Check out this response from McCain's office! What do I do now?

[Zerbie]

Intriguingly, I received a letter from Senator Mccain's office about the Federal Marriage Amendment. As you may remember, I had a long thread goin' here (called How is this, please critique - it's several pages behind us now) about a letter I was composing to McCain criticizing his support of the Arizona STATE Marriage Amendment. I mailed said letter the first week of march.

Maybe I contacted him about the federal one, too, via webform or something and then forgot about it???? :confused: Otherwise, this is the letter his office sent in resonse to my point by point concerns about our state amendment, which McCain fully and publicly endorses.

So McCain's letter which arrived this week says, roughly paraphrasing, the following:
He opposes any type of discrimination, including that based on sexual orientation. He will do all he can to aid in the struggle to eradicate discrimination. However he firmly believes that traditional marriage and family "does not amount to intolerance. Tolerance. . .does not require us to restructure our most basic institutions, nor does it require us to abandon traditional social needs."

:mad:

He says he "questions" whether amending the US Constitution is the right response, and changing it must occur only after long thoughtful debate, not as a "knee-jerk reaction to a tough problem."

His final paragraph: "Please be assured that, as I continue to monitor the debate on this important issue, I will keep your views in mind should the matter be considered by the Senate." Then the usual thanks for contacting me, blah blah, and signature.

Well now, last year he OPPOSED the federal marriage amendment, and now it sounds like he's NOT SURE. Leaning towards opposing it again, but swayable to pressures from "the other side." sigh.

What now? Surely not a third letter to his office? Supposedly the national one comes up for a vote in a couple weeks. My other senator is a proud co-sponsor and I see no point lobbying him. What should I, as a single constituent, do now re: McCain? A phone call? Another letter? A webform? Just forget about it?

And isn't it interesting how he ignored the second letter about the state PMA? Maybe the staffers sent this letter as a reply to that one hoping to appease me and get me to stop sending them annoying letters. :rolleyes:

[Zerbie]

Aw man, no one!

Emproph, where are you?

[Emproph]

I'll be back. :cool:

[Steven E. Webster]

Zerbie,
Don't give up on writing either of your senators. Even if there minds seem made up, they need to know about your opposition.

McCain is trying somehow to position himself to be the Republican candidate for President. This seems to involve appeasing the Christian Right "base" of the party. Keep working on him so he doesn't sell us out!

Steven Webster

[Mia14]

Way to go, Zerbie!!! SOMEONE heard you, so it was worth it. I agree that even the supportive candidate would benefit from the letter.

Speaking of which, what am I doing? Don't you live in Pennsylvania? I'd better get off my butt and start writing!

[Zerbie]

Way to go, Zerbie!!! SOMEONE heard you, so it was worth it. I agree that even the supportive candidate would benefit from the letter.

Speaking of which, what am I doing? Don't you live in Pennsylvania? I'd better get off my butt and start writing!

Aw thanks Mia!!!! :D

Sigh. . . the candidate with his mind made up is the one co-sponsoring the federal amendment, so he is supporting the other side, not you & me. :mad: But if the group at large thinks it worth the time and effort, I could contact his office just so they hear & count my dissent again. Mostly. I have stopped bothering with him - he's about as stubbornly immovable as they get.

I live in Arizona - we have a ballot initiative launched out here to get a state amendment out for a vote in Nov.

The federal amendment comes up for a senate vote June 5th, according to Bill Frist's promise. So these next 10-14 days we all need to be rallying our friends and supporters to have everyone contact their senators and ask them to Vote NO!

Good luck in PA, too! :pray:

[Emproph]

So McCain's letter which arrived this week says, roughly paraphrasing, the following: He opposes any type of discrimination, including that based on sexual orientation. He will do all he can to aid in the struggle to eradicate discrimination. However he firmly believes that traditional marriage and family "does not amount to intolerance. Tolerance. . .does not require us to restructure our most basic institutions, nor does it require us to abandon traditional social needs." I don’t know where to begin with that one. There’s like six or seven different mind exploders in there.What should I, as a single constituent, do now re: McCain? Might I suggest enlightening him a new one? This time focus on the family, (pardon the pun). Because remember, protecting traditional marriage isn’t just about demonizing gay Americans, it also about protecting children from having parents and families and all the legal and social rights and benefits that come along with the belief that "All men are created equal."

