Washblog

The following organizations and community leaders are actively endorsing the campaign and/or serving on the Steering Committee:

Washington Eagle Forum - Cindy Honcoop
Pastor Ken Hutcherson, Antioch Bible Church
Washington Values Alliance - Larry Stickney
Faith and Freedom Network - Gary Randall
Christian Coalition - Rick Forcier
YWAM & US Renewal - Ron Boehme
Family Policy Institute of Washington
Eastern Washington Advisory Board to the FPIW
Facts for Freedom - Jim Galbraith
Washington Opposed to Pro-Homosexual Policies, Pastor Gary and Annetta Small
Concerned Citizens of Pierce County - Pat Burgess
Council 1379 of the Knights of Columbus
The Reagan Wing - Doug Parris
Washington Republican Liberty Caucus
The Constitution Party of Washington State
Senator Dan Swecker
Senator Val Stevens
Representative Matt Shea
Representative Jim McCune
Former State Rep. John Ahern
Dr. Bruce Craswell
Dr. Bryant Adams
Stephen Pidgeon, Esquire, Decalogos International
Pastor Rick Long, Atonement Free Lutheran Church
Pastors Roy & Valerie Hartwell, Rivers of Glory Church

Then we have the other individuals listed who only represent their lonesome selves: three additional legislators, the peculair attorney Pidgeon and retired biologist (and Prop 8 contributor) Dr. Bryant Adams.  How terribly, pathetically weak.  I can name 92 Washington state legislators (a 63% majority of the legislature) who I'm certain oppose the referendum.  I also believe that the attorney and retired biologist are outweighed by the 66% Washington voters who support domestic partnerships or marriage equality.  But I digress...

Let's look a little more closely at some of the cotton puffs Randall and Stickney are using to pad their list:

Pastor Ken Hutcherson, Antioch Bible Church
Some may be surprised that I list Ken Hutcherson among the batting, but he doesn't swing public opinion like he once may have.  In fact, Ken Hutcherson jumped the shark with his failed Microsoft "take-down" scam.

Hutcherson's jumping on the Ref 71 band wagon now is a joke, since he very publicly trashed the idea of the referendum this past March.  And although he did agree to speak at the anti-equality lobby day in Olympia this winter, he seemed to be there for the attention rather than as a dedicated team player.  He clearly only swooped in to make an appearance, as evidenced by his question to m.c. Stickney "Am I the last speaker?" (he wasn't).  He left shortly after his speech (in which, by the way, he trashed Gandhi).

And Hutcherson's church?  It is so powerful and resourceful that it still meets in rented high school rooms.

Family Policy Institute of Washington
Since FPIW's current director Joseph Backholm very publicly pooped on Ref 71, I can only assume that he's agreed (or been told by the affiliate's grand poobah, Focus on the Family's James Dobson) to lend the effort their name if not their ardor.  After all, it would be embarrassing if they again slapped the face of the FPIW's founding director, Larry Stickney.  Yes, amazing coincidence, isn't it?  By the way, the FPIW went live August 1, 2007.  According to IRS filings, FPIW payed Stickney $37,536 that year.  Not bad for 5 months work!

Eastern Washington Advisory Board to the Family Policy Institute of Washington
What, you're not going to make the janitor a line item too, Larry?  It is laughable to list, as a separate entity, the advisory board of an organization you already listed.

Facts for Freedom - Jim Galbraith
The organization's apparent sole member, Jim Galbraith, was quoted in a 1989 Seattle PI article as saying "God's people simply aren't that organized.".  I wonder if he still operates the group from his basement.  The most recent news story mentioning Galbraith and his organization was in 2000. Table for one, sir?

Washington Opposed to Pro-Homosexual Policies, Pastor Gary and Annetta Small
The Smalls are the proprieters of the Liberty Fundamental Baptist Church.  LFBC is a missionary church so big and mighty that it holds services at the Lynden Community Center.  It is unsurprising the church has a limited congregation, since their views are draconian and do not reflect those of the average live-and-let-live Washingtonian.  According to their website,

"We believe that God has commanded that no inappropriate intimacy--sexual or otherwise-- be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one's gender by surgery or appearance. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman."

Although Protect Marriage Washington lists the Small's affiliation as "Washington Opposed to Pro-Homosexual Policies", that organization seems to be all but dead.  The first and last times the organization was mentioned in the news was 1996 and 1998, respectively.  One gets the sense that this "organization" is comprised of only two people: Gary and Annetta Small, and that the Smalls take it out of mothballs every decade or so for a good airing out.

Concerned Citizens of Pierce County
This organization doesn't show up anywhere on the internet except on Ref 71-related pages.  Hmm...  There is a web page for Cocerned Citizens of Washington, which is all but dead (one post since December, 2008).  I believe that Par Burgess is the Concerned Citizen of Pierce County.

Council 1379 of the Knights of Columbus
Council 1379 is but 1 of 4 councils in Bremerton.  Jarrod Roth, a senior member of 1379, spoke at the anti-equality rally in Olympia in March.  The endorsement by his council seems to reflect a push by the local Big Guy.  Big hairy whoop.  Call me if Cardinal McCarrick starts pushing the petition methodically state-side.  Otherwise, yawn.

The Reagan Wing - Doug Parris
The Reagan Wing isn't even a flimsy organization, it's the personal blog of Doug Parris, lol!  He got all of one comment on his recent Stop Gay Marriage diary.  Oh Larry & Gary, stop, you're killing me!

Washington Republican Liberty Caucus
There are only 4 WRLC groups listed for WA containing, in sum, 297 members.  The organizers of the Federal Way and Kitsap Co. groups have made them private, but both claim to support individual liberties or individual freedom.  I would venture to say that, based on this, that their members would eschew Ref. 71.  However, I suspect that failed political candidate Ron Boehme, who lives in Port Orchard, is a member of the Kitsap organization and so is in essence double-listed as himself, and as "Washington Republican Liberty Caucus".  The Pierce Co. and Puyallup groups, sporting all of 153 members together, rarely have had more than a handful of members attend their meetups, and no meetups about Ref 71 are or have been scheduled.

The Constitution Party of Washington State
As already noted, "Constitution Party" is a big name used to cloak a tiny group of ultra-fringe theocrats a la Fred Phelps.

Pastor Rick Long, Atonement Free Lutheran Church
Couldn't actually tell much about this church, except that it's located in Arlington, where Larry Stickney lives.  I wonder if this is Larry Stickney's church.  That would explain why it's the one and only Arlington church on his slate.

Pastors Roy & Valerie Hartwell, Rivers of Glory Church
Rivers of Glory Christian Church has a website, but no fixed physical location (beyone the p.o. box, I mean).  The church meets in a Holiday Inn Express.  Don't forget to check out this month's calendar!

Well, after that little walk through wonderland, I think we can all agree that the Protect Marriage Washington's endorsement list should look more like this.

Washington Eagle Forum - Cindy Honcoop
Washington Values Alliance - Larry Stickney
Faith and Freedom Network - Gary Randall
Christian Coalition - Rick Forcier
YWAM & US Renewal - Ron Boehme

One org saving face for Larry (Family Policy Institute of Washington)

Five random people (Galbraith, Burgess, Parris, Adams, Pidgeon).

Three tiny fringe orgs (K of C Council 1379, Washington Republican Liberty Caucus, The Constitution Party of Washington State)

Five current or former state legislators (Swecker, Stevens, Shea, McCune, Ahern)

Four rinky-dink ministers (Hutcherson, Small, Long, Hartwell)