared Stephen Saland, a Republican from Poughkeepsie who voted to support gay marriage, would lose. And in Rochester, Democrat Ted O'Brien appeared to have defeated Sean Hanna. That seat had been held by another Republican who had voted for same-sex marriage..." -- AP

When it comes to gay marriage, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo was against it before he was for it — and now he seems to be against it again.

Last year, the Queens Democrat’s position-changing vote helped legalize same-sex marriage.

But now, Addabbo is locked in a tight reelection fight with Republican City Councilman and gay-marriage opponent Eric Ulrich. And the senator recently told the Far Rockaway Jewish Alliance during an endorsement interview that he’d again vote no if given the chance, according to two Jewish publications.

Why? Because his newly redrawn district is suddenly more conservative.

Addabbo, who is Catholic, cast a nay vote that contributed to the death of a gay marriage bill in 2009. After Gov. Cuomo, the Democratic standard-bearer in New York, aggressively pushed the issue after taking office last year, Addabbo changed his position, explaining his shift by saying that he polled the matter in his district and found his constituents supported gay marriage.

Cuomo cited the “courage” Addabbo showed in changing his position when he endorsed the senator earlier this month over Ulrich, a Catholic who once considered entering the priesthood. Addabbo’s pro-gay marriage stance also won him the backing of the Empire State Pride Agenda, the state’s largest gay advocacy group.

But the Legislature redrew Addabbo’s district lines following last year’s gay marriage vote, bringing into his territory more conservative enclaves in Far Rockaway, Kew Gardens and parts of Forest Hills — and leading to his second flip on the issue.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

I am writing to update you on the state of the race in New York, and to ask for your urgent support to help get the job done. Please make a generous donation to the NOM PAC NY today to help us push across the finish line in several key races that will send a message across the nation.

*      *      *      *      *

Fifteen months ago, when turncoat politicians pushed same-sex marriage through behind closed doors in the dark of night, we promised that we would not stop until marriage was restored in New York.

And the first order of business was to hold accountable the seven turncoat senators who imposed same-sex marriage on the state.

With your help, we have already come a long way! Four of the seven have already been defeated, and the remaining three are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in a desperate attempt to save their careers.

James Alesi. Roy McDonald. Carl Kruger. Shirley Huntley. Mark Grisanti. Stephen Saland. Joseph Addabbo.

Please click here to help get the job done with a generous gift of $30, $50, or even $500 to the NOM PAC New York today!

• James Alesi—despite earlier boasts—saw the handwriting on the wall and decided to retire rather than face voters.

• In May, NOM helped elect pro-marriage David Storobin to replace disgraced Senator Carl Kruger in a special election.

• Last month, for the first time in more than fifty years, a sitting Republican senator in New York was defeated in a primary election when Kathy Marchione defeated Roy McDonald.

• Neil Di Carlo nearly pulled off a similar upset despite being outspent nearly 30-1 in his campaign against Steve Saland—and Di Carlo is still in the race on the Conservative Party line with a chance to pull off an election day upset.

• Also last month, NOM helped pro-marriage candidate James Sanders defeat Shirley Huntley in the Democratic Party primary.

Election day is just a week away, and many New Yorkers are digging out from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Sandy. But upstate, Mark Grisanti is trying to buy his way to victory in a four-way race. His chief pro-marriage opponent, NOM-backed Conservative Party candidate Charles Swanick, greatly needs our support in these final days to prevent a Grisanti victory.

In the Hudson valley, Neil Di Carlo is in a tight rematch with Stephen Saland—except this time Saland has a Democratic opponent who is expected to draw some of Saland's primary supporters, giving Di Carlo a clear shot at Saland's senate seat.

And in an under-reported race, the latest polls show Joseph Addabo stuck at 45% support against his Republican challenger just weeks before election day.

*      *      *      *      *

We have accomplished much together already, and there are critical races all across the nation this November, but perhaps none would send a more resounding message than for us to prove to the world that a politicians' vote for same-sex marriage is a career-ending vote, even in a deep blue state like New York.

I know there are many requests for your support right now, but I hope you will make the most generous gift you can to help finish the job in New York. Whether it's $25 or $2500, your support is key to our success in taking back New York. Please stand with us today!

"He changed his vote for power and campaign contributions and now he is outright lying to the people of Western New York." —Brian Brown, President, NOM—

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today called out New York State Senator Mark Grisanti for outright lying in a debate with his two opponents in the 61st Senate District. During the Wednesday morning debate Grisanti said, "He did not campaign against marriage equality in 2010." The lie was made in an attempt to fend off his opponents who were challenging Grisanti on his flip-flop and betrayal of traditional marriage.

"For Mark Grisanti to say he didn't run on the issue of marriage couldn't be further from the truth," Brown said. "In 2008, I had a phone conversation with him. He pledged his support and took our money. I can't imagine how it could be any clearer."

Brown also referenced a letter that Grisanti wrote to several members of the clergy throughout the district proclaiming that he was "unalterably opposed" to same-sex marriage.

"Mark Grisanti showed us his lack of character and integrity when he flip-flopped and betrayed us on marriage and he is showing his true colors again to defend his deplorable actions" Brown continued.

Brown cited two different news accounts regarding Grisanti's 2010 victory:

1. A New York Times Magazine article from April of 2012 that wrote, "he told people he was in the man-and-a-woman camp, which probably bought him a smattering of black support. Moreover, Grisanti was listed on the ballot as the candidate of the Conservative Party in addition to being the Republican nominee, and he reaped 4,368 votes on the Conservative line. So it is not a stretch to suggest that, between Conservative and black votes, Mark Grisanti owes his seat to the fact that he identified himself as a "no" vote on gay marriage."

and

2. A Buffalo News article written by Donn Esmonde in November of 2010 where former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra, who was credited with orchestrating the successful Grisanti State Senate campaign, attributed the win in part because Grisanti's opponent Antoine Thompson " had trouble with his base [of support] because of his backing of gay marriage."

"Mark Grisanti clearly changed his position and now he's trying to change history. He changed his vote for power and campaign contributions and now he is outright lying to the people of Western New York so he can continue to cash in," Brown concluded.

###

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Jen Campbell (x145), jcampbell@crcpublicrelations.com , or Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com , at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Remember how we were promised no one who did not want to be involved with same-sex weddings would be forced to? The lesbian couple is demanding an apology and for the farm owners to change their private policy regarding same-sex ceremonies:

[You can view the TV segment here.]

Two New York women who say they were turned away from a potential wedding site because they are lesbians have filed a discrimination complaint.

Advocates say the complaint filed with the state Division of Human Rights is among the first of its kind since New York legalized same-sex weddings last year.

Melisa Erwin and Jennie McCarthy, of Albany, say they filed the complaint Oct. 11 after Liberty Ridge Farm told them they could not use the site for their wedding next summer. -- The Blaze

"...Alesi’s decision was claimed as a victory by opponents of same-sex marriage, including one national group that has promised to throw a whopping $50,000 – or more – behind the campaign of one of Grisanti’s rivals in November, Swanick.

The National Organization for Marriage, a Washington, D.C.-based group that is working to defend traditional definitions of marriage, said that Alesi’s departure without running again was just as effective for the group as its efforts in primary season to defeat other Republicans who voted yes on same-sex marriage in 2011.

“We’ve defeated Republican after Republican who voted for gay marriage, and we will defeat Mark Grisanti,” said Brian S. Brown, president of the group.

Brown said the Swanick candidacy is one of some 20 to 30 races around the United States that the national group is putting its money behind in the November elections.

“Mark Grisanti is a liar and a fraud. He turned his back on his pledge. He cannot be trusted,” said Brown. “We’ll do everything in our power to get the word out about Mark Grisanti.”"

I was listening to FLY this morning and heard Brian and Chrissy talking about a listener who wanted to get married out at Liberty Ridge Farm in Rensselaer County. The venue has taken a pass on marrying the couple.

Why?

Because they’re gay. Or, at least, that is one of the reasons, according to the FMR.

I called Cynthia Gifford, who owns the farm with her husband, to ask her about the claim.

“I just felt uncomfortable. Maybe I made a mistake in my initial response to them,” she said when I reached her on her cell phone (I’ve done stories out there with them in the past). “I am willing to have a meeting. It is kind of against my religious views, but if they have an interest, they are more than welcome to come out and look at the property.”

She went on to say “When you are on a phone conversation, and you are taken back … I made a mistake.”

The couple has filed a human rights complaint and, once she addresses that, she said she’ll be happy to discuss this with me further.

I am guessing — and this is just an assumption — that the formal complaint may have had something to do with her backing off a bit. And, well, I can’t say I blame her. If the state was after me, I’d probably ease off, too."

Eric Ulrich and Joseph Addabbo

NOM has not forgotten about the New York State Democrat Flip-Flopper Joseph Addabbo who only leads his challenger by 2 points:

"...Addabbo, a Queens Democrat who holds a 2-point edge over Republican New York City Councilman Eric Ulrich, was one of three Democrats to vote in favor of same-sex marriage last year after previously voting against it in 2009." -- Albany Watch

"...Senator Alesi, after seeing the polls and the writing on the wall, decided not to pursue re-election and dropped out of the Senate race. The reason is because of his vote in favor of gay marriage. He knew he’d get beaten up.

Senator Roy McDonald lost his primary because of his vote for gay marriage.

Senator Saland won the Republican Primary but suffered badly – an embarrassment for sure. He almost lost the Republican Primary because of his vote for gay marriage. Yes, he was defeated at the Conservative Primary.

Senator Grisanti won his Primary race, not by much, but he's still not out of the woods. He has to face a Conservative Party Candidate and a Democratic Party Candidate in the General Election and he may lose ... all because of his vote for gay marriage.

So no matter how you spin it, the facts are the facts: two out of four Senators who voted for gay marriage are out of commission."

