I'm in California, so I'll admit I didn't see all of the ads from both sides in Maine. But I did see a sample that I bet is representative. The pro-equality ad was sweet and soft and showed a nice gay couple and some kids. The other side's ad was mean and harsh and essentially said that if same-sex couples were allowed to marry, we would immediately set about the task of turning all their kids gay.

For Prop. 8 here in California, the first and most widely-shown equality ad showed a heterosexual bride running through a parking lot and some bushes and breaking a heel before arriving at her wedding. I like to think I'm pretty tuned in to the issue, and even I didn't understand the point of that one. Did we really think Joe Straight Voter was going to get the obscure metaphor and vote accordingly? The ads from the other side--not surprisingly--claimed that if marriage rights for same-sex couples were allowed to continue, we would immediately set about the task of turning all their kids gay.

We keep losing because we keep playing softball while they're playing hardball. Sure, their claim is a lie, but it's a damn compelling one: even gay parents would prefer--given a choice--that their kids not turn out gay. So we have to get out in front of them instead of playing catch-up. We have to tell the voters: here is what they're going to tell you, and it's a damn lie! Marriage rights are just about marriage rights, not about what your kids are taught in school.

We have our own ammunition, and it's not sweet gay families bathed in sepia sunlight. THEY have a hidden agenda that we need to expose. They want control. Once they get this taste of power, will they be satisfied with denying same-sex marriage rights? Hardly. Next to go will be domestic partnerships. But the other side is not just anti-gay. They're also anti-abortion, anti-anysexualpracticeotherthanmissionarypositionforprocreation, anti-anythingotherthanChristian, anti-progressive, and yes, you know it's true, many of them are also racist and sexist. So they may be coming for us first, but we need to let Joe Straight Voter know that he too is likely in their long-range crosshairs. Then maybe he'll vote our way.

Hello everyone.

Since you're on this site, I'm sure it will come as no surprise that California is in trouble.
California, the richest state in the Union, also has the worst credit rating, has asked for a bailout from an equally crippled federal economy, and now sits on a 12.2%
unemployment rate, as I write this. Who knows, as you read this, it may be more.
I'm not hear to be the voice of doom, but rather yet another voice of action. Our country has been dragging us down an economical death spiral since Milton Friedman and the Chicago School. Corporations have been ravaging economies, leaving in their wake thousands of jobless, homeless and hopeless citizens. Aren't we supposed to be a government of the people, for the people and by the people? If you see what I see and notice as I do, the state of our state, you can tell, that's not been the case.
I'm here to act, with you all, concerned people that want to change things. Unfortunately, not all people see the need or desire to work for a healthy government and economy. Let's change this state from a crippled shadow of what it once was to a new, modern splendor that can once again be looked at with pride by its inhabitants.

A year ago I knew what went wrong and I knew how to fix it.

A year later, I don't know what went wrong. I don't know how to fix it.

We had the money. We had a stable campaign. We had the a robust well-oiled field campaign. We had a strong campaign manager. We had the turnout we wanted. We had great coordination between the netroots and the campaign. We had a not particularly religious state. We neutralized the church issue. We had a manageable voter universe. We had an opposition with an inferior media and field operation. We had TV ads with gay people in them. We responded to their attacks swiftly.

And we still lost.

Our campaign wasn't perfect. But it was damn good.

And that's why this loss is so hard. The lessons to be learned are not as obvious. Not knowing how to fix it makes it tempting to throw our hands up in the air and say at 0-31 we just can't win marriage rights at the ballot box. Or we have to wait a decade until we can.

But that would be letting them win. That would be giving up. That would be accepting inequality.

We can't. I won't.

We need to learn how to neutralize the schools issue better than we did this time. We must continue telling our stories, one by one, person by person, door by door.

Nate Silver as usual has some smart thoughts:

I certainly don't think the No on 1 campaign can be blamed; by every indication, they ran a tip-top operation whereas the Yes on 1 folks were amateurish. But this may not be an issue where the campaign itself matters very much; people have pretty strong feelings about the gay marriage issue and are not typically open to persuasion. There's going to be an effort by many on the left to blame Barack Obama for his lack of leadership on gay rights issues; I think the criticism is correct on its face, but I don't know how much it has to do with the defeat in Maine. A more popular Democratic governor, for instance, who had been a bit quicker on the trigger in his support of gay marriage, might have helped more.

