Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

A sorry development in Springfield

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This would be funny if it weren’t so outrageous, and so offensive.  As you’re driving south on I-91 near the Basketball Hall of Fame, you may be lucky enough to see this nonsense:

Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Wilbraham), of course, surprised some observers by voting against the anti-marriage amendment a few months back. 

According to our friend Fred Clarkson, this New Jersey-based “National Organization for Marriage” outfit is a new organization headed up by a Dobsonite named Brian Brown, who used to run Focus on the Family’s Connecticut operation.

Your tasks, should you choose to accept them:

1. Call (617-722-2011) or email Rep. Puppolo’s office and tell him how much you appreciate his vote.  He did the right thing, and he needs to hear it.

2. Call Lamar Advertising, the owner of the billboard, and tell them how much you appreciate their not rejecting this absurd and offensive ad.  According to Rep. Puppolo, who passed the info along to Fred, the number to call is 860-246-6546.

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Comments

  1. Not sure I understand the point of task #2?  A general defense of free speech?  The sense that the ad will backfire against the forces of discrimination and hate?

  2. I wonder if this happened with the blessings of the local anti-equality groups, or if the NJ love muffins are making a territorial move.  If it’s the first, then the anti-equality groups are strapped for cash (=good!).  If the latter, I’ll bring the popcorn – this will be a fun turf war to watch! 

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    Either way, as people in his district learn that this message was brought to them by people several states away (NJ, no less!), i’ll wager the anti-carpet-bagger sentiments negate any interest the ad might have generated.

    • MassResistance held a protest against Puppolo back in June.  Pictures here:

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      http://www.massresis…

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      and today’s MassResistance blog crows about Puppolo paying the  price for “lying to voters”:

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      http://massresistanc…

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      Going back a bit, Vote On Marriage/Mass. Family Institute were the first to call the Republicans who switched “Benedict Arnolds” – the signs messaging is straight out of their press release.

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      VOM/MFI refer to themselves as an affiliate of both Focus on the Family (Dobson) and the Family Research Council (Perkins).

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      The full text of their letter is here:

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      http://takemassactio…

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      It’s worth remembering that Vote On Marriage’s Robert Wellington is now Executive Director for the Mass. GOP.

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      • They actually are targeting ALL the legislators that switched, not just the Republican ones.

      • and i don’t doubt that at least one faction of the local gay-obsessed nutcases could be involved.  but i still don’t understand what they think they might gain by appearing to be from out of state.  unless, of course, they realize that they have lost all local credibility and have to put up a false front to get taken seriously. 

        • I know EaBo is hoping that Rob Willington will help the party energize the anti-gay marriage petition signers to shake up the party, but that doesn’t explain why they’d use outside people to do the energizing:

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          http://redmassgroup….

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          MassResitanceWatch says David Parker spoke at the “Americans for Truth About Homosexuality” banquet Friday night.  Maybe there’s some sort of homophobe exchange program?

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          http://massresistanc…

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          A real long shot, but it could also be part of the GOP infrastructure Rob Willington talks about (and PP lauds) here:

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          http://www.hubpoliti…

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          Again, bringing in New Jersey folks doesn’t make much sense.  But neither does appointing Willington.

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          • Make that:

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            EaBo is hoping that Rob Willington will energize the anti-gay marriage petition signers and shake up the party

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            should know better than to type and watch the Red Sox…

    • Courtesy Daily Kos and Frederick Clarkson (not sure who that is)

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      First, more on the Focus on the Family “affiliates” (e.g. VOM/MFI).

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      http://www.frederick…

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      Then more on the NJ organization… it’s a spinoff of the Connecticut affiliate.

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      http://www.dailykos….

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      Earlier this year, the religious right and the Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts failed in their effort to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. At issue, was marriage equality for same sex couples which has been legal in Massachusetts since 2004. The long arm of Dobson reached into the state via his Bay State proxy, the Massachusetts Family Institute, which led the effort to get the amendment on the ballot. The effort came up five votes short in the state legislature, in part because a number of legislators changed their minds — including Puppolo. And now a national organization has been formed to attack pro marriage equality state legislators in what they term “difficult states.” (By this we may mean at least Connecticut, Vermont, Massachussetts, California, New York and New Jersey.)