Roy McDonald's not talking tonight. But what he said the day after the primary, might have been foreshadowing to today's announcement.

"I'm fed up with politics," Sen. McDonald, R- Saratoga, said Sept. 14.

McDonald withdrew from the race Thursday, issuing a statement at about 11:30 this morning saying,
"After discussing the issue with family, friends, campaign staff and trusted advisors, I've decided that I will not actively campaign in the General Election on the Independence Party line."

McDonald implied that he's stepping aside for the good of the party, "I will be supporting all Republican candidates - including Kathy Marchione - in the General Election."

Pro-marriage New Yorkers will retire him this November:

About $850,000 was spent this summer by the campaign of Sen. Roy McDonald in what appears to be a losing effort to hold on to the Republican nomination for the 43rd Senate District.

According to the 10-day post primary filings with the state Board of Elections, McDonald spent more than $200,000 in the latest period, which is on top of $647,000 spent in the three other filings this summer. This total was four times what the winning campaign of Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione spent. Her latest filing, which showed spending of about $60,000, brought her campaign's total slightly above $200,000.

... Heading into November, with both candidates appearing on the general election ballot, Marchione has $20,405.07 and McDonald has $25,155.17. It it likely, though, as the presumptive Republican nominee, Marchione will be able to refill her coffers faster than McDonald, who may not be able to count on money from same-sex marriage proponents in the general election, because that may go to Democratic candidate Robin Andrews, who is openly gay.

Marchione, meanwhile, has declared victory in the primary:

Surrounded by her family and supporters, Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione declared victory in her Republican Senate primary against Roy McDonald.

“We did it!” Marchione said, flanked by officials in this suburban town that comprises her base. “The primary is over and we go forward unified, as far as I’m concerned.” -- Capital Confidential

State Sen. Roy McDonald’s re-election bid was dealt a significant blow on Monday after the final round of absentee ballots didn’t close Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione’s lead in the race for the Republican line on November’s ballot.

Marchione held a slim 106-vote lead when the GOP primary polls closed on Sept. 13. That lead swelled another four votes last week after absentee votes were counted Thursday in Washington County and Rensselaer County.

That meant the McDonald campaign had to close the gap in Saratoga County and Columbia County, which tallied absentee ballots on Monday.

But that didn’t happen.

Marchione carried the absentee ballots in Columbia County by a 134-108 vote, according to that county’s Democratic elections commissioner, Virginia Martin.

“For all intents and purposes, it sounds like we’ll be on the Republican line,” said Marchione campaign spokesman Ken Giardin.

... Marchione will [also] appear on the Conservative Party line, support directly related to her opposition to McDonald’s vote last year in favor of gay marriage.

Consider how many votes Mark Grisanti got in his primary: 5,290. His challenger received 3,514 and many of those were solid pro-marriage votes who won't switch to Grisanti in November.

Charles Swanick, who ran in the Democratic primary and will run again in November received 3,336 votes.

Mike Amodeo meanwhile, won the Democratic primary with 7,400 votes.

That's not counting the 1,951 votes that went to the third place Democratic finisher.

It doesn't take too much math to figure out how grim things are looking for Grisanti in November.

Source: Orchard Park Bee

The primary elections for state legislature turned into a referendum, of sorts, on same-sex marriage. I'm sorry to say that gay rights had a bad day.

... there will be a huge impact on the way the legislature operates next year. The far right has sent the same message in New York that they've been sending Republican politicians around the country -- cross us and we'll kill you in a primary.

... The message from last week was that if it happened to him, it could happen to anybody. The best way to stay in office is to keep your head down.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Congratulations, New Yorkers!

Last week you, along with NOM PAC NY, helped bring about historic victories for marriage in New York, with shockwaves from the primaries being felt across the nation. Together we've sent a strong message to the New York Legislature and to the entire nation!

Now we need your help to carry this momentum through the general elections and make sure we finish what we started in New York! Will you help us today with your immediate, urgently-needed contribution of $25, $50, or $100 so that we can send pro-marriage candidates to the New York Legislature in the coming year?

As the Associated Press reported:

"Any Republican legislator faced with this vote is going to think twice," said Robert Bellafiore, a political commentator and former top aide to Republican Gov. George Pataki of New York. "I don't think there is any question this going to have a chilling effect across the country."

The Wall Street Journal headline announced: "Gay marriage backers in peril in New York," despite the fact that gay marriage advocates "poured more than $1 million into the races as they sought to make inroads among the GOP and provide evidence that Republicans can vote for gay rights and not be punished at the polls."

The problem is: It's simply not true.

Politicians—especially Republican politicians—vote for same-sex marriage at their own peril.

But Republicans weren't alone. NOM PAC NY helped oust Democrat Shirley Huntley, under corruption investigation and also one of the turncoat senators who voted for same-sex marriage last year, and give the nomination to staunchly pro-marriage James Sanders in the Democratic Primary.

This type of primary challenge rarely occurs in New York, where incumbents are heavily protected. But in the past year, the people of New York have now replaced four of the turncoat senators—and we haven't even reached the general election!

As the Daily Beast reported, for same-sex marriage advocates, "It wasn't supposed to be this way."

The decisive defeat of the incumbents Shirley Huntley and Roy McDonald has shown all of America that New Yorkers are finally getting their vote on the marriage issue, and that the betrayals by these senators in imposing gay marriage through backhanded dealings in Albany was the swan song of their political careers!

NOM PAC NY, with your help, has now handed four out the six senators who betrayed New Yorkers by voting for same-sex marriage their walking papers, and we want to make sure that the other two get put on notice this November.

NOM PAC NY is putting the resources in place to keep up pressure on pro-same-sex marriage politicians through the general election season, but we can't do this without your help. We need funding to get the word out through targeted mailings, emails, phone calls, and radio and TV ads so that New Yorkers can recognize the opportunity they have this November to make their voices heard on the issue of marriage.

Will you stand with us today by sending us your generous support? Your donation of $25, $50, or $100 will help us to ensure we can keep fighting on your behalf through the election season!

You deserve your vote on marriage in New York, and these elections are the way we're going to ensure that your voice is heard. Let's stand together and send the message loud and clear to Albany and to Washington, DC: NEW YORK STANDS FOR MARRIAGE!

The National Organization for Marriage is living up to its promise to defeat politicians who support same-sex marriage.

The pro-family group helped unseat two incumbent senators in New York's recent special election. Two other incumbents were defeated in earlier primaries.

NOM President Brian Brown said the message from the people of New York is clear,

"They will not tolerate politicians, Democrat or Republican, who redefine marriage," he explained.

Brown added that his group targeted six lawmakers who turned on traditional marriage, and they won't stop until the final two are unseated.

"... It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

When the four bucked their party leadership, renounced their longstanding opposition and voted to bring gay marriage to New York, they were hailed far and wide as the fearless four, touted for their courage and independence. Their votes came after marriage equality failed in the legislature in 2009, and Andrew Cuomo made it a major focus of his first term in office. Supporters of the bill launched a months-long, full-throated lobby campaign, complete with celebrity pitchmen like Lady Gaga and Larry King. After voting with the Democrats to legalize same-sex marriage, the four GOP senators were granted long, loving profiles in The New York Times Magazine and Time. Mayor Mike Bloomberg threw a pricey fundraiser for them in Manhattan. Gay marriage backers assured them that they would remember their vote for every Election Day hence—even if the candidates were running against Democrats.

“We are in it for the long haul with any supporter of gay marriage,” Brian Ellner, the lead lobbyist behind the effort, said in June 2011 as he was trying to convince the four to support the bill. “We have not lost a single supporter because of their support of marriage equality in an election and we are certainly not going to start now.”

But the results so far have left supporters of gay marriage fearful that the primary will dissuade other Republicans around the country from supporting same sex marriage.

... But anti-gay-marriage groups like the National Organization for Marriage used the little-noticed primary to send a message to Republicans around the country who are thinking of switching over. “The message we sent was pretty simple,” said Brian Brown, executive director of NOM. “If you are a Republican and you vote for [gay] marriage, you are going to lose.”

Republican primary voters in New York punished two incumbents last week who voted to legalize same-sex marriage, firing a potential warning shot nationwide toward GOP lawmakers who could soon face tough votes in their states.

Two of the four veteran — and long-secure — Republican senators in New York who voted for same-sex marriage a year ago await counts of absentee ballots as they sweat out the political fight of their lives. A third announced his retirement this year in the face of strong opposition to his gay marriage vote.

... In Maryland, the referendum is on a law passed this year after opponents submitted enough signatures to put the question on the ballot. Two Republicans in the House and one in the Senate voted for gay marriage and all face election in 2014.

"Any Republican legislator faced with this vote is going to think twice," said Robert Bellafiore, a political commentator and former top aide to Republican Gov. George Pataki of New York. "I don't think there is any question this going to have a chilling effect across the country."

In Minnesota, Steve Smith, who was one of the longest serving House Republicans, lost his GOP primary last month to a candidate with tea party supporters. His opposition to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage was one of the reasons. -- AP

The Buffalo News on Grisant's grim prospects in November:

"...If some of the more conservative GOP voters turn against Grisanti and vote for Swanick over the same-sex marriage issue, Amodeo said, that could prove an unbeatable obstacle to the incumbent.

"Sen. Grisanti would have to make up the difference in Republicans that are voting for Chuck Swanick," said Amodeo, 32. "He's going to have to add Democrats, and then thousands more on top of that, because of the makeup of the district.

"Last time I checked, a lot of Democrats don't vote Republican."

Apparently the Pride Agenda doesn't care that most Republican flop-floppers won't even be able to compete in November having lost their races well before then.

And what about Shirley Huntley, the Democrat who flip-flopped and lost her primary last week? What help will the Pride Agenda's November promise be to her, whose political career ended in September?

Future politicians tempted by the promise of support from state-level gay marriage groups like the Pride Agenda should take note.