Persuading voters to change their minds about marriage equality is extremely difficult, but it is possible and it happens every single day. It just takes a lot of resources and is most effective on a one-to-one level.

That means we must continue to invest in grassroots organizing, training new leaders to work in their communities and supporting their efforts over time. We need to continue to build connections and relationships with faith communities. We can organize in churches. We can even organize in Mormon Temples and Catholic Churches. It has happened. It is happening.

There are lessons to be learned out of Maine and the No on 1 loss. We know that we can build a massive GOTV operation. We know how to build a model where a campaign invests in the netroots and reaps the rewards. The church issue can be neutralized. It's possible to set aside differences and focus on a common goal. We can build a campaign to be proud of as a community.

What we can do now is have experts in Maine politics analyze the results to understand better how we lost. We need talk to the No on 1 campaign leadership/consultants to get their advice like they did from our Prop 8 loss.

We can win marriage back in California. We will win marriage back in California. We can win marriage in Maine. We will win marriage in Maine.

I am not quitting. You better not be either.

This weekend I am picking myself back up and getting right back to work, training hundreds of activists in Sacramento how to organize at Camp Courage. They will and I will come in with heavy hearts, but leave empowered.

We will leave and fight the next fight together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ULdaSrYGLQ

An advert in support of gay marriage has won critical praise – a move all the more surprising since it comes from the Roman Catholic bastion of Ireland.

The work was recently released by marriageequality.ie, an initiative that works for civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian people in the Emerald Isle.

In the ad, a man is seen knocking on the doors of various households asking their occupants for permission for ‘Sinead’s Hand’ in marriage.

From country lanes to city tower blocks, the smartly dressed man in the suit covers them all. And each time he asks his question, he’s told “Yes.”

The work closes with the line, “How would you feel if you had to ask 4 million people for permission to get married? Lesbians and gay men are denied access to civil marriage in Ireland.”
FYI The 4 millio is in reference to the population of Ireland

http://www.marriagequality.ie/

http://www.marriagequality.ie/download/pdf/its_no_joke.pdf

... well worth the read ..this research was done in conjuction with Lansdowne Market Research(one of the largets Market research co's in ireland) between 15th-30th October 2008

http://www.utalkmarketing.com/pages/Article.aspx?ArticleID=15743&Title=Gay_Marriage_advert_from_Catholic_Ireland_earns_critical_praise

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/1020/1224257055137.html?digest=1

Note: this email was sent to our members this morning from Mike Bonin, one of the founders and now Program Director of Camp Courage.

Dear friend --

I never could have imagined it.

As a kid growing up scared and closeted in New England in the 1970's, I never could have imagined that the issue of gay marriage would ever be seriously debated, let alone hotly contested.

I never could have imagined a day when gay people would have been in television ads, when WWII veterans emotionally spoke out in favor of their gay children, when people of faith stood up for LGBT rights, when armies of people -- gay and straight alike -- would descend into a small New England state to say gay people should be equal.

I know that the news from Maine is depressing. But it is not the end. It is just another bump in a long road. Let's not forget how far we've come as a country, while recognizing how far we need to go to achieve full federal equality, fighting for it at every level: in the courts, at the ballot box and in Washington, DC.

Equality will be ours, but we will have to fight for it. And I can't imagine a better opportunity to learn the secret to our future success than Camp Courage -- an experience that graduates say is one of the most powerful and transformative events of their lives..

If you want to join more than 200 people who have signed up for Camp Courage Sacramento this weekend, you have less than 24 hours to do so. On Friday at 12 p.m., registration will close. Click here now to sign up:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/CampSacramento

While marriage equality did not come to Maine, it will surely come to America, and when it does, events like Camp Courage will be where the seeds of equality were planted.

On Saturday morning, Camp Courage Sacramento will begin. Within minutes, the room will be buzzing with energy, as participants learn how to tell their "story of self" -- the foundation of changing the hearts and minds of our friends, family and neighbors.

By the end of Camp Courage on Sunday, lives will be changed, powerful friendships will be forged, and a community will be connected.

Time is running out. If you want to experience this transformative event, sign up now for Camp Courage Sacramento before it's too late:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/CampSacramento

When I was a kid, I never could have imagined a day in America when full equality would be the law of the land. But one day, from sea to shining sea, that change will come.

Come to Camp Courage Sacramento this weekend and learn how to be that change.

