EXCLUSIVE: Buckley Played Primary Card in Gay Marriage Negotiations
April 30, 2009 by Patrick
Filed under State House
State Party Chairman Ray Buckley told Democratic state Senators during closed-door negotiations that the Democratic National Committee might revoke New Hampshire’s First-in-the-Nation primary status if they failed to legalize gay marriage, NowHampshire.com has learned.
The vote was 13-11 in favor of legalizing gay marriage. All but one Democratic Senator voted in favor.
According to Democratic State House sources, Buckley told undecided Democrats they had to support the gay marriage bill despite a legislative committee’s recommendation that they kill it because otherwise the DNC’s Rules Committee would punish the Granite State by revoking New Hampshire’s key primary slot.
The Rules Committee makes primary calendar recommendations to the entire DNC, which then votes to accept or reject the recommendations.
When some Senators objected that voting in favor of the legislation might jeopardize their reelection campaigns Buckley retorted that he would be able to deliver plenty of money to help them defend their seats.
Our sources tell NowHampshire.com that the Senators in attendance took Buckley’s remarks to mean he would be able to deliver out-of-state money from gay rights groups.
Buckley’s successful arm-twisting in the days and hours leading up to the final vote on Wednesday drew praise from the Human Rights Campaign, a prominent gay rights organization.
The hypocrisy is incredible, frustrating and angering…these pagans and unfair sissies are still only a very few, but our idiotic legislators and governor are listening to them as though they are a large group…they are NOT…there are only a very few vocal gays in this state and around the nation for that fact, but they are “in our faces” and will not play by the rules (God’s or otherwise)…how SAD that we have no moral leadership in our government right now (to speak of) and those who are there are ready to sell away time-tested values for their own political gain. SHAME on NH!! This state has dropped WAY down into the abyss of amoral and immoral laws. I am ready to move. I don’t quite know where, though…yet, but there has to be a better place now; there was not before the DEMOCRATNAZIS came to power, and they ARE TYRANTS. GOD HELP AMERICA–let’s GET THEM OUT OF POWER!!
Oh and I notice I hear crickets on the shameful practice of taking money from wealthy outsiders that Raybo seems to love to accuse others of doing.
Democrats = party of the rich, party of the corrupt, party of the morally bankrupt.
Sorry Joe and SV: Your statement that “NH, no libertarian worth his salt opposes gay marriage. Period.” is right in principle but it does not trump the fact that NO LIBERTARIAN worth his salt would use this as a “special right” to create bigger government and force private entities to give up money…
This has nothing to do with religion, God or being against ‘gays’ and you know it.
You are giving the ‘libertarians’ a bad name. It’s called hypocrisy.
Thanks Joe, ditto. No Libertarian worth his salt opposes gay marriage. Many Libertarians oppose the state being in the marriage business at all, but if as long as it’s in it, real Libertarians do not discriminate against gays. As to cost, gay marriage will generate far more bucks to the state than the pittance it will cost; after all, gays have discretionary income to travel and will be as anxious to go to the White Mountains as the Green to spend it.
The most recent polling data we have (the same one that shows two out of three people supporting parental notification and from UNH which nailed the Pres margin exactly last Nov) is that NH supports gay marriage 55-39. This is way beyond the margin of error (and the sample includes less Dems than Reps), so if you believe in polling (and I do), that argument doesn’t wash. When I explained that to a caller, she replied, “Well, God doesn’t support gay marriage.” How do you know that, I asked her. “God told me,” she responded. OK. End of conversation.
Steve V
This is SCANDALOUS – I knew something was fishy with the New Hampshire Senate vote but this really takes the cake. I think this even warrants an independent investigation. I firmly believe that a majority of New Hampshire voters would reject gay marriage were it presented to them. Let’s just pray and hope that Governor Lynch will do the right thing and veto this garbage legislation.
NH, no libertarian worth his salt opposes gay marriage. Period.
Thanks so much for this article.
There are other ways to grant same-gender couples benefits they may need (ex: hospital visitation rights, benefits/protects for children).
Join the facebook group: Protect Marriage in New Hampshire
@SV: Jim Splaine a hero? Surely you jest. He just helped make bigger more expensive government and so did you. How dare you call yourself a libertarian/republican!?
At least we won’t have to listen to that creep Buckley harp on ‘outside money’ anymore with any credibility now that his little Tim Gill secret is out.
Fact is, these Democrats get MOST of their money from outside NH, far outside of NH.
Tea Party organizers have not gained one red cent from anyone. Their success frightens wimps like RB.
What the New Hampshire new license plate motto?
THE BLACKMAIL STATE
FIRST IN EXTORTION
THE BUY MY VOTE STATE
If this is true, Ray deserves congratulations, but the real hero in this is Jim Splaine who introduced the bill and got it throught the House when few thought it had a chance. Had it not passed the House, the Senate would never have been in play. The only reason one might question Ray’s role is that the one Dem vote against it was from Senator Lou, Ray’s best buddy and a real national Dem insider (notwithstanding his past association with crook and adulterer John Edwards).
Steve V, 1 of 12 Republcians who voted for HB436
Oh and here is the Link:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=31685
He also took OUTSIDE MONEY from billionaire Tim Gill of Colorado, a gay man who is trying to influence the gay marriage vote in NH.
Seem that the Dems get most of their money from OUTSIDERS.
Buckley is now the astroturf king I guess!