Senator Stephen M. Saland, a lawyer from Poughkeepsie, has served in the New York State Legislature for 32 years. In 2010, he won re-election by 19 percentage points. And since then, he has raised $788,000 for his campaign war chest — more than 40 times what his challenger in the Republican primary raised.

Yet a day after the primary, Mr. Saland clung to a 42-vote lead on Friday over a little-known opponent, Neil A. Di Carlo, and faced the prospect that he could lose his seat after absentee ballots are counted. Mr. Di Carlo waged a shoestring campaign focused in large part on one issue: Mr. Saland’s decision to break with his party last year to provide one of the pivotal votes to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

As the absentee ballots continued to trickle in to county election offices on Friday, Mr. Saland remained unsure of his political future. So did Senator Roy J. McDonald of the capital region, a Republican who also voted for same-sex marriage and who ended primary night in a contest that was too close to call against Kathleen A. Marchione, the Saratoga County clerk.

... Brian S. Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage, said, “I think it’s the clearest example of the fact that if you are a Republican and you vote for gay marriage, this is a career-ending move.”

A priest who helped found a gay ‘marriage’ advocacy group for Catholics has been suspended from distributing the sacraments or representing himself publicly as a cleric by his bishop.

The National Catholic Register reported Monday that Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles had spoken to Rev. Joseph Palacios, co-founder of “Catholics for Equality” (CFE), a small group created two years ago with strong connections to the Human Rights Campaign.

... Palacios told the National Catholic Register that he and his bishop “mutually agreed” that the priest would not minister publicly while promoting a redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples. “We agreed that I would stay on inactive status as long as I am politically active,” he said.

The priest, who is also on the Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign, appears as “Dr. Joseph Palacios” on the CFE website.

Tod Tamberg, director of media relations for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, told the Register that Palacios “is on inactive leave without faculties.”

“He should not be wearing a Roman collar, should not be celebrating Mass, nor may he present himself as a priest in public,” he said.

"...it is clear the National Organization for Marriage and other traditional-marriage groups drew some blood. One of the four Republicans, James Alesi, announced his retirement earlier this year rather than face a potential challenger. Senator Roy McDonald of Saratoga Springs has apparently lost, and Senator Stephen Saland of Poughkeepsie had a 42-vote lead with 600 absentee ballots left to be counted."

... The only clear survivor among the pro-gay marriage senators who were targeted is Buffalo Republican Mark Grisanti. But 40 percent of Republicans in his district voted against him, and he faces a Conservative party challenger who could drain enough votes from him to cost him the general election against a Democrat this fall.

The results in New York’s primaries are only a warm-up act for battles over gay marriage this November in four left-leaning states that voted for Barack Obama in 2008. Voters in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington will all decide ballot initiatives on the issue."

Politico's Maggie Haberman on the results of the NY primaries:

"Two New York state senators who were instrumental in legalizing same-sex marriage in the state were in electoral limbo Friday after Republicans turned out in force for their opponents in a close primary that could hinge on the counting of paper ballots.

... National groups opposing gay marriage had targeted the senators, vowing to unseat them in Thursday's primary. Gay-rights advocates, in turn, poured more than $1 million into the races as they sought to make inroads among the GOP and provide evidence that Republicans can vote for gay rights and not be punished at the polls.

Sen. Saland

...All three GOP incumbents had the backing of party leaders and outspent their opponents by lopsided margins. They were praised by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg raised money for them.

But Messrs. McDonald and Saland now face the possibility of becoming the first Republican senators in New York to be defeated in their party's primary since 1992, when George Pataki seized a state Senate nomination on his path to governor.

... Mr. Saland said it was a "one-issue" campaign. "My bigger disappointment is with the thousands who didn't come out despite my record of service to the community," he said Friday.

"If he hadn't cast that vote, I don't think anybody would have challenged him. People are not happy with that vote," said Kieran Michael Lalor, a tea-party-backed Republican running for state assembly from Mr. Saland's district.

... But for 81-year-old Janet Stedman, who backed Mr. Di Carlo, Mr. Saland's gay-marriage vote was the deciding factor. "That's what did it for me," she said.

"Primaries in the Democratic Party are different than in the Republican Party. They're expected in the Democratic Party. They're not, in the Republican Party," said Carl J. Calabrese, a Republican former deputy Erie County executive who supported Grisanti in Thursday's vote.

"Because they're not expected, they tend to be nastier. Bad blood tends to linger longer in the Republican Party over primary fights." -- Buffalo News

Defeated Incumbents Bring to Four Those Who Have Lost Their Seats over Supporting Same-sex Marriage

Washington, D.C.—The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today celebrated the defeat of two incumbent state Senators who voted to redefine marriage in New York. NOM played a pivotal role in helping to defeat the incumbents, Roy McDonald and Shirley Huntley. In addition, Neil DiCarlo, a NOM-backed challenger to Stephen Saland, was locked in a razor-close battle and expects to defeat the incumbent when final absentee votes are counted.

"Marriage was redefined in New York because of six turncoat Senators, and we vowed we would not rest until they were removed from office," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "We've now taken out four of the six who betrayed marriage, and we're going to finish the job with the remaining two."

Senator James Alesi was driven from his reelection race by NOM's pledge to defeat him. Senator Carl Kruger was forced to resign, and NOM helped elect pro-marriage Republican David Storobin to replace him. McDonald was defeated in the Republican primary by pro-marriage candidate Kathy Marchione. NOM was a major supporter of Marchione, sending two district-wide mailers and launching thousands of telephone calls. And Huntley was defeated in the Democratic primary by pro-marriage candidate James Sanders. NOM also sent two mailers and thousands of telephone calls opposing Huntley.

"When marriage was redefined, Andrew Cuomo and his billionaire friends like Paul Singer and Michael Bloomberg said they'd protect anyone who voted against marriage from political harm. Now look at the political carnage they have wrought," said Brown. "Four of their six Senators are [gone], and the other two will be soon. Neil DiCarlo expects to defeat Sen. Saland when all the votes are cast. And we will vigorously oppose Mark Grisanti in the general election. If that results in Dean Skelos losing his Senate majority, so be it. Skelos is also responsible for redefining marriage because he authorized the vote in the first instance."

Brown continued, "The people of New York have sent a clear and unequivocal message—they will not tolerate politicians, Democrat of Republican, who redefine marriage. It's laughable when groups like the Human Rights Campaign say that nobody has ever lost a race for supporting same-sex marriage. The landscape is littered with the failed political careers of such politicians, including now these four (soon to be six) incumbents in New York."

###

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, or Jen Campbell (x145), jcampbell@crcpublicrelations.com, at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

New York state Sen. Stephen Saland (suh-LAND') was in a tight fight in his first Republican primary in 20 years that hinged on his decision to support same-sex marriage.

According to unofficial results Thursday night, Saland was in a race too close to call against Neil DiCarlo, the chief compliance officer for a Wall Street equities firm.

Saland, of Poughkeepsie, was one of four Republicans who voted last June to approve same-sex marriage, a historic moment that made New York the sixth and by far the largest to legalize gay weddings.

After the vote, conservative Republicans vowed to knock Saland and the other three from office by running aggressive primaries. Two others, Sens. Roy McDonald of Saratoga County and Mark Grisanti (grih-SAHN'-tee) of Buffalo, also faced primaries Thursday. The fourth, James Alesi (uh-LEE'-see) of Rochester, retired.

More from their coverage:

"...Unofficial numbers have Marchione ahead 6,792 to [McDonald's] 6,656.

No one was conceding the race, and lawyers for the campaign will negotiate how absentee ballots will be counted in coming days and weeks.

Though she always maintained her platform is broader, Marchione's challenge to McDonald became a localized referendum on his 2011 vote to legalize same-sex marriage.

A reminder about the financial differences between the two candidates:

"The race between Mr. McDonald and Ms. Marchione is the most expensive legislative primary in New York this year. Mr. McDonald has raised more than $926,000 in this campaign cycle, thanks in part to help from supporters of same-sex marriage, including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who donated $10,300. Ms. Marchione, by contrast, has raised more than $180,000." -- The New York Times

Marchione has promised to keep going, GOP line or no.

We promised that we would hold accountable all the politicians in Albany who betrayed us on marriage. We have delivered on our promise to not let the actions of those who flip-flopped and voted against the will of the people be forgotten.

We have fought the good fight, in the name of honor and integrity across New York State—but today we need your help to finish the job!

Today is Primary Day in New York.

All the political forecasts say that turnout will be historically low today.

We must ensure that all supporters of traditional marriage come out to vote and provide the final rally cry against those who silenced the voices of New Yorkers and sold out for money and their own personal gain.

Here is a list of candidates running in today’s primary who have pledged to stand with us on the issue of marriage. All of these candidates are in close fights against incumbents who have wronged us and must be held accountable.

Please review the list, and if you live in one of these districts, please make it a priority to vote today. If you know someone who lives in one of these districts, please forward this message to them immediately! Together, we can get this done!

Thank you again for your continued support. As promised, NOM is continuing the fight in New York after already standing down Jim Alesi from his plans to run for reelection. Please help us today to defeat the rest of the senators who betrayed us and all New Yorkers, and together we will restore integrity in Albany!

Before State Senator Roy J. McDonald, a Republican, voted last year to legalize same-sex marriage, he told reporters that anyone unhappy with his position could “take the job and shove it.”

Now comes the test.

... his campaign has become a referendum on a single decision: his choice last year to cast one of the decisive votes that made same-sex marriage legal in New York State.

... “The more that the advocates for this are able to tell Republicans that you can do this and live, then the greater success they’re going to have,” said Robert J. Bellafiore, a communications consultant and former press secretary for Gov. George E. Pataki, a Republican. “But it’s hard to convince somebody to take their first bungee jump if all they see at the bottom of the jump is a bunch of splattered bodies.”

... Mr. McDonald, who was also once a state assemblyman, said he would not regret his marriage vote even if it ended his political career.

