According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, "[m]ore than 1,300 people" were at last night's dinner in Richmond sponsored by Equality Virginia, "a statewide, non-partisan lobbying, education and support network for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and straight allied (GLBT) communities in Virginia." According to the Times-Dispatch, the huge attendance - which included former Gov. and Sen. Chuck Robb as keynote speaker - "[signaled] that there is significant support for a campaign to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions in Virginia."
Two other Virginia leaders who are opposing the "marriage amendment" this year are personal favorites of mine: Gov. Tim Kaine, "who did not attend but sent a letter saying he will vote against the proposed amendment and urging voters to follow his lead," and Jim Webb, who announced in Arlington the other night, "I'm committed to [fighting] this and I'm not gonna back away."
And Harris Miller (pictured above with "bored" Senator George Allen)? Well, the best you can say about Miller is that he's been confusing on this issue. On the one hand, he has stated that he voted against the "marriage amendment" at Gerry Connolly's Saint Patricks' Day straw poll - which Miller lost to Jim Webb, 58%-42%, by the way - a few weeks ago in Fairfax.
On the other hand, I've been told that Miller, at a "good old girls" (activist Democratic women) event in January at the Tyson's Marriott, said "it's already on the books that marriage is between one man and one woman." In addition, the woman who told me this story said that Miller's entire body language - shrugged shoulders, the bored and dismissive look on his face, the zeal to go "right back to feeding his face" - all transmitted the message, "who cares, it's not my problem."
In addition, the woman, who grew up in New York, where she noted that "body language speaks at much higher volume than words," indicated that Miller's whole attitude was "why should I fall on my sword over that?" Finally, the woman, who also noted that the women at her table were "speechless" at Miller's reaction, added that Miller's entire attitude reeked of a smarmy "Have I got a deal for YOU" attitude "from every pore in his body."
Inspirational, eh? But at least people who care about equal rights for gay people in Virginia have Tim Kaine, Chuck Robb, and Jim Webb on their sides. Who needs the smarmy lobbyist who (strongly) supported Dennis Hastert and Spencer Abraham, anyway?
P.S. By the way, at my dinner with Miller back in December 2005, Miller told me he was "all about making hard choices." However, when I gave him a hypothetical "hard choice" - rolling back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans in a time of massive budget deficit and war - Miller said, "I'm not going to commit political suicide." It's all very similar to the "I'm not going to fall on my sword for this" attitude he displayed on the marriage amendment at "good old girls" last month. Are we starting to sense a pattern here? Hint: Harris Miller is NOT about hard choices, only about doing and saying ANYTHING - including having surrogates slander Jim Webb as a misognyist and racist, with absolutely no evidence to back it up. Pathetic.
Last night Chuck Robb spent more time slamming Don't Ask/Don't Tell then he did the marriage amendment. Everyone in the room, or at least, everyone I talked to could tell it was a thinly vieled attack on James Webb.
Actually, last night was pretty good for Harris Miller.