Subject: Re: DOMA
From: Dominic Lowell <[email-masked]>
To: Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>
Cc: Dan Schwerin <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Amanda Renteria <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2015 19:14:22 -0400

IMO, this article does the best job at capturing why people, including
Richard, are so adamant we address the constitutional amendment issue
specifically.

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/10/25/gay-activists-unhappy-with-clinton-remarks-on-doma/

+Amanda who was in call with Richard and trying to help draft statement

On Sunday, October 25, 2015, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>
wrote:

> Minus Richard
>
> Plus Dominic and Dan
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Oct 25, 2015, at 6:45 PM, Richard Socarides <
> [email-masked]
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[email-masked]');>> wrote:
>
> The draft statement I just saw is a disaster and will make matters worse.
> It ducks the main issue re the constitutional amendment. You would be
> better off doing nothing for a day or two and see what happens. PLEASE have
> whoever is writing this call me.  Told this to Amanda.
>
> On Sun, Oct 25, 2015 at 4:29 PM, Jennifer Palmieri <
> [email-masked]
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[email-masked]');>> wrote:
>
>> There is a call going on now on how to handle.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Oct 25, 2015, at 4:20 PM, John Podesta <[email-masked]
>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[email-masked]');>> wrote:
>>
>> She's down tomorrow and needs o stay down. Bernie went after this again
>> today. Jen, thoughts?
>>
>> On Sunday, October 25, 2015, Richard Socarides <
>> [email-masked]
>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[email-masked]');>> wrote:
>>
>>> I think it's better to be proactive because this will fester plus she's
>>> going to get this question again anyway soon enuf.
>>>
>>> I've been speaking with Maya. Best if she says something to a reporter
>>> herself. She could call Chris Geidner at BuzzFeed. I know that's hard.
>>>
>>> Second best is put out a statement on paper.  Either from her or you or
>>> Jen.  I could help write it.
>>>
>>> Third option, possible for somebody to call a reporter on her behalf.
>>> Call someone with whom we have a relationship and explain, or I could call
>>> and try to explain it but this is definitely not as good as the first two,
>>> at least by itself.
>>>
>>> Richard
>>> 917-400-6178
>>>
>>> On Oct 25, 2015, at 3:06 PM, John Podesta <[email-masked]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Richard,
>>> Should we hunker down and not repeat the mistake or do we have to do
>>> something more proactive.
>>> John
>>>
>>> On Sunday, October 25, 2015, Richard Socarides <
>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Below from LGBT political list-serve:
>>>>
>>>> • *Hillary Clinton, you have a problem:*
>>>>
>>>> https://twitter.com/MSignorile/status/658306796797501440
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/bill-clinton-and-doma-the_b_2838666.html
>>>>
>>>> "That's complete nonsense," Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry told Metro
>>>> Weekly in 2011. "There was no conversation about something 'worse' until
>>>> eight years later. There was no talk of a constitutional amendment, and no
>>>> one even thought it was possible -- and, of course, it turned out it wasn't
>>>> really possible to happen. ... That was never an argument made in the '90s."
>>>>
>>>> • *Hilary Rosen @hilaryr:* @BernieSanders is right. Note to my friends
>>>> Bill and #Hillary: *Pls stop saying DOMA was to prevent something
>>>> worse. It wasnt, I was there.*
>>>>
>>>> • *@JoeSudbay:* @DavidMixner @MSignorile 96 Clinton campaign's radio
>>>> ads touting his signature on DOMA undermines this revision too
>>>> http://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/15/us/ad-touts-clinton-s-opposing-gay-marriage.html
>>>>
>>>> • *@MSignorile:* How does story from '96 fit Hillary claim DOMA was
>>>> for our own good? --> Ad Touts Clinton's Opposing Gay Marriage
>>>> http://nyti.ms/1LPfkVt
>>>>
>>>> • *@DavidMixner:* @MSignorile @sudbay *Hillary's version of DADT and
>>>> DOMA is so wrong. The only 'defensive posture' was for their personal
>>>> politics not LGBT*
>>>>
>>>> • *@MSignorile: Even Elizabeth Birch*, former head of @HRC & a Hillary
>>>> supporter, slammed Bill for DOMA, refuting Hillary's story.
>>>> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-birch/president-clinton-says-do_b_2840112.html
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Oct 24, 2015 at 10:54 PM, Jennifer Palmieri <
>>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Plus Christina
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 24, 2015, at 9:27 PM, Richard Socarides <
>>>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Attached expanded TPs which incorporate Qs like when did you actually
>>>>> change your mind on gay marriage.
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, Oct 24, 2015 at 6:24 PM, Jennifer Palmieri <
>>>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks - plus others
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>
>>>>>> > On Oct 24, 2015, at 5:19 PM, Richard Socarides <
>>>>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > First we have to remember that while that was only 19 years ago, it
>>>>>> was a different time entirely. Luckily the whole country has evolved since
>>>>>> then to a much better understanding about what it means to be LGBT.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > Bill never supported the defense of marriage act. It certainly was
>>>>>> not a proposal made by his administration. And he called it unnecessary
>>>>>> even at the time.  It was a republican led effort to use a wedge issue
>>>>>> against him in the election. It passed both houses of Congress with
>>>>>> overwhelming veto-proof majorities and when he signed it, I think it was
>>>>>> because he felt he had no other  options. Had he vetoed it, his veto would
>>>>>> surely have been overridden and it would've become a central issue in the
>>>>>> campaign. I know he wasn't happy about it. And he expressed that at the
>>>>>> time. Today I'm  proud of the fact that he asked the Supreme Court overturn
>>>>>> legislation that he himself signed.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > Luckily we are more enlightened country now – and I'm hopeful that
>>>>>> if I'm elected I can help lead us to an even greater embrace of true
>>>>>> equality. I've laid out a very specific plan in this regard. Including
>>>>>> passage of the equality act, continued pressure on our allies to view LGBT
>>>>>> rights in a human rights context, and perhaps most importantly, making sure
>>>>>> that all Americans including young people experience the equality the the
>>>>>> Supreme Court envisioned in this regard.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > If pressed about whether there was a constitutional amendment issue
>>>>>> at the time DOMA was signed: you know, I'm not sure it matters at this
>>>>>> point. Luckily we've evolved well beyond that period. Obviously there have
>>>>>> been efforts to push a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
>>>>>> Luckily it never came about.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > Richard
>>>>>> > 917-400-6178
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Richard Socarides
>>>>> 917.400.6178
>>>>>
>>>>> <DOMA.LGBT.TPs.Oct2015.docx>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Richard Socarides
>>>> 917.400.6178
>>>>
>>>
>
>
> --
> Richard Socarides
> 917.400.6178
>
>

-- 
Dominic Lowell
LGBT Outreach Director | Hillary for America
661.364.5186
[email-masked]