... At a debate on Tuesday night at Russell Sage College in Troy, Ms. Marchione attacked Mr. McDonald for his vote on same-sex marriage, and the audience was at its most boisterous when the subject was discussed.

Ms. Marchione painted the senator as desperate to keep his office, saying, “I guess he’s changed his mind about taking the job and shoving it.” She repeatedly suggested that Mr. McDonald’s vote had been motivated by the promise of campaign donations.

... “Regardless of what happens, it is an utter lie to say, ‘Vote for gay marriage; it won’t have any effect,’ ” Brian S. Brown, the organization’s president, said. “I don’t think any observer on the left or the right can say that’s the case.”

"...[Roy McDonald] was one of four Republicans to break GOP ranks and do so, raising hackles among conservatives and winning praise — and money — from gay rights supporters.

"I did what I thought was right," said McDonald. "I've gotten money from all over my district, names you know, names you've never heard of, and all over the state. I'm a local guy, and I feel I've done a good job working on many issues, and my record is more than just minutiae."

Marchione opposes same-sex marriage. She doesn't contest her underdog status in the race, and sees the money that has fueled McDonald's campaign as coming from mostly out-of-district donors who enticed him to break campaign pledges that he would vote against gay marriage, as he did in 2009.

"It's an important vote for a lot of reasons, one that I hear about quite often," said Marchione. "When you turn your back on the voters, it's expensive to get their trust back."

Recently, I read a letter to the editor from a local New York paper—The Record from Troy, NY—that posed a great question. The author said he's been receiving mailings from Senator Roy McDonald's campaign trumpeting his accomplishments in office, but with one conspicuous omission from the list—namely, the Senator's vote to legalize same-sex marriage. The author thought this was strange, since McDonald had claimed that taking political favors and money in exchange for his vote on this issue was "the right thing to do." If it was the right thing to do, why not celebrate it and advertise it?

Well, the reason is clear: McDonald, like his fellow Senator Mark Grisanti, knows that imposing same-sex marriage on the people of New York was the wrong thing to do—both ethically and politically. And these corrupt politicians are hoping voters forget their betrayal, so they won't have to face the music on Primary Day this Thursday. But voter's haven't forgotten, and they're cuing up the orchestra to play these clowns off the stage!

Will you help us with your urgently-needed, immediate contribution of $25, $50, or $100 today, so that we can redouble our efforts on your behalf in the final hours leading up to this crucially important primary election?

Without your immediate help, we can't put the necessary resources in place in these critical last hours to make sure that Senators McDonald and Grisanti get sent packing even before the general election. We're prepared to continue fighting on your behalf all the way through November, but we have an opportunity to send the message this week that the people of New York stand for traditional marriage and won't be bullied by greedy, out-of-touch politicians.

The NOM PAC NY has the message and strategy necessary to get the word out to New York voters so that they remember this election day how their elected representatives betrayed them last year in Albany, when they took Mayor Bloomberg's favors and funds in exchange for their votes to impose a redefinition of marriage on the Empire State! We're kicking into high gear with targeted phone calls and mailings between now and Thursday to ensure that New York residents hear this important message!

But we can't get this word out unless you send us your generous contribution today! Please help us with your critical donation of $25, $50, or $100 now so that we don't lose this important opportunity to oust these two treacherous Senators from office!

The elite fat-cats in Albany betrayed the voters of New York and imposed same-sex marriage on the State without even considering letting the people vote. Well, in this election, you get to vote whether they like it or not. Stand up with your fellow New Yorker's this Thursday and cast your vote for family, for marriage, for religious liberty, and for politicians being accountable to those who got them elected instead of to those who offer to fill their coffers while in office! Stand for marriage this week! Get out the vote!

I keep getting glossy flyers from Roy McDonald ... at least three in the past two weeks. No doubt they are paid for, at least in part, by the contributions he got from New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg for his vote for gay marriage.

That being the case, I continue to wonder why Senator (hopefully soon to be former Senator) McDonald never mentions that vote when he lists his achievements. One must wonder why ... mustn’t one?

If it was “the right thing to do” as he said at the time, then one would think that he should be proud of that achievement. Evidently not. He now sees the handwriting on the wall and values his job more than the “right thing to do,” continuing to “forget” to mention this “right thing.”

... I have not forgotten your vote. And I will not forget when I proudly vote for Kathy Marchione on Sept. 13 in the Republican primary. -- The Record

"...I also noted two years ago that I had taken up the public editor duties believing “there is no conspiracy” and that The Times’s output was too vast and complex to be dictated by any Wizard of Oz-like individual or cabal. I still believe that, but also see that the hive on Eighth Avenue is powerfully shaped by a culture of like minds — a phenomenon, I believe, that is more easily recognized from without than from within.

When The Times covers a national presidential campaign, I have found that the lead editors and reporters are disciplined about enforcing fairness and balance, and usually succeed in doing so. Across the paper’s many departments, though, so many share a kind of political and cultural progressivism — for lack of a better term — that this worldview virtually bleeds through the fabric of The Times.

As a result, developments like the Occupy movement and gay marriage seem almost to erupt in The Times, overloved and undermanaged, more like causes than news subjects."

Dear Marriage Supporter,

In 2011, NOM promised that the Senators from New York who betrayed their constituents by voting in favor of same-sex marriage would face political consequences.

Since that time, we've worked concertedly to flush these slippery traitors out of the tall grass and send them packing. Now it's time to finish what we started. Senators Mark Grisanti and Roy McDonald have read the writing on the wall: they're furiously raising and spending piles of cash, trying to slither unnoticed past the voters. But voters are good at spotting a snake.

We need your urgent help to make sure that these Senators face up to the consequences of their betrayals and slippery dealings. They're using the money that bought their votes for SSM in order to get reelected, but we can defeat them with the help of your immediate contribution! Can you give us $50, $100, or $200 today to finish what we started in the Empire State?

With the primary elections just three weeks from now, we need to make sure that voters across New York State are reminded that these two senators betrayed them, flip-flopped on their campaign promises, and helped Mayor Bloomberg and his elite cronies in the media and on Wall Street impose a redefinition of marriage on the whole state!

We're kicking into high gear to get this message out, with targeted ad campaigns, mailings, phone calls, and billboards, so that Senators Grisanti and McDonald won't be able to hide from the voters on the question of SSM. They will answer for what they did, to the tune of losing their seats to candidates with the courage to stand up for their constituents, who won't sell them out and cash in with the liberal elite. But we can't make this happen without your immediate help!

Please send your generous contribution of $50, $100, or $200 today so that we can work on your behalf to hold these Senators accountable for selling out their values, their constituents, and their State!

Together, we'll make this election cycle one to remember, and send a message to the whole country that New Yorkers know marriage is solely the union of one man and one woman, and that any politicians and judges who try to foist their own liberal agenda on the American people will eventually have to answer to the voters!

Republican Sen. Steve Saland’s vote last year to legalize same-sex marriage in New York state continues to present political hurdles in his bid for re-election to the state Senate representing the 41st district.

He already faces his first GOP primary challenge in his 32 years as a lawmaker. His opponent, Neil Di Carlo of Brewster, includes in campaign literature a promise “to work tirelessly to restore the institution of marriage to its rightful place.”

Just recently, Di Carlo successfully initiated a write-in primary for the Conservative Party ballot line by filing the required number of voter signatures with the state Board of Elections.

Saland’s vote for same-sex marriage cost him the Conservative Party endorsement for his re-election bid — for the first time in his 12 state Senate campaigns. Di Carlo, though, also failed to gain the endorsement of party leaders despite his opposition to same-sex marriage.

... Richard Van Slambrouck, a Town of Poughkeepsie resident, was one of those who signed Di Carlo’s petitions. He said he will vote for Di Carlo to send a message to Saland, who for years took a stand against same-sex marriage.

“A lot of us were really put out by his vote,” Van Slambrouck said. “We are hoping to show him our dissatisfaction.”

"...three Democrats who voted against gay marriage in 2009 also flipped their votes. And two of them—Joe Addabbo and Shirley Huntley, both of Queens—have tough races for re-election and aren’t quite feeling the same love as their GOP counterparts.

“Evidently Addabbo wasn’t as important to them as the Republicans,” Ms. Huntley told The Observer about LGBT donors who showered the four GOP senators with campaign cash. “Evidently our vote wasn’t important. I took a hit for that.”

Ms. Huntley and Mr. Addabbo, like the three Republicans seeking re-election, are all facing challengers who oppose gay marriage, yet there’s a big gap in how strong their campaigns are financially. Ms. Huntley most recently reported having about $33,000 in her campaign account, and Mr. Addabbo a bit over $100,000, while the Republicans range from twice that all the way up to over $600,000."

Gay activists may have forgotten about these three Democrat state senators, but the pro-marriage movement has not!

The New York Daily News:

Even by the standards of Capitol Hill, where ambitious and awkward young people are thrust together in cramped workplaces and crowded bars, the nuptial output of Senator Charles E. Schumer’s office stands out.

Schumer staff members, put simply, like to marry each other. There have been 10 weddings so far, and two more scheduled this fall — an average of nearly one “Schumer Marriage” (his term) for each year he has spent in the Senate.

Cupid’s arrow lands where it will, but many of the couples say that Mr. Schumer, a New York Democrat, has an unusual knack for guiding its journey. He keeps close track of office romances, quotes marriage-friendly Scripture (“God to man: be fruitful and multiply”), and is known to cajole, nag, and outright pester his staff (at least those he perceives as receptive to such pestering) toward connubial bliss.

...The encouragement rarely stops at the altar. Mr. Schumer is described by aides as a fabulous wedding guest, quick to request a Jefferson Starship song from the D.J. and eager to dance with the bride. And his focus, like many a politician’s, never strays far from his legacy: first comes Schumer Marriage, then come Schumer Babies.