Mike Bonin
Camp Courage Program Director

It stings, deeply, to have witnessed another close defeat for marriage equality. We fought a hard battle in Maine, and it is heartbreaking to have come so close and not won a victory.

And yet, we're not going to let this defeat discourage us. After the passage of Proposition 8, a new movement emerged to fight for and win full equality for LGBT Americans. That movement is a grassroots, bottom-up movement. The Courage Campaign has been empowering that movement ever since. That movement helped us fight to a near-victory in Maine. That movement appears to have fought to an actual victory in Washington State. And with your support, that movement will fight for victories in California and at the federal level.

The Courage Campaign is going to redouble its efforts to win. We're going to continue organizing on the ground. We're going to continue to do the research to learn from the experience in Maine and to learn how to win in California. And we're going to continue to fight for full equality at the federal level as well.

To do that, we need you to organize with us. Click here to make an investment in the movement for equality. Help us power the repeal. Help us win.

Below is the email Julia Rosen sent to our members today from Maine, where she had worked for the last week for equality.   Read More »

As I write this, we are beginning to hear results from Maine’s version of Prop. 8 and will soon enough hear about right wing attempts to quash freedom in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Washington state. How well we all remember election night here in California last year, that flash of impossible joy and elation at the election of Barack Obama juxtaposed with the horror of the loss of equal rights. How could both be true? How could we elect Barack Obama and simultaneously watch our fellow Californians vote away our rights?

A year later, regardless of the outcome of these elections tonight, the progressive movement is much broader, more determined and smarter. We know what must be done to change the way people think. We know that multiple tactics, ranging from court fights to ballot box battles to marches to push for federal legislation all must happen simultaneously. We also know that those who invest in repression, in damaging families and in singling out LGBT people (or other minorities) for discrimination must be called on their actions and their investments.   Read More »

How many of us have been asked the questions, “Mommy, which of us is your favorite? Who do you love more?” As parents, we know there is only one answer to questions like these…"We love you all, equally."

The truth is we may love each child equally, but they are not all the same. And, at times, we may like one child’s behavior more than the other’s…the good student, the good athlete, the good manners…sometimes we can’t help ourselves, they are a reflection of the best in us, or so we hope. Other times, they are insecure, selfish, withdrawn…and they seemingly reflect the worst in us, or so we fear. Our constant challenge is to recognize the good and the bad in our kids and parent accordingly. If we expect our kids to be exactly the same, we’re just setting ourselves up for disappointment. If we expect our kids to be “perfect” in our eyes, we’re setting them up for a lifetime of therapy. We must accept that they are going to be different and love them unconditionally...and equally.

Although we’ll certainly have different opinions about the paths our kids travel in pursuit of their own life, liberty and definition of happiness, our responsibility as parents is to help shine a light for them…to help them find their own path and send them post cards of encouragement on their way. The American ideal of “liberty and justice for all” applies to all our kids, not just our favorites.

In California, we had a ballot initiative that allowed the public to vote on the civil liberties of a minority group. The majority voted for Prop 8, which banned gay marriage and restricted gay rights, thereby requiring the state to amend its constitution to prevent that minority group the same liberties as the majority under law. In essence, Californians said “why can’t you be more like your brother?” Oops, we picked favorites.

Today, Maine residents are voting on same sex marriage equality. Opponents used the same ads and the same tactics as in California. This is bigger than the politics of Maine. We all need to be paying attention--gay or straight. This is a civil liberties issue. Whether or not you personally agree with the gay rights movement is really not the point...rather, do you believe you are entitled to certain rights that others should be denied? Do you support freedom of speech even if you disagree with what someone else is saying? Do you support freedom of religion even if you don't agree with the way someone else worships? Do you support someone's right to bear arms even if you don't like guns? Do you believe your child's gender, race or sexual orientation should preclude them from the same privileges under the law as someone else's child?

Our nation has been here before…with civil rights, the women’s movement and now gay rights. So who better than America’s moms to let our kids know that black or white, girl or boy, gay or straight we are there, supporting them and loving them...no matter what anyone else says or does. We might not like our kids' behavior all the time, but it is our responsibility to love them all, equally.

“Listen to your mother!” We've all heard it a million times....it's an effective reminder that makes kids sit up a little straighter and pay attention. Yep, it's true, kids need constant reminders on how to behave, but unfortunately, it's the grown ups in this country that need to be reminded these days. You know, ”mind your manners,” “clean up your own mess,” “don’t be a poor sport” and on and on. So, who better to do it than America’s moms?

