That’s Dubya you see in the picture, putting the smooch on Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (CO-04, R) at a Denver fundraiser for her re-election campaign. For those who may not know, Musgrave is the mother of and prime mover behind the Federal Marriage Amendment, to ban same sex marriage and deny marriage or “marriage-like” benefits to same sex couples. Couples like Laurel Hester and Stacey Andree, of Ocean County, NJ.
Just as a refresher, Hester, who has served 23 years as an investigator in the Ocean County prosecutor’s office, is dying of lung cancer. When she dies, her partner — Stacey Andree — will likely lose the couple’s home. Why? Because she has no right to receive Hester’s pension benefits after Hester’s death, benefits that would make it possible to keep their home. New Jersey’s domestic partnership statute permits cities and counties to provide pension and health care benefits to their employees domestic partners, but does not require it. Hester placed a request for those benefits with Ocean County’s governing body — the Freeholders. Of course, they have denied her request.
So, Musgrave is cut from the sam compassionate conservative cloth as these guys, who would ensure that Andree (and others like her) have the added burden of moving while in the midst of mourning. That’s reason enough to hope that the literal kiss of Dubya is also the kiss of death for her politically that is was figuratively for Jerry Kilgore in the Virginia governor’s race.
In the meantime, while waiting for Dubya’s Kiss of Death to have its desired effect on Musgrave, it’s not too late to contact the five Ocean County freeholders and send them holiday wishes on behalf of Hester and Andree, by contacting the Clerk of the Board at (732) 288 7777 or, from outside the USA +1 732 288 7777, or via email at CountyConnection@co.ocean.nj.us.
Technorati Tags: 2006 election, bush, current events, gay rights, politics
