A little bit of NOM comes to the race for HCDP Chair

NOM is the National Organization for Marriage. They are big proponents of “traditional” marriage and opponents of marriage equality, and have been the driving force behind anti-marriage equality initiatives around the country, including California’s notorious Proposition 8. They have been very secretive about who they and their financial supporters are, but recently were forced to cough up some files as a result of litigation over their campaign finance practices, and this charming piece of their strategy was exposed.

The secret campaign of the National Organization for Marriage for creating hostility between African Americans and gays over marriage equality have come to light in a lawsuit over campaign financing in Maine. The document, which dates to 2009, was circulated by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group at odds with NOM for years. It also shows that NOM targeted Latinos in its efforts as well as President Obama:

“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks—two key Democratic constiu[t]encies. Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage; develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots. No politiician wants to take up and push an issue that splits the base of the party. Fanning the hostility raised in the wake of Prop 8 is key to raising the cost of pushing gay marriage to its advocates and persauding the movement’s allies that advocates are unacceptably overreaching on this issue. Consider pushing a marriage amendment in Washington D.C.; find attractive young black Democrats to challenge white gay marriage advocates electorally.”

HRC Campaign Media Director Kevin Nix said, “Nothing beats hearing from the horse’s mouth exactly how callous and extremist this group really is.”

One section of the document explains how the group would buy ads and robocalls directed at African Americans. Included in the $1 million budget for that is $60,000 to pay black bloggers.

The main focus was to be a “$20 million strategy for victory” directed toward the 2010 midterm elections. But the document also described to the NOM board a $1 million plan of the American Principles Project to “expose Obama as a social radical.” Among other things, APP wants a return to the gold standard and to protect innocence. It says the government “plays a central role in propagating” messages of violence and promiscuity that affect “our children through schools, textbooks, libraries, job programs, health initiatives, and other public policies.”

More here. This was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw an email from [email protected] with the subject “Support Keryl Douglas for Harris Democratic Chair” that hit my Inbox yesterday. I’ve put the text of the email beneath the fold, but it’s straight out of the NOM playbook. I don’t know if it is the case that NOM had a hand in this – they are very secretive and take full advantage of lax state laws on donating to PACs when they aren’t just ignoring the law altogether – but it sure does smell like them, and as one of the barrage of emails to Carl Whitmarsh’s list noted, the person whose signature is on that email apparently belongs to someone who passed away in 2009. So, you know, watch out.

I am heartened to see a strong and visceral reaction against this email – see Dos Centavos, Egberto Willies, Marc Campos, the GLBT Political Caucus, the Stonewall Young Dems, the Harris County Young Democrats, among others – but the fact that anyone, whether outside agitator or not, thought that this was a viable strategy is sickening. I condemn this in the strongest possible terms, and if I weren’t already a supporter of Lane Lewis for HCDP Chair, I would be now. To whoever sent this out, I say for shame. To Keryl Douglas, I say the longer you remain silent about it the more these words belong to you. What do you stand for?

A Letter From Ministers for Keryl

Dear Bretheren and Sisters,

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity of meeting a dynamic woman of character and leadership. The woman I speak of his none other than Attorney Keryl Douglas. Some of you may know her and others may be hearing of her for the first time. Keryl is a candidate for Harris County Democratic Party Chairman. Keryl is the former Regional Director of the NAACP and has been a freedom fighter for a number of years. She and my wife are sorority members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

I have now taken on the role of organizing ministers for her campaign.

Over the years she has been involved in various community activities and movements. From our first Black Mayor to participating in the Justice for Trayvon Rally, Keryl Douglas is the leader the Harris County Democratic Party needs and the African American community is poised to make history yet again.

I am writing to you because Keryl is in a close race. Her opponent is openly Gay and has already told supporters behind closed doors that the Democratic Party will endorse a Gay Marriage agenda in November. Friends, this is not the direction we need to go as a community or Party. If the gays take over we are poised to lose everything we have worked for during President Obamas historic win. The Republicans will rally their troops behind a united front of making sure this push for same sex marriage is defeated.

Keryl’s opponent is being supported heavily by Annise Parker, another openly gay politician. If you haven’t seen what has happened at the City of Houston here are the facts:
More Gays and Lesbians serve in leadership roles on boards and commissions.
The City of Houston got rid of Blue Cross Blue Shield because CIGNA supports Same Sex benefits.
The Mayor openly advocated the support of Gay marriage and even tried to embarrass President Barack Obama because he believes marriage is between one man and one woman.