We are the example our children see and hear every day, so America’s moms know that our “actions speak louder than words.” But, it is time that we hold other grown-ups accountable for their behavior, too. Our kids are watching and listening, so “do as I say, not as I do" doesn't cut it anymore. If congressmen can't "mind their manners" while the President is speaking, how do we expect a ten year old to be respectful when his teacher is talking? If professional athletes can’t “be a good sport” when they lose, how do we encourage a disappointed t-ball player to be one? If rock stars don't grasp that there are times when "the world doesn't actually revolve around them," how do we convince our teenagers of it? If we expect better kids, we all must be better examples.

America’s kids are our future. Our President reminds us that they are the next generation of “risk-takers, doers and makers of things.” They are the next bankers and baseball players, teachers and technicians, police officers and policy makers, artists and astronauts, scientists and social workers…and they will be the role models for the generation after them…the next Presidents, Wall Street whiz kids, Nobel Peace Prize winners, curers of cancer, soldiers, parents…our kids are going to define the future of our nation…and we have the incredible job of shaping what kind of people, and citizens, they grow up to be.

President Obama challenged us to usher in “a new era of [parental] responsibility.” At first, we thought it was about turning off the TV and making sure the kids were doing their homework. And, frankly, Deb and I thought we were doing a pretty good job, but then we realized we were missing the big picture. We aren’t just raising kids, we are raising the citizens who determine the future of our country. The country we all love. We can all rally around our kids and our country, right? We can find common ground on the issues that matter most to raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted citizens, can't we? Sure, we need to know how and why we see things differently, but that’s not where the conversation should begin and end. It needs to start at the kitchen table with some common sense and come full circle in parenting our kids through the social and political issues of the day…while using “indoor voices” and “nice manners,” of course!

President Obama has the economy, health care, two wars, the environment, education and a few other things on his “to do” list right now…while America’s moms are the family banker, nurse, diplomat, general, gardener, teacher, etc. So, we get it. We are also responsible for making sure our kids are doing their chores, brushing their teeth, not fighting with their siblings, picking up after themselves and doing their homework, all while teaching them patience, manners, accountability, self-reliance, discipline, persistence, resilience, empathy, kindness...and the commitment and hard-work required to follow through on their dreams for tomorrow. Kind of like dealing with Congress!? President Obama and America's moms have parallel roles right now. President Obama is the leader of our country and moms are the leaders of our families. President Obama’s slogan is “change we can believe in,” so our slogan is “change begins at home.” He has an important job to do...but, our job is the most important. We are the "opinionated moms" who influence our kids, families, communities and, ultimately, the direction of our country. We are O-MAMA. Our kids and our country need us, so we need to work together to find common ground and really make a difference on the issues that matter most!

If we keep in mind the simple lessons we’ve all been taught by our own mothers, then maybe the complex social issues that our country is facing will become a little less complicated. Maybe, if we stop second guessing every intention and start really believing the things we already know to be true--like "don't judge a book by it's cover," "practice what you preach," "live and let live", "leave it better than you found it," etc.--then, we can finally start tackling some of the issues we can no longer avoid and teach our kids the life lessons we can no longer ignore. Maybe, just maybe, these issues are not as difficult as we think they are?

With a little humor and a lot of common sense, America’s moms can be a constructive voice in our country’s most important conversations. Can we do it? You betcha!

Election day is finally here! I never expected the excitement and anticipation that I am feeling.   Read More »

Last Thursday the San Francisco Chronicle reported that under the current bills being considered in the House and Senate, 90% of Americans would not be able to pick a public health insurance option. The proposed rules would limit access to the Exchange, where the public option would be offered, to "individuals who cannot get insurance, or whose health care costs exceed 12.5 percent of their income."

Not only would that mean most Americans wouldn't have access to the public option - it also means that public option would be weaker. For the public option to bring down costs and provide quality care, it needs to have a large base of paying customers to be able to negotiate good rates. Further, it needs to be able to attract healthy young people. If it can't, then the public option may suffer what is known as "adverse selection" where only the sickest people get the public option. That would drive up the costs of the public option, and make it less effective.