But I digress, only congressmen have to worry about upholding that and he's not a... :eek:
And isn't it interesting how he ignored the second letter about the state PMA? Maybe the staffers sent this letter as a reply to that one hoping to appease me and get me to stop sending them annoying letters. :rolleyes: Or maybe they sent one out to everyone who keeps sending them annoying letters... :D

Over at Pam’s House Blend (http://www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/) she says they need 67 Senators for the Federal one to pass and that McCain is (R-AZ) against it. It’s not even mentioned on his site, the Federal or state one, so it seems to me the ambiguity on his part is intentional trying to play to both sides (reelection, run in ‘08?). I guess we'll find out in a couple of weeks. But I realize you’re probably not as worried about the Federal amendment. A phone call? Another letter? A webform? Just forget about it?I’d say yes to the first three and if those don’t work then try the last one. :D

Save the letter for last. Maybe different points made for each, (which I can always help with). Did you hand write the last one?

Also, I don’t see you as the postcard type but thought I’d suggest it. They’re easy/practical, hand written, sound bite length, everybody who touches them can read them, and of course... The sticks-in-your-mind-and-maybe-to-your-fridge Novelty Factor! :weee: :aparty: :weee: <Now would that not stick in your mind? (We really need to get more creative with this effort.)

I’d say most important is the hand written letter for the state PMA. Let me know what you’re thinking strategy-wise (letter/call/web) and I’ll let you know what I’m thinking enlightening-a-new-one-wise. ;)

[Zerbie]

Hey E, carrots dude, carrots. :D You are a tremendous help!

K'. The whole matter of receiving a letter referring to the FEDERAL amendment instead of the state one raises the question of which amendment to address to first, let alone how.

They vote on the federal on June 5. Looks like McCain will oppose it again (but may also gauge future position-taking on the issue according to how this one goes.)

I DEFINITELY want to contact him and encourage him to Vote No on the federal, and that needs to happen ASAP. I'm not sure if a letter would arrive at his office in time to be read before the vote. Would a postcard??? I am leaning towards the following regarding the federal:

1. communicate sometime this week or so, via webform, expressing my opposition in roughly HIS OWN words, just as encouragement for the opposition I *think* he has.

2. a brief phone call to his DC office the last business day before June 5.

Regarding the state amendment:
Based upon the letter I received last week changing the subject, I'm not sure there's any point raising the issue with him again.

As you say, he is clearly maneuvering to play both sides. Of COURSE his stance on something as inflammatory as these amendments (not to mention, as inconsistent with himself!) is not on his website. Never has been that I could find. I only found out he endorsed the state one by monitoring the azpolicy.org site, which is my local group of opponents. They had a picture of him signing his name to the petition. Basically, McCain thinks he can sell out Arizona LGBTs, their families, unmarried live-in couples, and everyone who loves them and get away with it. :mad: He may be right. :eek:

So I think I will drop it regarding the state amendment.

Since my other senator is an ardent supporter & co-sponsor of the federal, how should I contact him and what should I say? If you think I should bother. Many months ago I wrote him a letter expressing opposition and the reply was a confident, I Am Proud To Be A CoSponsor statement. So, should I make a quick phone call to his DC office just to express dissent before the vote? Just for the sake of wasting time and making noise?

Oh - handwritten - er, no, it wasn't. The last letter I sent McCain was a page and a half typed. Handwriting would have made it longer, not to mention more difficult to read (no, I'm not a totally sloppy writer, but I ain't a laser printer either.) I bulleted most of my points & used italics and boldface for emphasis at times. But handwritten, oh heavens no! The letter was too long for that. If I could shorten the content down to only one or two salient points, then I would go with handwriting it.

