I pledge to do as much as I can to see that bigots like Delegate Marshall do not get re-elected in 2007.

For me establishing verified voting, instant-runoff voting, and removal of unfair rules for getting a name on the ballot are far more important issues than writing redundant amendments to add bigotry to our constitution.

Posted by Scott Nolan on 10 October 02006 @ 9am

Not all Republicans support this ammendment.

Posted by Jim Hoeft on 10 October 02006 @ 1pm

And I certainly wouldn’t claim otherwise. But I suspect that a poll of Virginians would show that the overwhelming majority believe that Republicans favor the Marshall/Newman Amendment and that Democrats oppose it. The Republican Party has worked very, very hard to create that impression.

Posted by Waldo Jaquith on 10 October 02006 @ 1pm

In my cavassing efforts I have found a remarkable number of self-identified Republicans who are against this amendment. It has been encouraging.

My opposition to Delegate Marshall is not because he’s a Republican, it’s because he authored this horrible, bigoted, proposed amendment. He has a history of focusing on the wrong issues. Issues that are already decided, on way or another in Virginia law.

I want my representatives in the state legislature to focus on fair, open, and transparent election processes first. On protecting equality and respect for fellow Virginians next. On improving public education third. On building public transportation systems to alleviate traffic problems last. Nowhere in my list of priorities is there room for writing discrimination into our state’s bill of rights.

Posted by Scott Nolan on 11 October 02006 @ 9am

Waldo, I went to Kenton’s site to see all of the “fictional claims” catalogued like you told me they were.

But the ONLY entry in Kenton’s chart that comes close to being described as a “fictional claim” is the statement from Marshall that health care is from business — and even there the statement made sense in context, even though it was not meant as a description of the full range of how people obtain health care.

Most of Kenton’s list was humorous quips about things Marshall said, having no bearing on the actual debate or the amendment. I will admit the list was funny, but hardly a high-minded outing of “fictional claims”.

Posted by charles on 12 October 02006 @ 1pm