Statement from HRC's Joe Solmonese

HRC didn't support Maine

So quite frankly Joe is part of the problem. I really don't think I'll see him at the protest in DC tonight, even though I literally have to walk by his office to get there.  

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by: CPT_Doom @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 15:51:51 PM CST

HRC

was here and has some muddy boots from being in the ground with us, for a long time. They also donated $$$, time, staff and resources.


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by: Louise @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 15:56:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Yes, HRC did support Maine

with volunteers, personnel, and money; I met some wonderful people from HRC. Yeah, there were a lot of us (at least where I was) that were kinda gruff about the HRC workers at first but that dissipated.  

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by: kevinchi @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 18:48:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Rallys across the country

here:  http://search.twitter.com/sear...

Heartening news.

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by: Louise @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 15:53:34 PM CST

If the HRC had done ANYthing to help the No campaign, I would believe his sincerity

But they did not, so I call bullshit. Sympathy after the fact is the way of the coward, and Solomonese is a coward.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.

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by: TechBear @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 15:57:30 PM CST

And note the "in other news" items

The HRC did absolutely nothing in Washington State and Kalamazoo, and we had victory there. HRC backed candidates in New Jersey and Virginia lost soundly.

What does that say about the value of the HRC to the cause of equality, and why would Solomonese go out of his way to make this point?

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même merde.

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by: TechBear @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 16:01:47 PM CST

FUCK...

HRC.  That's all.  Just fuck 'em.  Useless bunch of poseurs taking our money and doing virtually nothing constructive with it.

Unless they begin vigorously challenging the wishy-washy administration, unless they finally understand that this administration is OPPOSED to same-sex marriage, then HRC is worthless and, frankly, deserves to die.

It's probably time for a mercy killing.

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by: TomTallis @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 16:16:59 PM CST

HRC did something in Washington

They held their annual fundraising dinner in the middle of the R71 campaign and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars -- for HRC.  

As a sop to the local interests, they allowed Anne Levinson, who chaired the campaign, to make a pitch to the captive audience that raised $71,000 for R71 at the dinner.  That was maybe 25% of the total associated with the event.  To my knowledge HRC didn't put any of the other money raised at the Seattle dinner into the R71 campaign.  One more reason why HRC is a pac of useless fucks.

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by: Smartypants @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 16:17:50 PM CST

HRC did more than that.

They loaned the campaign some very excellent field personnel.  The value of having smart, competent personnel walk in and get the job done on the spot can't be reflected in dollars.  

As for the fundraiser, the dinner organizers said up front that all the proceeds from the "raise the paddle" auction would go to WAFST.  I fail to see the fault in this, especially since at that time, the campaign had about nothing in the kitty.  It was a huge shot in the arm for the campaign at a really important moment.  Not sure why anyone would blow snot on that kind of major contribution.  I applaud the local HRC for being flexible enough to use a pre-planned gathering like that dinner as a fundraising platform for WAFST.  But you know, kick a gift horse in the mouth if you want to.

Disclaimer: I haven't been a member of HRC for years.

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by: Lurleen @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 19:28:06 PM CST

[ Parent ]

NOT ONE DAMNED PENNY TO YOU OR BARRY!

Meanwhile in happier news ---

THERE'S A CARRIE PREJEAN SEX TAPE!!!!!!

Would you like some fresh ground pepper with you schadenfreude ?

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by: David Ehrenstein @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 16:34:03 PM CST

Joe S. and His Tin Can

I checked my email account during my lunch break today (at roughly 1PM) and I'll be damned but there was an email from the HRC using the loss in Maine to ask me for a donation.

Joe S. & his HRC just don't get it.

People ask, "How have you guys managed to stay so long?" I tell them, "Don't sweat the small stuff." It's mostly small stuff.

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by: christopher di spirito @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 17:39:05 PM CST

maine

the 12 neibs i talked to said they CHANGED their mind,because of Schuberts claim of their children being 'indoctrinated' to same sex policys in school.Thats all it took, they saw that misleading  b/s add, as 'forcing' their children in school to be exposed to, a gay lifestyle...sad, but they pushed the 'right' button...even tho its all lies.

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by: codyj999 @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 18:24:19 PM CST

Fuck'em!

Until Joe starts banging on Obamas door on a daily basis DEMANDING EQUALITY FOR ALL, he can kiss my monthly contributions goodbye.

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by: WTFBlog @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 18:32:25 PM CST

Interesting that Louise & Lurleen

our point people who did so much hard work and have so much first hand experience in the battles we just fought said "hey, the HRC helped us" and everyone responds in the same old meme of Fuck the HRC for not helping.

The HRC deserves a lot of the crap it gets, but if Louise & Lurleen tell me they don't deserve as much this time, I believe them.

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by: Jake Gellar-Goad @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 21:40:35 PM CST

I agree

I dislike most of what HRC does as much as the next activist, but if they helped, they helped, and should be commended for it.  

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by: ojrocks @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 22:36:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Likewise, Louise's and Lurleen's and kev's word is good enough for me

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 18:56:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

What HRC did for Maine

and my apologies for not getting right back to this thread.

I got this info from HRC and wanted to share here. This is a direct cut/paste:

MAINE:  HRC played a key role in efforts to defeat Question 1:

Made more than $280,000 in monetary and in-kind contributions to the efforts to defeat Question 1.

$145,400 in monetary contributions to the No on 1 campaign, including nearly $54,000 raised from hundreds of individual donors to the HRC Maine Marriage PAC.

More than $135,000 in in-kind contributions to the No on 1 campaign and Equality Maine PAC, including staff time, consultants and phone banks.

Provided senior-level campaign support by contributing the services of a nationally-known communications consultant and a respected Maine field-organizing and political strategist, as well as facilitating the hiring of a campaign fundraiser.
·        
Deployed a regional field organizer to work full time with Equality Maine and the No on 1 campaign from the earliest days of the legislative campaign to pass marriage equality through the subsequent referendum efforts.

Sent 11 additional staff to Maine to assist with get-out-the-vote efforts through the final month of the campaign.

Coordinated volunteer phone banks - for months - several evenings per week at HRC headquarters to call Maine voters, generating more than 20,000 telephone calls and nearly 4,000 conversations.

Mobilized more than 5,000 HRC members and supporters via special online action alerts and telephone calls to get them involved in the referendum efforts.

Increased the visibility of the referendum issue by making it the cover story in HRC's hard-copy magazine Equality - which is sent to hundreds of thousands of households nationwide - and by providing timely news updates on HRC's Back Story blog.

Are they perfect? NO- but HRC did help alot...

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by: Louise @ Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 12:28:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Solmonese and Obama

Funny how Joe Solmonese doesn't mention Barack Obama or the Democratic National Committee in this letter.  If the leader of the Human Rights Campaign were to speak badly about Obama or the DNC, then he wouldn't be invited to the White House to schmooze with all the gay haters there.

Dump HRC.

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by: djreedps @ Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 00:19:02 AM CST