Marriage Amendment on ballot in Illinois

"Protect Marriage Illinois supporters plan to deliver “easily” more than the 283,111 signatures needed to get a question on the Nov. 7 ballot asking voters if marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman, one of the drive’s chief organizers said.

“This is merely an effort to join the 19 other states defending marriage,” said Peter LaBarbera, executive director of the Glen Ellyn-based Illinois Family Institute. “This is way beyond the religious right conservatives. It’s united people of all backgrounds, races and creeds.”

Opponents argue it’s about pure partisan politics this fall.

“I have no beef with them putting it on the ballot. What I do have a beef about is them using the gay community to build a hard, right-wing voter base,” said Rick Garcia, who heads up Equality Illinois, a gay rights group. “This has nothing, nothing, nothing to do with protecting marriage. If they were concerned about protecting marriage, they’d be passing petitions to ban divorce.”

While some black ministers and the state’s Catholic bishops group are endorsing the referendum, so are many conservative activist organizations. LaBarbera credits the conservative Family Taxpayers Network, which is funded by Carpentersville businessman Jack Roeser, for helping get enough signatures."

Snip

"Whether the question will stay on the ballot is a question itself. Protect Marriage forces initially told backers their goal was 500,000 signatures, an amount that would render futile any ballot challenge, but have dropped that goal.

Garcia is coy about whether his group will try to knock the referendum off the ballot.

“Do we want to spend that much money to challenge it?” said Garcia, noting the $10,000 cost just to copy the petitions. “We may. We’re still thinking about it.”
http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=186565
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While this is an advisory referendum, it is still an effort to energize the bigot base. This could be the difference in whether Illinois goes red this year. Where are the Democrats to lead on this issue? Why aren't they helping to knock this out?

I thought the current fad amongst "conservatives" was to hate Illegal Immigrants.

And Mr Garcia is absolutely right, if "conservatives" were concerned about marriage they'd ban divorce, but they aren't concerned about marriage, they just want to make sure each other knows how much they hate gays. If they hate gays and want to keep them from marrying then they hate the constitution, and I consider them domestic enemies of the constitution. Its time for a civil war.

I think they have plenty of hate to go around for everybody. Everybody not exactly like themselves, that is. They hate gays, immigrants, most foreigners, Muslims, etc. etc. etc. The constitution is just a "god damned piece of paper" them. They only worship symbols like flags and patriotic songs. They love only themselves. They've created a hateful, spiteful God in their own image.

that the constitution exists only to provide liberties to them. They get that shit from the pulpit. This veteran ain't buying that shit; and I think its time for a civil war.

the haters are every where.

If Republicans want to win in November they need to go for those wedge issues.
Nothing like revealing true colors.