Hmm. . .last time I wrote a handwritten note on personal stationery to a politician, it was asking my governor to reconsider his anti-gay stance on adoption. The year was 1999, and I lived in Texas. To this day I wonder if George W actually ever held that piece of paper in his hands and read it. We all see how much influence it didn't have! :rolleyes:


Oh and Emproph - thank you.

[Emproph]

Call and just ask how he's going to vote on the Federal Amendment. Say specifically that the letter you received was ambiguous.

I don't think we need to worry about the Federal passing and I don't think he can affect the state initiative. But he loses either way, it's just a matter of the level of loss.

If he votes yes on the federal he permanently loses support from the 'gay community.' If he votes no but you can't get that answer from them/him before hand, then he loses Significant trust with the gay community.

BUT, you already know he supports the state initiative, so you KNOW he's pandering. He's on the line any way you look at it from what you've told me.

Is he up for reelection? Cuz if he is, he's one scared little bunny. You need to make it clear that support for EITHER discrimination amendment AGAINST gay AMERICANS will guarantee a permanent loss of support. If he's not willing to support equality for ALL AMERICANS, then he has no business representing ANY Americans!

Choosing a religion that discriminates against other Americans is Anti-American. If he as a Congressman can't see that, then the question is, who can?

[Emproph]

This is the full interview if you’re interested or don’t believe me... :D
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0605/24/lkl.01.html

(Here’s the juice though)

KING: Do you support gay rights?

MCCAIN: Yes, sir. But I do not believe in -- I believe in the sanctity of heterosexual marriage.

KING: But didn't you support pro-union?

MCCAIN: I will vote against -- yes. I will vote against the constitutional amendment concerning gay marriage. Gay union...

KING: That would ban it. That would ban gay marriage. MCCAIN: Because I believe that the people of Arizona should make the decision concerning the sanctity of heterosexual marriage and union between a man and woman. And I believe the people of Massachusetts should make their decision, and others. I think it's up to the states to make those decisions. And by the way, that's the federalist approach.

KING: I know. And if Massachusetts would say it's OK, then you?

MCCAIN: I will respect the opinion of the people in Massachusetts. But the people of Arizona, I hope, would decide that a union between man and woman has a unique status.

KING: Do you favor a civil union?

MCCAIN: I think that...

KING: Arizona proposed that.

MCCAIN: I think it depends on -- well, I would respect the majority opinion of the people in Arizona. But a lot of times it depends on what do you mean by gay union? Does it mean that they're able to enter into certain contracts, people have a partnership? I think so. But to give it the status of heterosexual marriage is not something that I would support.

KING: Our guest is Senator John McCain. We'll be right back.

[Zerbie]

:rolleyes:

Yep - that's his stance. He supports the state one, he opposes the federal one, supposedly this is a matter of respecting the voters. Nice non-position to have, huh.

[Zerbie]

Howdy Emproph and others, here's the latest from moi.

Today I sent a message to Senator Kyl via webform. I wrote as briefly and respectfully as I could, expressing that my husband and I both oppose the (federal) marriage amendment. Kyl is a co-sponsor, so he's a slam dunk YES vote on the thing, but even so I wrote to express a dissenting view and to express the hope (hahahaha!) that the Senator might reconsider his position at "some future time." Hahahaha! I know, but I wrote it anyway. Sometimes ya just hafta tilt at windmills, keeps ya young. ;)

Also, today I phoned Senator McCain's Phoenix office and asked the staffer if McCain has announced a position on the federal marriage amendment. She replied that no press release has been made, so she can't tell me how he plans to vote, but she could make a note of my opinion. SO I told her that I oppose the amendment, was of the impression that the Senator leans towards voting NO, and that I would encourage him to do so. I may yet follow that up with a webform submission.

And so that folks, is the latest from this solitary activist in Arizona.
:cool: