*gasp* I think a Republican saved our ass at the MA convention...

[Product of Evolution]

Shaun Kelly (R-Dalton) voted against homophobic amendments:

His words...

"Rep. Kelly said Liz, this is for you. By a slim majority last night, you don't want to amend the constitution to keep Liz and others as nine tenths of a citizen. Enshrining in the constitution a document under which she leaves the chamber and doesn't have the privilege that other people have cannot possibly jibe with what the constitution and democracy is all about. The president and vice president got this issue correct over two years ago when the nation was united after 9/11. There was no division amongst any of us. The administration decided to afford the partners of homosexual citizens privileges, survivor benefits. Marriage is not a right, it's a privilege. You would not say you are superior to the gentlewoman from Jamaica Plain. You would never say that to her face. As a conservative, whenever that happens we should be incredibly appalled at that. I read that we are going to compromise this out about how integrated into our society we make Liz. It doesn't make any sense to me. Is she eight tenths of a citizen? 99.9? Anything less demeans the spirit of Massachusetts it seems to me. If you believe that the love Liz has is less than the love you have for yourself, I would suggest you are wrong. That is what this is about, the judgment of love. We have experienced tragedies with loved ones. It is beyond words. Liz would feel the same way and experience things the same as you would if you unfortunately had some tragedy come your way. We did come together yesterday to take up this matter. As I look at the results, there is a margin in this chamber that does not and will not enshrine discrimination in our constitution. Every minute we stay in session debating this and try to come up with a compromise, is time to wear somebody down, to come up with a machination of a compromise to not fully integrate citizens. And that worries me. I ask you to vote in favor of and I would like to make a motion to adjourn this constitutional convention and to walk out that door and it's not as if we didn't meet and convene and have roll calls. You have two that you took.

You can go home and placate groups and spin it any way you want. The longer we stay in session, I think we are hurting ourselves. There is respect in adjourning. I move to adjourn."

[ithacan]

1. a NORTHEAST republican

remember, at the national level, the right wing loonies who control the GOP hate this kind of republican and do everything they can to destroy them...

Because guys like this are still human and stick to some of the basic principles of true conservatism...

[Product of Evolution]

2. Remember that 101 - 99 vote against the amendment?

He was one of the 101.

What an ironic way to win...

Saved from our own pink-tutus by a thug.

[DavidMS]

3. Sounds like he's too virtious to be a Rethug today.

I miss the old Republican Party.

Why can't the old Eisenhower-style Republicans take their party back?

[The Traveler]

4. A lot of them were poised to become Clark democrats

Others are waiting for the neocons to fall down and go boom.

Man ... it does give one hope when words like these come from the mouth of a Republican.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

5. Anyone know who Liz is?

n/t