“Have kids; have a lot of kids,” Mr. Schumer, who has two daughters, is known to intone. “Start early and keep having them.”

Flip-flopper Roy McDonald, meanwhile, is facing a tough challenger who is beginning to both out-raise and outspend him:

Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione has outraised and outspent incumbent Sen. Roy McDonald over the last month, a campaign finance disclosure shows.

The two are facing off in a Republican primary for the state Senate district encompassing parts of Saratoga, Rensselaer, Washington and Columbia counties. Marchione spent $84,536 in the past three weeks, compared to $55,120.76 from McDonald. Marchione raked in $42,324 compared to McDonald’s $28,460. -- Capital Confidential

Here's a copy of the mailer.

The Empire State Pride Agenda, the leading statewide LGBT lobbying group in New York, announced its endorsed candidates Tuesday morning, but only one of the three Republican state senators seeking re-election who voted for marriage equality appears on the roster.

The group backed Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, one of four Republican senators who voted for the bill that passed last year. Senators Roy McDonald and Stephen Saland have not been endorsed in their re-election bids. Senator James Alesi, the fourth yes vote, announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election.

... All three Republican senators lost the support of the Conservative Party, which provides an important cross-endorsement in the state, because of their marriage equality votes, and they face primary election challenges on September 13. Grisanti’s primary opponent has not taken a stance on marriage equality, according to State of Politics, whereas McDonald and Saland face challengers who oppose it, which could make the endorsement from an LGBT group problematic. Democrats, meanwhile, are targeting Grisanti in the general election, where his marriage equality credentials could provide a boost. -- The Advocate

The idea makes the head spin: Mitt Romney marrying Donald Trump. Michele Bachmann marrying Sarah Palin. And President Obama officiating at both weddings.

Dating website BeautifulPeople.com has launched a campaign featuring the “weddings,” with actors portraying the famous politicos, to publicize its new gay and lesbian versions, BeautifulPeopleGay.com and BeautifulPeopleWomenOnly.com. After a billboard company rejected the images, BeautifulPeople.com put up “censored” versions, with outlines only, this week in cities including Clearwater, Fla., and West Hollywood, with the full versions on mobile billboards in New York City and on the company’s website.

“This is a national campaign championing equal rights for the LGBT community and pledging support in a colorful way,” said Greg Hodge, Beautiful People’s managing director, in a press release. “Through a humorous campaign we wanted to showcase how many of our political heavyweights are living in the last century.” For every membership to the gay and lesbian sites, Beautiful People will donate 15% of the fee to a nonprofit championing marriage equality.

(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

This morning, however, Ms. Quinn’s office sent out a press release announcing a petition calling on the president of Chick-fil-A, Dan Cathy, to apologize for his “repugnant and un-American” comments and discriminatory views.

But what’s more, Ms. Quinn is requesting the removal of the one Chick-fil-A restaurant in all of New York City.

“I urge you to sever your relationship with the Chick‐fil‐A establishment that exists on your campus,” she wrote in a letter to the president of New York University. “This establishment should be replaced with an establishment where the ownership does not denigrate a portion of our population.”

View the letter [here]. -- PolitickerNY

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he strongly disagrees with the mayors of Boston, Chicago and San Francisco over Chick-fil-A's position on gay marriage.

The fast food restaurant's opposition to gay marriage has touched a national furor. Gay rights groups have called for a boycott and the three mayors have said Chick-fil-A was not welcome in their cities.

The billionaire businessman-turned-politician called the three "good mayors" but disagrees with them.

Bloomberg supports same-sex marriage, but says the restaurant flap is none of "the government's business." -- New York Post

Some prominent supporters of same-sex marriage have donated money to State Sens. Shirley Huntley and Joe Addabbo, Democrats who switched their “no” votes to “yeses” when the bill passed last year, but were not the beneficiaries of donor largesse like the four Republican senators who voted in favor of the bill.

...As Ken Lovett reported in May,

“Twenty-nine Democrats vote yes, and the four Republicans are getting all the money,” one political operative groused. “So much for the (gay) community standing up for those who stood up for them.”

Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, spent $365,081 over the last six months — quite a burn rate for this early in the cycle. McDonald appears to be paying three campaign staffers, and also spent $20,000 to retain Bill Powers & Associates. Powers was the former chairman of the Rensselaer County GOP and Republican State Committee. McDonald’s committee also paid $10,000 to Hudson Valley Strategies, the political consulting company run by Rensselaer County Legislature spokesman Rich Crist.

– McDonald also used his campaign money to pay small donations to various charities in the region, likely tied to some kind of event or gala. They range from the Lansigburgh Boys & Girls Club to the Saratoga Senior Center.

– McDonald paid $22,500 for a poll by Public Opinion Strategies on April 24, roughly a month after Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione announced her candidacy against him.

– The campaign spent $119.25 at The Snowman, an ice cream stand in Lansingburgh where $119.25 gets you A LOT of frozen treats.

– As he criss-crossed the new district pitching party committees for their endorsement, McDonald spread around some cash. He donated $4,500 to the New York State Independence Party, which has given him its line; $1,000 to the Troy Republican Committee, which endorsed him; $1,000 to the Columbia County Republican Committee, whose chair endorsed him; $1,000 to the Columbia County Conservative Party, which endorsed him and helped carry petitions for Edward Gilbert, who McDonald’s aides deny any connection with, and $2,000 to the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee, which endorsed him.

State Conservative Party officials will likely back Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione in her state Senate bid, setting the stage for a three-way race for the 43rd district this fall.

Marchione, a Republican looking to unseat Sen. Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga, filed nominating petitions with the state Board of Elections on Wednesday and included the signatures of 458 Conservatives.

... Veitch said even though McDonald received the endorsements of Conservative committees in Rensselaer and Columbia counties, which totaled about 80 percent of the 43rd district’s weighted vote, it was unlikely the senator would receive the vote of the state Conservative Party’s executive committee.

The spokesman stopped short of attributing that to McDonald’s 2011 vote to legalize same-sex marriage, though state Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long said Thursday that party leaders had told all elected officials “anyone who voted to destroy traditional marriage would not receive” the party endorsement.

... McDonald and Marchione appear ready to square off in a September primary for the Republican line, which could prove crucial in the November election. -- The Saratogian

"...Recent polls indicate that the African-American community in the nation is divided in respect to same-sex marriage. A Pew Center Poll recently found that 63% of African-Americans reject gay marriage and only 37% are in favor. 

This is not the first time that Rev. Williams Owens and the Coalition of African-American pastors have criticized President Barack Obama in response to same-sex marriage. In May, Rev. Owens issued a statement condemning the President for comparing the gay rights movement to the African-American civil rights movement.

In his statement, at that time, Rev. Owens said: “The hijacking of the civil rights movement by homosexuals, bisexuals and gender confused people is unacceptable. There is no legitimate comparison between skin color and sexual behavior.”

I believe that many elected officials will lose constituents and some will lose their seats because of their position in favor of same-sex marriage and the Democratic Party is in danger of losing the majority in the United States Senate and even the President’s re-election could be problematic and all of this because of same-sex marriage."

Republican Neil DiCarlo of the Town of Southeast Wednesday filed some 2,200 petitions signatures with the State Board of Elections to run in a GOP primary election against long-time incumbent State Senator Stephen Saland of Poughkeepsie.

DiCarlo needed 1,000 signatures and he will appear on the September primary ballot unless his petitions are challenged and a sufficient number of signatures are ruled invalid.

After campaign staff filed the petitions in Albany, DiCarlo said he is challenging Saland because he has been “rubber stamping job-killing progressive laws out of Albany which are ruining New York State.”

DiCarlo said Saland has met several times with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the last two years “to write laws benefiting New York City at our expense.” He said after he voted to legalize same-sex marriage, Saland received over $450,000 “from a Bloomberg led cabal from New York City.”

"...Soon after New York passed the Marriage Equality Act on June 24 last year, Katie Marks andDese’Rae Stage began planning their wedding day. A licensed masseuse and a photographer, both 28, the couple had been dating since 2008 and were already planning to get married — in Boston over the Memorial Day weekend of 2012 — but the euphoria of the moment moved everything forward. “It was kind of one of those things, to be a part of history,” Des says. On July 30, the first Saturday that gay marriages could be performed in New York City, Katie in a magenta dress and Des in skinny jeans and pink Chuck Taylors joined 23 other couples at the Pop Up Chapel, a one-day wedding event in Central Park, as part of New York City’s first wave of legally married gay couples. By January, though, things had started to come apart. Des and Katie have since separated and moved out of their Washington Heights apartment. They're now one of the first married gay couples — if not the very first — in New York to divorce. “I feel like I’m the president of the loneliest club in the world,” Des says. “I was the first gay person in my group of friends to marry, and now I’m the only gay divorcée I know.”

... On the sort-of-bright side, [Shannon Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights] adds, "I think we will continue to see people divorce. But nothing has humanized gay couples more than for straight people to realize gay couples need to divorce, too.”

... "We have 34 [gay divorce] cases right now in the office, compared to 150 [heterosexual] divorce cases,” says Raoul Felder, a New York divorce lawyer who has handled numerous high-profile breakups including Rudy Giuliani’s split from his wife of 18 years, Donna Hanover, while he was mayor of New York. [...] Felder added that gay divorces are currently "filtering down at a faster rate than heterosexual divorces.”

You should know that the newly elected Senator David Storobin from Brooklyn has introduced his first piece of legislation, Senate Bill S7712-2011 to repeal gay marriage in New York State.

Senator Storobin was sworn into office two weeks ago after defeating New York City Councilman Lew Fidler in the closest election Brooklyn’s history has ever seen.

As the Senator who has taken the lead to oppose gay marriage in New York, I thank Senator Storobin for giving me the opportunity to join him as a co-sponsor to this historic and pending piece of legislation.

