Sunshine, like rain, should fall on everyone--and various passages in the Bible suggest that this indeed happens. Some conservative Christian groups are begging for indulgences nonetheless.
In Anti-gay marriage groups say they won’t follow new campaign finance guidelines, Minnesota Independent's Andy Birkey reports:
A coalition of groups working to convince voters to pass a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage said on Tuesday that it would not follow new rules being proposed by the Minnesota campaign finance board, which watchdog groups say would violate the law.
Minnesota for Marriage is a partnership between the Minnesota Family Council, the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the National Organization for Marriage.
Last week, the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board announced it was considering updating its rules to close loopholes in the ballot initiative’s reporting requirements. The board released guidance to outside groups that want to donate to ballot campaigns such as Minnesota for Marriage which supports the amendment or Minnesotans United for All Families which opposes the amendment, and spelled out how those donations would be disclosed.
In the heart of a deeply Catholic community, a local newspaper is having none of the conservative reluctance to disclose. The editorial board of the New Ulm Journal writes in Donations should be reported:
The right to express one's political opinion has been guaranteed to US citizens since the adoption of the US Constitution. But speaking up has always carried with it the implication that one should be accountable for one's opinion . . . .
. . .The state's Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board issued new guidelines on reporting private donations on public ballot measures. Critics of the decision fear it may discourage some donors from giving to groups involved in the marriage amendment battle because they are afraid of backlash.
But heat has always been part of poltics. "Politics ain't beanbag," as humorist Finley Peter Dunne pointed out way back in 1898. Those who choose to get involved in political debate, either by standing up on a soapbox and shouting, or paying others to shout for them, should have the courage of their convictions and not expect to be protected by a veil of anonymity.
Those who seek to shove their own identity as political contributors back into the closet where they also propose to shove the lives of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals are simply going to have a hard time with their attachment to secrets.
Good. By pressuring the Republican legislature to pass the marriage inequality amendment, this is a problem they've brought on to themselves. It's hard to muster any sympathy for their sudden need for privacy.
Photo: Stereotypical couple defending marriage, please disclose the source of those bills.
Related post: Peppin pimping hate: House member's spouse "lobbies" caucus on amendment--for whom?
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