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      Puppolo is the first of eleven MA state legisltors expected to be targeted by a new New Jersey-based national group called the National Organization for Marriage. It is headed by Brian S. Brown, the former head of the James Dobson’s Connecticut political affiliate, the Family Institute of Connecticut. 

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      • And wicked, wicked smart. You can trust his reporting.

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        Man, I miss Fred’s other regular blog!

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        –Lynne, who is posting with hubby’s nick cuz she’s too lazy to log out and log in.

  3. why bother dropping money in MA?  Marriage equality is secure in MA.  Their tactic makes no sense to me.  That said, I’m happy they’re wasting precious pennies in a place where they’ll make no meaningful difference.  But I’m am curious.

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    I should say that I will still call Rep Puppolo’s office tuesday to voice my support for him, and also make a campaign contribution, just in case.  It is the promise we all made to legislators who did the right thing.  But really, this whole gambit by the Dobsonites has me kinda grinning.

  4. …they have just announced a relatively large lay-off.  Maybe this is a ploy to raise revenues.

  5. The Good News is Angelo is reaching out for support and  people are answering the call.  There was advance notice of the BillBoard going up last week and local activists were already organizing.

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    Just an FYI, Rep. Puppolo (D-Springfield), not Wilbraham.  His district office is in Wilbraham, he is a Springfield resident and former City Councilor [http://www.mass.gov/…]

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    Toll free and fax numbers for Lamar Advertising (shame on them, let’s keep this move on file):

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    Phone: 1-800-235-2627
    Fax: (225) 928-1034

  6. who can’t and won’t understand that Angelo stood up for the Constitution and human rights with his vote.  They must have a motive for coming into this area and targeting four (I think) of our outstanding representatives.  I actually think it will backfire and will ensure another win for Angelo.  Their hatred and anger is almost comical.  While everyone else has moved on to important issues for Springfield, these carpetbaggers can’t accept the outcome of that vote.  I think the term monomaniacal is appropriate. 

    • That apparently happened in Medford a few years ago when pro-equality Carl Sciortino was running against the anti-gay incumbent.  One of the local anti-gay hate groups sent out mail on behalf of the incumbent.  It was so nasty that people were really disgusted.  The incumbent lost votes, and Carl won.  SOmething similar happened at the primary level in Sen Fargo’s district.  These people never learn.  They do indeed seem to be obsessed with other people’s lives.

  7. just think of how many billboards as bad as this (and worse) we’d have to deal with if he, and a few other Reps, hadn’t done the right thing.

  8. but isn’t it ironic they chose a picture of Jesus and Judas where it looks like they’re kissing?

      • Yeah, and under the title “friend” no less.  As in: Jesus and Judas, sittin in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!  I hadn’t looked closely enough to catch that.  Too hilarious.

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        All I could think of when seeing Benedict Arnold on an egg yolk yellow background was “Eggs Benedict, Arnold?”

    • It’s actually an integral part of the story.

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      Judas brings a bunch of Roman soldiers with him to arrest Jesus (and only Jesus, not any of his followers). The Romans (who are probably Celts or Germans or Iberians) wouldn’t know Jesus from Peter or Andrew or James or John.

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      So Judas tells them, “Arrest the one that I kiss.” So when they get there, Judas walks up to Jesus, who knows what’s going down. In the words of one of the old bible translations, he says to Judas, “Dost thou betray me with a kiss?”

  9. My thought when I saw that billboard was that he must have cheated on his wife in a very public way. It didn’t occur to me that someone could consider anything else to be betraying marriage.

      • the heteros will stop procreating.  at least, that’s what some evangelicals promised me would be one of the repercussions.  so, you heteros out there, are you still gettin any (assuming you were before)?  i still see pregnant women and people with babies walking about.  are they all gay?  or has the sky not fallen in the way promised?

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