You should also know that so far – as of today – it is only Senator Storobin and me who support this legislation. It will be a difficult and uphill battle. Nonetheless, our struggle will continue as we work to get 30 more Senators to join us. We are not giving up.

Wendy Long ran as a staunch conservative to win New York's Republican Senate primary and now faces a broader and more liberal electorate as she takes on Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand (KEHR'-sten JIHL'-uh-brand).

Long, a New York City attorney, defeated U.S. Rep. Bob Turner and Nassau County comptroller George Maragos in a primary election Tuesday notable for low turnout.

With nearly every precinct reporting, Long had 51 percent of the vote, compared to 36 percent for Turner and 13 for Maragos.

Long now must raise millions of dollars and build statewide name recognition. Gillibrand, a three-year incumbent, already has about $10 million in campaign cash.

NOM publicly endorsed Wendy Long on Monday.

For the first time in his 12 electoral campaigns for the state Senate, Steve Saland’s name will not appear on the Conservative ballot line, New York State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long said.

That is due to his vote one year ago to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. Long said at the time he would no longer support Saland, who is seeking his 12th two-year term in the Senate, and the three other Republicans in the state Senate who voted for the bill.

Long has not changed his mind. He has yet to endorse a candidate for the state Senate 41st District.

“Anyone who voted for same sex marriage, there’s no question about it, they will not get the Conservative endorsement,” Long said last week. “It’s not going to happen. They were all forewarned before the vote that traditional marriage is very important.”

One year after New York lawmakers voted to make same-sex marriage legal in the state, opponents of gay marriage are pledging to unseat the Republicans whose support was key to the law's passage, saying they want to send a message to other legislators that there are “consequences” to their votes.

The National Organization for Marriage, which opposes gay marriage, says it is funneling $2 million into the state to oust three state senators who voted to support the legislation. All three, Sens. Roy McDonald, Stephen Saland and Mark Grisanti, are facing primary challenges. A fourth GOP senator, Jim Alesi, already has said he won’t seek a ninth term due to local opposition over his pro-gay marriage stance.

... Brian Brown, [President] of NOM, doesn't shy away from the fact his group is hoping to intimidate wavering lawmakers into opposing gay marriage.

“The message is clear, that supporting same-sex marriage is a losing issue, not a winning issue,” Brown told msnbc.com. “You could lose your career over supporting same-sex marriage.”

... "If we don’t get a vote this year, we’re going to work to get one next year. We’re not going away," Brown said. "I think it’s just wishful thinking to say that once you have same-sex marriage the fight’s over. It’s not."

... Toward that end, NOM has spent $400,000 on issue ads, billboards, automated calls and direct mail as well as made direct donations through its New York PAC. It is planning to spend another $1.6 million to try to unseat McDonald, Saland and Grisanti as a result of their gay marriage votes.

Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)

"Wendy Long will provide principled, conservative leadership for New York, and American, families."—Brian Brown, President NOM—

WASHINGTON, DC—The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today announced its endorsement of Wendy Long in the race to challenge incumbent US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

"Wendy Long is a brilliant attorney, accomplished leader and dedicated wife and mother who will provide principled, conservative leadership for New York and American families," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "She understands that New Yorkers hunger for committed leaders who will uphold American values like traditional marriage, fight to create jobs and force government to live within its means. We are proud to endorse her."

NOM is the nation's largest organization dedicated to preserving marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The group strongly opposed redefining marriage and has pledged to spend $2 million on issue advocacy, and in support of candidates, who will fight to give voters a say in determining the definition of marriage in New York."

"Kirsten Gillibrand has abandoned families on important issues like the definition of marriage," Brown said. "She has come to symbolize everything that's wrong with Washington—cultural arrogance and recklessly spending money we don't have, saddling families with a mountain of debt. In Wendy Long, we have a candidate who will fight hard for families in Washington."

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To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Jen Campbell (x145), jcampbell@crcpublicrelations.com, or Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, at 703-683-5004.

Lower Hudson News adds more this week:

The New York State Catholic Conference has called a lesbian couple’s class-action lawsuit against St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers an attempt “to compel the hospital (and all Catholic employers) to violate their religious beliefs.”

... The medical center is a Roman Catholic organization; the Catholic Church opposes same-sex marriage.

In a statement issued today, the Catholic Conference framed the couple’s lawsuit and New York’s legalization of same-sex marriages as an undermining of the separation of church and state. It put quotation marks around the word married in describing the couple’s relationship and said the Marriage Equality Act infringes “on the religious liberty of Catholic employers.”

“We urge the governor and the legislature to pass legislation immediately to approve a full religious exemption to this ill-conceived law,” the group said. “We also continue to urge other states to use New York’s experience as a cautionary reminder of the true implications of the redefinition of marriage on religious liberty.”

Dear Marriage Supporter,

In March, David Storobin pulled off a historic upset: he won a seat in the New York Senate as a pro-marriage Republican in Brooklyn, one of the bluest districts in the entire country. He beat out the strongly pro-gay marriage Lew Fidler and replaced the disgraced Senator Carl Kruger, who sold out his constituents, flip-flopping and voting for gay marriage last year.

Just 10 days into his term, the new Senator Storobin is already making good on campaign promises to stand up for marriage in Albany, introducing the "New York State Defense of Marriage Act" to define marriage as between a husband and wife.

He needs—and deserves—our support!

Please take 2 minutes right now to contact your State Senator to let him or her
know that you expect them to support Senator Storobin's bill.

Following his stunning, come-from-behind victory, Albany's newest Republican continues to shock the establishment, showing that the same-sex marriage debate is not over in New York.

NOM has vowed to spend $2 million in New York elections to oppose those politicians who support gay marriage, and to win for the voters their right to vote on the definition of marriage.

You and I must support this fledgling marriage champion in Albany!

But Senator Storobin is just the beginning! Together, we can elect new pro-marriage allies to the House and Senate this November, and send a pro-marriage majority to Albany willing to fight for the future of marriage in New York.

Won't you please support NOM PAC NY today by making a secure online donation
of $25, $50, $100 or even $1,000 if you have the means?

Supporter, it's time for the elite and the media to start paying attention to what has happened since same-sex marriage was imposed in New York:

• In New York's 9th Congressional District, a pro-marriage Republican congressman was elected to a House seat that was held by Democrats for decades (since 1923 to be exact!);
• Pro-marriage David Storobin has been elected in a heavily Democratic seat replacing a gay marriage backer;
• Republican James Alesi was forced to retire from the Senate after his vote for same-sex marriage made it too difficult to get even compete in his own primary;
• Mark Grisanti faces both a primary and general election challenge and is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to salvage his reputation after voting for gay marriage;
• Senator Roy McDonald is in deep political trouble and has lost critical support over his vote in favor of gay marriage.

By the time all is said and done, those politicians responsible for passing same-sex marriage will be gone and NOM will still be there working with pro-marriage legislators to restore marriage in New York.

Please support David Storobin and his efforts to defend marriage today!

And please consider helping NOM PAC NY win even more victories for marriage with your generous gift today!

Thank you for all you have done to make these victories possible. These next 5 months are critical as we take the next steps together.

The other GOP race to watch is the primary between incumbent State Senator Mark Grisanti and Kenmore attorneyKevin Stocker. Grisanti has been campaigning hard in the last couple months, and he can afford to do so: He has plenty of campaign money to spend, as well as an allowance of public money for printing and mailing leaflets to his constituents that all incumbent legislators enjoy. (Recently, for example, Grisanti sent out a flyer, produced and posted with Senate funds, touting his support for Roswell Park Cancer Institute. It looked and read like a piece of campaign literature, though such publicly funded mailings are meant to be informational rather than promotional.)

He has been blanketing the media with press releases about the bills he’s sponsoring, co-sponsoring, and voting for; he has already aired a TV commercial. All this activity suggests that the primary between Stocker and Grisanti—who changed party affiliation from Democrat to Republican to run in 2010, and who angered many of the GOP’s conservative faithful by voting in favor of same-sex marriage—may be closer than one might expect.

A lawsuit that could impact religious liberty in at least six states — and which also has implications for the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — was filed in a federal district court in New York Tuesday.

St. Joseph’s Medical Center — a Catholic hospital in Westchester — and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, the private company that insures it, are the targets of a class-action lawsuit waged by an employee who was denied spousal benefits for her partner. The two women — named as Jane Doe and Jane Roe in the lawsuit — were legally married after the New York Legislature created same-sex marriage last year.

“I remember almost a year ago when this bill was signed into law, we were told that it would have no impact on religious freedoms,” said the Rev. Jason McGuire, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms. “Less than a year later it’s very clear that gay marriage is indeed having an impact on religious freedom here in the Empire State.”

St. Joseph’s Medical Center insurance plan is self-financed, which means it falls under federal law — -i.e., DOMA — rather than the laws of New York State.

“Our clients have a right to enjoy the full benefits of marriage afforded to other married couples in New York,” said the women’s lawyer, Jeffrey Norton, “and we are determined to achieve that right for them.”

Norton told CitizenLink any business headquartered in New York — or any of the other five states which currently allow same-sex marriage — must be governed by the laws of that state. -- CitizenLink

Nearly a year after the successful passage of New York’s same-sex marriage law, Sen. David Storobin quietly introduced a bill that would repeal the measure.

... The newly minted Republican lawmaker from Brooklyn is running in the so-called “Super Jewish” Senate district, putting him on a collision course with Simcha Felder, a Democrat who has not pledged to support the current minority conference leadership.

... The bill introduced on Thursday can be seen as Storobin doubling down on his effort to keep those voters in the fold as he gears up for yet another election this fall against Felder.

Still, the measure could be problematic for the Republican conference, which has largely worked to put the same-sex marriage issue behind them and focus on economic policy.

As Liz reported this morning, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos was actually booed by conservatives, in part for the perceived hesitance to take up social issues.

Two different sources who attended the state Conservative Party’s 50th anniversary gala in New York City last night emailed to say that Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos was booed by members of the crowd when he was introduced from the dais.