In order to make the public option provide the most benefits for the most people, we need to open it up so that anyone who wants to buy into it may do so. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is offering an amendment to allow anyone to access the Exchange, where the public option will be offered. Senator Barbara Boxer has already indicated her support for the Wyden Amendment. It's now up to Senator Dianne Feinstein to join Boxer, Wyden, and the American people in demanding everyone be allowed to choose the public option.

That's why we sent the following email to our members today, asking them to sign the letter to Senator Feinstein asking her to open the public option to everyone:   Read More »

We sent the following email out today about Camp Courage Sacramento - and telling a remarkable story about an experience one of our campers had at Camp Courage East Los Angeles back in August.

Dear friend --

Before we see you at Camp Courage on Saturday, we want to share a story with you.

Take a moment to read what Theresa Wang, a Los Angeles activist, said about her experience at Camp Courage and how transformative it was for her mother:

My mother, Stella, has always been the stereotypical Asian woman, not drawing any attention to herself and for the most part keeping quiet. When I came out, she was devastated, but dealt with it on her own, prioritizing my happiness over her own discomfort. Eventually she grew to be completely supportive, even attending protests and on this particular weekend, attending Camp Courage East LA.

The heart of Camp Courage is about telling your "story of self," and as I facilitated my group's stories, I peeked over to see my mother telling hers. She was crying.

As this was an exercise completely foreign to her, I immediately began to question my judgment in bringing her to camp. Telling her story out loud appeared to be too much.

After group sharing, a few people were asked to share their story on stage and I was surprised to see my mother getting up to tell hers. I watched in shock as my mom's group stood behind her as she talked about her coming-out process as the mother of a lesbian who was getting married.

In that moment, I watched my mom turn into a storyteller on stage, grabbing the attention of the whole room. Near the end of my mom's story most of the audience was crying as well. As she finished, the entire room gave my mom a moving standing ovation while chanting her name -- "Stella!" "Stella!" "Stella!" -- in a moment of unbelievable joy.

The people attending Camp Courage that day were not the only ones moved by my mother's story. A few weeks later, my mom wrote her story down and had it published in the China World Journal -- the most widely-read Chinese language newspaper in the United States.

There are so many "Stellas" in our lives -- people who want to learn how to support us in our activism or become an engaged activist themselves.

Do you know someone like Stella -- a friend, family member, co-worker or ally -- or anyone who would enjoy sharing Camp Courage with you? If so, please ask your friend to come to Camp Courage Sacramento. Just give them a call and tell them how important it would be for them to come with you on Saturday.

Or forward this email to your friend or loved one and let them know that you want to share this experience with them and that you need their help in bringing marriage equality -- and full equality -- to California. Here's the link for your friends to RSVP:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/CampSacramento

We all have a place in this movement. See you on Saturday at Camp!

With gratitude,
Daniel Segura and Billy Pollina
Camp Courage Coordinators

It's late Friday night and we're finally at GOTV. This is the day where everything we've been working towards will finally come into view. It's always exciting. But this time feels a little more so. It's so important that we win here in Maine.

The forces of hatred and bigotry will never rest. Neither can we. We must continue to work until we live in a just society where everyone enjoys equal protection under the law. I'm so proud of the work the Courage Campaign team is doing out here. We've been welcomed by the No on 1 staff and we are working side by side to protect Marriage Equality.

It's not too late to get involved: http://www.ProtectMaineEquality.org/CallForMaine   Read More »

Just arrived in Maine to work on the No on 1 campaign. The energy is amazing. Although Im exhausted from an insane flight, I am excited to be here on the battle ground for equality.   Read More »

11 of our amazing Deputy Field Organizers and Equality Team members have come out to Maine, as part of the Volunteer Vacation program to work insane campaign ours until the polls close. They arrived over the weekend and have been put to work for No on 1 all over the greater Portland area.

Mitchell is helping "cut turf" for all of the canvassing over the weekend. Jasmine has been out on the University of Southern Maine campus encouraging students to vote early and volunteer. Laura is fielding phone calls from Maine voters calling the office with questions. Derrick buried in spreadsheets, helping organize staging locations for election day.



The office here has been a buzz of activity, crammed with staff, volunteers and on occasion TV camera crews. The Rachel Maddow show was here yesterday interviewing Governor Baldacci, who previously opposed marriage equality and is now one of its biggest backers. NBC News was also here filming a spot for Sunday.