Please share this with your friends and loved ones. This race is the most important down ballot race we will vote for. If we don’t Vote they will continue their take over and pretty soon, the party that we once knew will be a party of homosexuals. Our directives shouldn’t come from San Francisco, but from Harris County voters. How will Democrats look electing a man who sales perfume for a living and lays up with another man? Why are our so called community leaders (Rev. Lawson, Howard Jefferson etc.) supporting this agenda? Are they supportive of this lifestyle too??

We must support Keryl Douglas! Visit her website at www.keryldouglascampaign.com

Sincerely,

Rev. Willie J.Howard
Ministers for Keryl Douglas

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12 Responses to A little bit of NOM comes to the race for HCDP Chair

  1. Pingback: An Open Letter to Keryl Douglas by Gerry Birnberg, Former Harris County Democratic Party Chairman

  2. Jim Henley says:

    Hey Chuck,
    like you, I thought of NOM as soon as I read the “Reverend’s letter. I think Rep. Coleman’s response in Cewdem was on target. I rarely endorse in a contested Democratic primary……but in this case silence is not golden….. for Douglas or Henley,
    Lane Lewis is my candidate!

  3. Paul Kubosh says:

    Pleassssse, the way you wrote your blog would leads me to believe that you think the ficitional Willie is linked to NOM and supported by Douglas. You make a better argument that Willie is connected with Dave Wilson. I thought you knew your party better than this. Here is my take.
    1) The Mayor’s consultants are down from San Francisco,
    2) Lane Lewis (I don’t know the man and have no opinion on his ability) is the hand
    picked successor to Birnberg,
    3) Very few if any elected Democrat officials are backing Douglas,
    4) There is alot of pressure being exerted on activists to not support Douglas,

    I think that it is more likely that someone who wants Lewis to win is trying to stir up what they think is his base (gay vote). The uncontested Presidential race in the Democrat primary will lead to a low voter turn out.

    As to Lane Lewis I am expressing no opinion on what he may or may not know. Obviously he cannot control Willie anymore than i can control Dave. My guess is it comes from somone in the Mayor’s camp.

    What do you guys think about that?

  4. Paul Kubosh says:

    Did you interview Douglas? If not interview her and ask her yourself.

  5. Paul, I’m just drawing an analogy, not conducting an investigation. While the GLBT Political Caucus in their statement said there’s evidence that the email originated from the Douglas campaign, I’m not that interested in the whodunnit. To me, the fact that Douglas has not denounced this email is what matters. It doesn’t matter who sent it, she owns it.

    I have made several attempts to schedule an interview with Keryl Douglas. Each time, she has said she’ll get back to me with a time and location that works for her, and each time she has failed to follow up. If she contacts me tomorrow with a time and place to meet, I’ll meet her and interview her. The ball is in her court.

  6. hmmm says:

    I wonder if Mr. Kubosh has a dog in this race? I haven’t seen Mr. Bullard chime in but they both appear(or at least attended one of her events) to be supporting Mrs. Douglas.

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2878798452728&set=t.100000302773949&type=1&theater

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2881094230121&set=t.100000302773949&type=1&theater

  7. Noel Freeman says:

    We have proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that the email was sent using the Keryl Douglas Campaign’s email client account. The digital evidence is clear that it absolutely came from her.

  8. Paul Kubosh says:

    hmmmmmmmmm, you have found me out. I oppose all things Mayor Parker supports. Over the easter weekend I went to the Hittner Sader dinner. George Hittner and Hittner family were very classy. Mayor Parker could learn a thing or two on how to handle her opponents.

  9. Paul Kubosh says:

    One last thing on this race. Please correct me if I am wrong but doesn’t Democrat registered voters outnumber Republican voters by more than 100,000 in Harris County? If I am right then why would any Democrat want to keep the same old people in that position of leadership. If i had 100,000 more troops then my opponent I should win every election. If I didn’t win then I should be fired. Right?

  10. Pingback: The truth is out there on the Ministers for Keryl email – Off the Kuff

  11. michael neely says:

    This matter is so serious ,even to the point that I would make a contribution to a legal fund to do an extensive investigation in this matter.The wedge has been driven.The voters are not going to the polls. The HCDP will never be the same.The time is short before May 29.This would be horrible to cause the election to have no validity.Believe me or not,as one who talk to “GRASSROOT” voters everyday,the interest is just about gone.HCDP will be the ultimate looser in this matter.I have followed all of the comments by groups and individuals ,I have no opinion on any of them.The people are not going to be used as “pawns” for the elite group of people seeking to be delegates to the conventions.Let’s face it, the people are not going to the polls to vote for candidates who have vilified by their opponents.Look like they are going to sit this one out.

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