One source estimated between 30 percent and 40 percent of the audience participated in the booing.

He suggested rank-and-file conservatives are still smarting from the fact that Skelos allowed the same-sex marriage bill to the floor for a vote last summer, where it passed, thanks to the “yes” votes of four members of his majority conference.

Those votes cost the members – Sens. Mark Grisanti, Steve Saland, Jim Alesi and Roy McDonald – the Conservative Party’s cross-endorsement.

One of the four, Alesi, has opted not to seek re-election this fall, thanks to a lack of support from both fellow Republicans and Conseravtives in his Rochester-area district...

... The remaining three are all facing primary challenges from more conservative Republicans. -- Capital Tonight

A federal judge in Manhattan joined a growing chorus of judges across the country Wednesday by striking down a key component of a federal law denying benefits to partners in a gay marriage.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones said the federal Defense of Marriage Act's efforts to define marriage "intrude upon the states' business of regulating domestic relations."

She said, "That incursion skirts important principles of federalism and therefore cannot be legitimate, in this court's view."

Joseph Hayon, a Republican activist in southeastern Brooklyn’s Jewish community who did surprisingly well against Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz in 2010, will forgo a rematch and instead run against Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein. Indeed, Mr. Hayon, who also doubles as the head of the Brooklyn Tea Party club, told us that he was “99%” likely to run.

Mr. Hayon is known in Brooklyn political circles as a particularly passionate opponent of the gay marriage legislation signed last year, and he hinted that Mr. Cymbrowitz’s vote against the bill — and Ms. Weinstein’s support of it — factored into his decision-making, in addition to redistricting changing the shape of the map.

“Weinstein’s vote to redefine marriage will play a major role in this campaign,” he explained in an email. “Voters do not forget easily, and they are still angry at the marriage vote.”

"Once again, this shows that supporting same-sex marriage is a losing
proposition."—NOM President, Brian Brown—

Washington, D.C. — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today congratulated David Storobin on the unofficial announcement of his victory in the 27th Senate District race in New York. NOM supported Storobin and campaigned aggressively for his election, including running advertisements on his behalf.

"The election of David Storobin, a strong pro-marriage supporter, over same-sex marriage supporter Lew Fidler is another example that support for same-sex marriage is a losing proposition," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "When same-sex marriage was passed last year over the objections of the people of New York, we vowed to hold politicians accountable. Our support of David Storobin over Lew Fidler is an example of that. We congratulate Senator-elect Storobin on his victory."

NOM has vowed to spend $2 million on New York elections to oppose those politicians like Fidler who support same-sex marriage, and to gain the right of voters to vote on the definition of marriage. Storobin replaces the disgraced Senator Carl Kruger, who betrayed voters by supporting gay marriage just months before his indictment on bribery charges.

"I hope that the elite and the media are paying attention to what has happened since same-sex marriage was imposed in New York," Brown said. "Pro-marriage Congressman Bob Turner was elected to a House seat that was held by Democrats for decades. Pro-marriage David Storobin has been elected in a heavily Democratic seat replacing a gay marriage backer. Republican James Alesi was forced to retire from the Senate after his vote for same-sex marriage. Mark Grisanti faces both a primary and general election challenge and is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to salvage his reputation after voting for gay marriage. Senator Roy McDonald is in deep political trouble and has lost critical support over his vote in favor of gay marriage. By the time all is said and done, those politicians responsible for passing same-sex marriage will be gone and NOM will still be there working with pro-marriage legislators to restore marriage in New York."

###

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, or Anath Hartmann, ahartmann@crcpublicrelations.com, at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Our favorite line in his sugar-coated autobiography: "Mark Grisanti is one of us. [He has] a belief ... that being honest matters most."

Let's talk about honesty.

Was it honest of Mark Grisanti to accept money from NOM and other pro-marriage supporters by promising them that he would never vote to redefine marriage if elected?

Was it honest of Mark Grisanti to betray the trust of these same pro-marriage voters who got him into office when he in fact voted for gay marriage?

And most hypocritically of all -- is it honest for Mark Grisanti to pay for this mailer we quoted above, and his numerous TV ads, which are bankrolled with the money pro-SSM activists gave him to buy his vote on marriage, all while never mentioning his vote on gay marriage to his constituents?

Sen. Grisanti is making a cynical calculation that he can keep the voters of Buffalo in the dark about his vote to redefine marriage. And he has the audacity to run a campaign paid for almost exclusively by pro-SSM money while attempting to sweep under the carpet his most unpopular position.

But what gets us the most, and what we look forward to making his constituents in Buffalo aware of, is that Grisanti has chosen to do all of this while claiming the mantle of "honesty."

The citizens of Buffalo and New York deserve better.

It's time to teach Grisanti a lesson about what happens when a politician betrays and deceives the men and women who gave him the responsibility of holding public office in the first place.

U.S. Senate Candidate George Maragos: All Conservatives and Republicans should be alarmed with Ms. Long's recent statement in which she curiously stops short of defending traditional marriage. Ms Long simply states that "the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) upholds the constitutional premise that marriage is a state issue, allowing individual states to adopt laws {they} want." In other words she agrees with the State of New York same-sex law. Perhaps she is "evolving" as Senator Gillibrand and President Obama have in support of gay marriage?

I support DOMA, but I believe that the New York same-sex law should be repealed to respect the religious beliefs of millions of New Yorkers regarding traditional marriage. -- Maragos for New York

Last night State Senate candidate Neil Di Carlo overcame the efforts of the Dutchess / Putnam County Republican nominating machine which tried to deny a candidate choice to delegates assembled in a ballroom of the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel.

In a surprising forced vote following a severe three minute speaking restriction, Di Carlo, virtually unknown to most everyone in the ballroom, carried almost 25% of the vote, an unheard of victory in the tightly controlled political machine environment.

After losing the machine effort to deny exposure of the 250 plus Republicans to Di Carlo's short speech, 32 year incumbent Saland angrily characterized Di Carlo's support of traditional marriage as belonging to an "extreme" political party. Taking a page from the Obama White House, the avowedly left-progressive Saland sought to demonize Di Carlo for referring to Saland's traitorous vote for homosexual 'marriage' and refusal to support a referendum allowing voters to choose on the issue.

The growing clamor in favor of gay marriage has led me to recognize that it is important to speak out and be counted – against the gay-marriage campaign. This is not because I am a Christian or anti-gay, but because…

1) The gay-marriage campaign is elitist and believes its opponents are ‘bigots’

2) Same-sex marriage is not a civil right

3) Traditional marriage and the family are worth defending from state intrusion

4) The question of gay marriage has yet to be fully decided

...What remains to be seen is whether the politicization of gay marriage will lead to a strong reaction against it. The meaning of marriage, and the question of whether it should be changed to include gays and lesbians, should be a matter for public debate. For that reason, it is worth calling for state ballots: this is a social issue that should be decided democratically, not in courtrooms.

Today there is great moral pressure to fall in line behind the introduction of same-sex marriage. This is not due to the power of a relatively small number of gay activists; it is because the entire cultural elite – Democrats and increasingly Republicans – have thrown their collective weight behind gay marriage. In doing so, they are trying to assert their moral superiority by distinguishing themselves from so-called ‘bigots’.

In this environment, those who disagree with, or have questions about, gay marriage will feel tremendous pressure to start conforming. Opposing gay marriage has become a view that ‘dare not speak its name’. Following Obama, expect more public figures to be called upon to recant and say ‘I now believe’.

Well, count me out. I will not join the cultural elite’s bandwagon, a bandwagon that runs on self-flattery and the demonization of ‘backward’ voters. Critics of the same-sex marriage campaign are here, and we’re not all bible-thumping Christians – get used to it.

Read his entire column here.

Councilman Lew Fidler’s brief lead over GOP opponent David Storobin in the still-too-close-to-call race to replace prison-bound ex-pol Carl Kruger is about to disappear.

Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Larry Martin ordered the Board of Elections to count 119 absentee ballots Fidler (D–Marine Park) claimed the Storobin camp obtained illegally, ruling late yesterday that there was no evidence of voter fraud in the March 20 special election.

Political insiders say Fidler’s 87-vote lead will likely be eliminated and Storobin will surge ahead by approximately 30 votes once the city opens the contested ballots — which both sides expect were cast for the Republican rookie.

UPDATE -- Politicker, NY: "David Storobin Now Leads by 27"

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Last night State Senator James Alesi dropped his bid for reelection, becoming the first New York Republican to lose his seat over last year's vote for same-sex marriage.

One Down! Three to Go!
Click here to help send the other three Republican turncoat senators packing!

Less than a year ago, Senator Alesi was the Human Rights Campaign poster child, the first of four Republican senators in New York to publicly support same-sex marriage. He boasted at the time that he would prove Republicans could support same-sex marriage without consequence. He accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from gay marriage advocates, only to learn that no amount of money can buy the support of voters once you have lost their trust.

As Alesi told the New York Daily News last night:

"I've gotten a lot of support from Democrats and the gay community, but unfortunately they can't vote in a Republican primary."

And the Daily News headline this morning summed it up nicely: "State Sen. Jim Alesi: Gay Marriage Vote Sunk Me."

This is YOUR victory! Last year, we pledged together that their votes for same-sex marriage would cost the four Republican senators their seats in Albany. Today we celebrate victory in the first of these four races!

More broadly, two of the seven senators who flip-flopped on marriage have now lost their seats, as Alesi joins disgraced Democratic Senator Carl Kruger, who was replaced in a special election earlier this spring.

NOM pledged $2 million to retake New York and Let the People Vote on marriage. And already, with the primary election still months away, two of the seven pro-SSM turncoats are headed to retirement.

We are headed for victory, but our work isn't finished!
It's time for Senator Grisanti, Senator McDonald, and Senator Saland to join them!
Help send these three senators into retirement this September
with a generous gift of $50, $100, or even $500 or more today!