Yesterday some local TV stations came by to film shots of some No on 1 signs that appear to have been shot up by a paintball gun. The Yes on 1 campaign has been trying to make themselves a victim since some of their signs have been defaced and stolen. These types of shenanigans are typical during a heated election, and usually it's just a couple of numbskulls messing with signs instead of doing something productive like talking to voters.



Here is a few of our Courage Campaign DFOs, Equality Team members and staff holed up in a small windowless room making calls.



Much more to come over the next few days.

No matter where you are you can help bring home a victory to Maine. Sign up now to be a virtual phone banker and we will get you trained and on the phones.

We're delighted to share this message with you from Sheila Kuehl, elected in 1994 as the first openly gay or lesbian state legislator in California history, and the first woman to hold the position of Speaker pro Tempore.

Sen. Kuehl attended Camp Courage Fresno in March and would like to share her experience with the Courage Campaign community in anticipation of Camp Courage Sacramento.

Rick Jacobs
Chair, Courage Campaign

Dear eden --

"We were all amazingly moved. We cried. We didn't want it to end. Maybe most unexpected of all, we were profoundly changed."

That is what I wrote in 2004 after flying to San Francisco to officiate at the weddings of eight of my closest friends, following Mayor Gavin Newsom's historic decision to -- at least temporarily -- legalize same-sex marriages.

I could just as enthusiastically have written those words about Camp Courage Fresno, the transformative training event for marriage equality activists that I attended in early March -- just over five years after the "Winter of Love" in San Francisco and a few months after the shocking passage of Proposition 8. I was there as a camper and loved every minute of it. We all -- experienced organizers, or not -- learned so much and came away very fired up.

We've come a long way. But we still have a long way to go, if we want to repeal Prop 8 and restore marriage equality to California.

That's why I want you to sign up for Camp Courage Sacramento on November 7-8. Spots are filling up fast and I don't want you to miss this wonderful opportunity:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/CampSacramento

People ask me when I first became an activist, expecting me to say that I experienced some great tragedy because of my sexual orientation that lit a fire, ignited a bulb, or wound up the spring leading me to devote a good part of my life to the lesbian and gay movement.

Imagine their surprise when I say, "It was the week I spent as a camp counselor at UCLA's UniCamp for 'underprivileged' children." The pain expressed by these kids -- a feeling of being unworthy -- affected me deeply. I realized that I needed to start working to make things better in the world.

That was the root. The tree took a little longer to grow.

That is the beginning of my "Story of Self" -- the training model used by "Camp Obama," and adopted by Camp Courage, that transforms each participant's unique inspiration for supporting marriage equality into compelling and authentic narratives that can be used to persuade undecided voters.

To discover your own Story of Self and gain so many skills and committed new friends, please come to Camp Courage Sacramento on November 7-8. Space is limited for this special training in Sacramento, so please sign up ASAP:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/CampSacramento

For most of our lives, gays and lesbians have been part of a community that couldn't even dream of full equality. But that afternoon in 2004 on the steps of San Francisco City Hall -- and later, when the couples came home to balloons in their yards, flowers in their homes, celebrations at work, presents, notes, and endless congratulatory e-mails -- we saw how marriage allows society to recognize our equality.

For the couples, and for me, it was like a dam opened. That place where all of us had buried any hope of marriage -- where we had dutifully registered as domestic partners and convinced ourselves marriage wasn't worth having -- that place cracked open to the sun. It was a revelation.

No matter your level of experience or skill, Camp Courage can be a revelation for you as well -- gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual or transgender.

I hope you will be at Camp Courage on November 7-8.

Sheila Kuehl

NOTE: Please note that it is necessary for participants to bring their own lunch to Camp Courage on both Saturday and Sunday. As lunch time is limited and there will be no time to leave the Camp venue to purchase lunch, please make arrangements before you arrive at Camp to bring lunch with you. Thank you.

Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote a letter to California's Congressional leaders today about health care reform. Most of it is a long extended whine about the feds not offering enough money to states to provide for health care, since Arnold believes California should not be spending much money to help people get health care.

But there's also an interesting proposal from our governor about the public option. Basically, he wants to use the "opt-out" as an opportunity for California to design its own public option, one that would benefit fewer people than the federal option:

In terms of state coverage options, I support the inclusion of language that will provide states the option of developing state-based insurance options for people with incomes above 133 percent of the federal poverty level but below 200 percent. I believe this provision can be strengthened and made more effective by allowing states, especially those with higher costs of living, to serve populations up to 300 percent FPL, providing states access to at least 95 percent of the tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies available for eligible individuals in the state and ensuring sufficient state flexibility to enable continuity of care between Medicaid and the state-based option. Providing states with the flexibility to set eligibility to 300 percent of the federal poverty level recognizes different cost structures across states and is more consistent with existing income eligibility thresholds allowed under the federal children’s health insurance program, which will help support the policy goal of keeping families together for health insurance purposes.

