Friend-of-the-blog Lane Hudson, over at Huffington Post, makes a convincing case in an open letter to Dianne Feinstein that she has not done enough to help the campaign to defeat Proposition 8, which would enshrine discrimination into the California constitution.
Your statement opposing Prop 8 is insufficient and borders on disrespect to our community. You announced the murder of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone to the world from the steps of San Francisco City Hall. You have not only seen first-hand the horror that results from discrimination, but have had to deal with its aftermath.
That you have not joined with the campaign to actively and vocally oppose this awful assault on civil equality is shameful. At a time when a film about Harvey Milk is about to be released to the widest audience ever and is generating a significant amount of Oscar buzz, I hope you will find it within your soul to actively join the fight to defeat Prop 8.
Your political career was catapulted by the death of one of our icons and heroes. It’s time you honored Harvey Milk and your own place in history by giving voice to what he would say about Prop 8 if he were not savagely taken from us that fateful day in 1978. Paraphrasing your own words, we can’t just hope Prop 8 won’t pass….we need ‘all hands on deck’ to defeat it, including you.
I’ll go Lane one step farther: Dianne Feinstein and her uber-wealthy husband Richard Blum need to do more than issue a lukewarm statement.
"Proposition 8 would eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. I oppose it as a matter of equality and fairness," Feinstein (D-California) said in a statement released today (Friday, September 12).
"The right to marry is fundamental. It provides social stability, economic equality, and the ability to make decisions for a spouse in a time of crisis," she continued.
The senator, who polls show is the state’s most popular elected official, also said in the statement that if the measure passes, it would also "create a complicated legal quagmire for those who have exercised this right under the California Constitution, as adjudicated by the Supreme Court of the state.
"The Supreme Court ruled May 15 that same-sex couples have the right to marry in California."The views of Californians on this issue have changed over time, and as a state, I believe we should uphold the ability of our friends, neighbors, and co-workers who are gay and lesbian to enter into the contract of marriage," Feinstein said in the statement.
As the most popular California politician, Dianne Feinstein needs to spend some political capital on behalf of the No On Prop 8 campaign. And she can launch that very visible campaign with a large (six figures!) donation to the campaign today.
This weekend, Steve Bing and Equality California will match every dollar you donate to the campaign, in their exciting Million Dollar Challenge. Meet Steve Bing’s challenge yourself by donating to No On Prop 8 today.
Donate right here to see your Andy Hamiltons spend like Andy Jacksons!



9 Comments







Please Digg this diary if you like it!
Thanks.
Nice piece, Teddy.
Any Democrat, but especially Feinstein, who doesn’t step up big time on 8, should be challenged loudly.
Thanks.
Dugg & recommended.
Thanks, newtonusr! She is loaded, and should cough up big bucks for No On Prop 8, too.
Digg Lane’s HuffPost right here
Teddy:
Does anyone know if she even cares? Is she really more popular than Boxer? Has Boxer made any ads for the No to Prop 8?
DiFi’s September statement indicate she has an “I care” public position, but no — I don’t know if she really cares.
But Lane’s point is well-taken, I think. Feinstein should stand up as a Milk proxy; her career was launched on his assassination. Her voice against discrimination should be very loud, and her wallet should be wide open.
DUGG and recommended.
Beautifully done.
Dugg and I would recommend but the button’s not here.
It’s not just Senator Feinstein.
We need to call ALL the senior elected Democratic officials in California and request they hit the campaign trail and speak out against Prop 8 (as well as Prop 4 – Parental Notification, which is also in danger of passing):
Senator Feinstein – (202) 224-3553
Senator Boxer – (202) 224-3841
Lt Gov Garamendi – (916) 445-8994
Brown – Attorney General (916) 445-9555
Bowen – Secretary of State (916) 653-7244
Chiang – Comptroller (916) 445-2636
Lockyer – Treasurer (916) 653-2995
O’Connell – Superintendent of Public Instruction (916) 319-0800
Yee – Board of Equalization District 1 (916) 445-4081
Chu – Board of Equalization District 4 (916) 445-4154
See here for more information on statewide Democratic office holders in California and here for Senators Boxer and Feinstein.
And don’t forget to call your U. S. House Representative, State Senator, and Assembly Member. Ask them to speak out against 8, and 4 too.
Many of our leaders will want to pursue higher office in 2010. Support now will be remembered and repaid later.
Teddy, SteveAudio has a great post up I got the wedding bell blues which includes this:
The pro Prop. 8 movement has created some strange, and strained, bedfellows. The evangelical right doesn’t hide its disdain of Catholics (not true Christians) and Mormons (non-Christian cult). Yet the bulk of the Yes-on-8 money is coming from those 3 groups:
He links to following- (from NPR) Organizations such as Focus on the Family, the Knights of Columbus and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints think so too; they have all actively supported the push to get Proposition 8 passed. Mormon financial support alone is said to account for roughly 35 percent of total financial contributions in favor of the initiative thus far.
Steve also includes some great letters to an Orange County rag.