Today is a tremendous day. With your support we can send a powerful message not only to Albany, but to state legislators all across the nation. When you promise to protect marriage, we expect you to keep your word. Please make the most generous gift that you can today!

President Obama’s comments today in support of the redefinition of marriage are deeply saddening. As I stated in my public letter to the President on September 20, 2011, the Catholic Bishops stand ready to affirm every positive measure taken by the President and the Administration to strengthen marriage and the family. However, we cannot be silent in the face of words or actions that would undermine the institution of marriage, the very cornerstone of our society. The people of this country, especially our children, deserve better. Unfortunately, President Obama’s words today are not surprising since they follow upon various actions already taken by his Administration that erode or ignore the unique meaning of marriage. I pray for the President every day, and will continue to pray that he and his Administration act justly to uphold and protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. May we all work to promote and protect marriage and by so doing serve the true good of all persons. -- USCCB

One of the four state Senate Republicans who broke ranks to vote for New York’s gay marriage bill last year will not seek reelection this fall.

Sen. James Alesi (R-Rochester) told the Daily News Wednesday night that he believes his vote in favor of the landmark gay marriage legislation would have severely hampered his chances in a GOP primary this year.

He said the vote — which passed 33-29 due to the GOP defectors — cost him the support of the leadership of the local Republican and Conservative parties. They are now backing his primary opponent.

“I’ve gotten a lot of support from Democrats and the gay community, but unfortunately they can’t vote in a Republican primary,” said Alesi, now in his eighth term.

... Believing that his political brand was weakened by the gay marriage vote, Alesi said he decided to step aside out of fear that a bruising primary would eventually cost the GOP his seat — and with it potentially the party’s razor-thin Senate majority.

During an exclusive interview on Capital Tonight, Republican Sen. Jim Alesi made a surprise announcement: He has decided not to seek re-election in his Rochester-area district.

Alesi sparked controversy when he became the first Republican to publicly support same sex marriage last year.

... Conservatives and many Republicans in his district have been eyeing Alesi’s seat. And Democrats in the district also felt he was vulnerable and could be defeated.

When the senator sat down with Liz Benjamin tonight he said he thought an intra party battle could cost the Republicans the majority. And he decided to step aside for the good of the conference and the party because he has lost support from local GOP committees and was widely expected to face a primary challenge from Assemblyman Sean Hanna.

...He said he’s unlikely to leave public life entirely, and joked that with his liberal views on social issues, he could perhaps move to Manhattan and run for office where he’d be more likely to get elected. -- Capital Tonight

Sen. Mark Grisanti is putting his large campaign war chest to good work, releasing a 30-second TV ad today that gives the Buffalo Republican credit for the tax code overhaul, last year’s ethics law and the long sought UB2020 legislation.

Conspicuously absent from the ad: Grisanti’s yes vote for same-sex marriage.

Grisanti was one of four Republican yes votes for same-sex marriage, a move that cost him support from the Erie County Conservative Party. Grisanti, who won a narrow victory against Sen. Antoine Thompson that ultimately help the GOP gain control of he chamber, represents a Democratic-heavy district.

Like the other GOP lawmakers who voted for the law (Sens. Roy McDonald, Stephen Saland and Jim Alesi) Grisanti is flush with cash from LGBT advocates and other gay marriage supporters who backed the bill.

State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. says that Congressional candidate Adriano Espaillat is “slapping [religious leaders] in the face” with his full-throated support for same-sex marriage.

In one of his “What You Should Know” missives to the press, Diaz Sr. cites Espaillat’s recent speech at a meeting of the Stonewall Democratic Club, in which he promised to fight to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act at a national level if elected to Congress.

“Apparently now that Adriano Espaillat is running for a Congressional seat which covers a great part of the Bronx, he still thinks that the Christian and Catholic pastors and ministers are unimportant,” Diaz Sr. writes. “Once again, Adriano Espaillat is slapping us in the face by enthusiastically supporting gay marriage – now for the whole nation. He is clearly telling all of us, once again, to take a hike because he doesn’t need our vote.”

An upcoming Republican State Senate primary may have repercussions for one of the four Republican state senators who voted in favor of same-sex “marriage” last year.

Saratoga County Clerk Kathleen Marchione (R-Halfmoon), a Republican, is running for State Senate in New York’s 43rd Senate District. Marchione is challenging Republican Sen. Roy McDonald(R-Wilton), who joined Republican Sens. Stephen Saland (R-Poughkeepsie), James Alesi (R-Perinton) and Mark Grisanti (R-Buffalo) in voting to legalize same-sex “marriage” on June 24, 2011. The recently-redrawn 43rd District now includes eastern Saratoga County, the Washington County towns of Easton and Cambridge, all of Rensselaer County except the City of Rensselaer and most of the City of Troy, and all of Columbia County.

... Stephen P. Hayford of The Association of Politically Active Christians (APAC) added, “GOP voters in the 43rd District have not forgotten Sen. McDonald’s same-sex ‘marriage’ flip-flop, nor have they forgotten the crass and graceless manner in which he announced it.”

“If Kathy Marchione works with Christians and conservatives to build the type of grassroots movement that Doug Hoffman built in 2009, Sen. McDonald could well lose the Republican line and lose his seat altogether,” Rev. McGuire concluded.

NYC Councilman Eric Ulrich didn’t need much urging during a CapTon appearance last night to blast his new Democratic target, Sen. Joe Addabbo, for changing his mind on same-sex marriage – a move Ulrich predicts will cost the senator votes in the fall election.

Addabbo, as you’ll recall, was one of three Democrats who voted “no” on the same-sex marriage bill in 2009, contributing to its demise, and then changed their votes – at Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s urging – to help the measure pass last summer.

“I think that his flip-flop on gay marriage is going to hurt him,” Ulrich said. “I don’t believe that I’ll have to bring that up. I think that that’s clear as day.”

“People know that he voted against it first, and then voted for it two years later…He’s never revealed what his personal opinion is.”

“And I think that with the conservative voters, particularly the Orthodox Jewish and the Catholic community, people who don’t agree with same-sex marriage, that they feel betrayed, that he was trying to have his cake and eat it too.”

“So, people remember that. I’m not going to have to remind them of that. That’s still fresh in people’s minds – especially in parts of the new district.” -- Capital Tonight

Dear Marriage Supporter,

A year ago, I made a promise to the people of New York...

...that I would not rest until the people of New York were given their right to vote on the marriage question...

...and to hold the politicians in Albany accountable for their backroom dealmaking and for selling out their constituents by forcing same-sex marriage on the state.

In particular, we have targeted the four Republican Senators who lied to and betrayed their constituents by flipping their votes at the last moment, thereby ensuring the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Help us hold these turncoat Republicans accountable for their vote to legalize same-sex marriage by making a donation of $500, $100, $50 or even $35 to the NOM NY PAC today.

Each of these four Republicans now faces a serious primary challenge for their party's nomination, not to mention their Democratic challengers in the general election.

• Senator McDonald (Saratoga) is fending off Kathy Marchant;
• Senator Grisanti (Buffalo) faces both Chuck Swanick and Kevin Stocker;
• Senator Saland (Poughkeepsie) is running against Neil Di Carlo; and
• Senator Alesi (Monroe County) may be looking at a serious challenge from Sean Hanna.

In all four races, NOM will highlight their vote to legalize same-sex marriage and make it a key issue in the race. The public WILL know that their incumbent representative betrayed them on marriage and kowtowed to Governor Cuomo's political ambition and down-state Wall Street money.

It wasn't too long ago that these politicians were singing a different tune.

Senator McDonald, when asked about betraying his constituents on marriage, told the voters that they could "shove it."

Senator Alesi bragged at a same-sex marriage rally, "I think I have some new friends," and said that he had to run as a Republican "because I have to be able to say 'you can vote for marriage equality as a Republican and you can survive.'"

It's a stark contrast to hear Mr. Alesi now complaining that "most of us will be wiped out financially after Republican primaries."

Please donate to NOM PAC NY today to help wipe out Senators Alesi, McDonald, Saland, Grisanti and ALL the politicians who sold you out on marriage.

NONE of these turncoat Republicans have garnered their party's endorsement. Likewise, NONE of the incumbents have been endorsed by the NY Conservative Party.

My friend, this is HUGE!

We have an amazing opportunity this September 11 to send a resounding message to the Albany establishment: selling out your constituents and marriage will cost you your political career.

We MUST send that message. We CANNOT let them accept huge infusions of same-sex marriage money and buy their way back to Albany.

Senator Grisanti raised almost $250,000 following the same-sex marriage vote last June. Senator Saland raised over $425,000! And most of that came from downstate and out-of-state special interests pushing same-sex marriage.

Help NOM send them a message: THIS ENDS NOW!

Give a generous donation to NOM PAC NY today and we WILL
hold these politicians who sold you out accountable.

Thank you!

Since the New York Times decided to pass on my response, I'll publish it here:

Supporting gay marriage and betraying your constituents has no consequences? Dream on. The voters of New York clearly think differently.

Some recent history: Dede Scozzafava’s votes for gay marriage helped torpedo her short-lived career as a Congressional candidate in upstate New York in 2009. David Weprin squandered a 3-1 Democrat registration advantage last September because the Orthodox Jews in his district so strongly opposed his vote redefining marriage. And right now in the special election to replace disgraced pro gay marriage Senator Carl Kruger, the political newcomer David Storobin is a handful of votes ahead of the pro gay marriage Democrat Lew Fidler, once again in a heavily democratic district!

No wonder the four GOP Senators who flip-flopped on marriage have desperately been amassing campaign war chests in an effort to temper the wrath of the voters -- gay marriage is an issue losing elections for Democrats. And no amount of ink spilt in Manhattan (or checks flown in from Hollywood) will save politicians who chose to betray their constituents back home on an issue as important as marriage.