Finally, creating transparent and user-friendly health insurance exchanges at the state level can help facilitate the enrollment process. At the same time, I believe these state-based exchanges must be more than simple clearinghouses of information, but instead allow states to certify plans and negotiate within broadly established federal parameters to help promote competition among health plans. I also continue to believe that states must remain the primary regulator of health insurance in order to maintain the strongest consumer protections possible.

What this means is that Arnold Schwarzenegger would have California exercise the opt-out in order to design a "public option" much more restrictive in who it is available to, provided in state-based exchanges instead of through a national system. Alongside protecting the customer base of his insurance industry allies, this would also enable California to force the people who would want a public option to jump through a number of hoops designed to discourage them from actually getting the benefit, as California now does with things like IHSS, food stamps, and such.

Some may argue that California would never go for this kind of "Arnold option," but let's consider some things here. First, the Senate language regarding the opt-out has yet to materialize. Arnold may well be mainstreaming right-wing and corporate talking points that could be used by conservadems in the Senate to shape the opt-out in a way that would have the program more closely resemble the Nixonian "block grants" that have given states too much power to restrict federally-mandated benefits. In short, Arnold might be saying "hey, here's how the opt-out should look!"

Arnold may also be setting up the language and framing that could be used by Republican gubernatorial candidates to deal with federal health care reform. In a state where the public option concept is popular, Arnold could be showing how the public option could be neutered in practice while preserved in name.

In a state that has gutted much of its public sector over the last two years, with bipartisan support the entire time, it's a strategy worth watching closely. Especially since the outcome of the federal health care reform project now appears to be a shifting of the battleground to the states.

UPDATE by Robert: John Myers reports via Twitter that "Guv's ofc says his health care letter should not be interpreted as support for opt-in/opt-out public option" and that, quoting a governor's office spokesperson, Arnold "is calling for state-based insurance options to offer coverage for lower income populations not eligible for Medicaid."

Courage should avoid getting involved in health care debate (advocating the public option). There are many impassioned views on the health care situation, and many who would advocate health care reform (me!) without advocating a public option. It is really disappointing that Courage feels the need to step inside a political debate and muddy up the purity of its stance on equality for gays through marriage.

LOS ANGELES-The right-wing lead Tea Party express pulled into Los Angeles today seeking to delegitimize President Obama and efforts to improve access and affordability to quality health care for nearly 50-million Americans, only to meet the opposition of over 60 local activist lead by the Courage Campaign.

Rev. Eric Lee, President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, delivered moving remarks that underscored the moral imperative for meaningful health care reform while dozens of tea party protesters stood within ear shot of the counter protest bullhorn.

Armed with the courage to stand up, step out, and be heard activists from Organizing for America (formerly Obama for America), New Frontier Democratic Club, RENEWL, and Zombies for Progressive Reform joined our Courage Campaign members at Griffith Park to demand their right for health care.

Dozens of Los Angeles Police officers were on hand to prevent a lively protest and counter protest from becoming a heated provocation.

Lead by Rev. Eric Lee early in the afternoon, the counter protesters separated from tea party protesters by yellow caution tape and a 30-foot buffer zone designed by LAPD, shouted "Jesus believed in health care," "Yes we can," and "We want reform."

Courage Campaign Equality Team Leader Robert Olivarez shared a compelling personal story that underscored the need for affordable health care for all Americans regardless pre-exisiting conditions like the diabetes he suffers with.

With the support of Courage Campaign Equality Team Leader Derrick Mathis and Courage Campaign Deputy Field Organizers Brian Shurwood and Ruben Murillo, our tea party counter protest was organized in three days to demonstrate support for meaningful health care reform with a strong public option.

In addition, we wanted the tea party protesters to know that they do not represent the people of Los Angeles and the vision of a more progressive America we must continue to support.

The fight for meaningful health care reform continues tomorrow and the next day until it's law.

Visit www.couragecampaign.org to learn what you can do to fight for meaningful health care reform.

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