To: Friends and Supporters From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman Campaign for Working Families Date: Thursday, October 26, 2006 [Today, you are receiving a special report from my political action committee, Campaign for Working Families. We may send you messages from CWF in the days ahead if we feel there is an urgent need.] COUNTDOWN FOR CONTROL OF CONGRESS: 12 DAYS TO ELECTION DAY Preserving Traditional Marriage There is chaos in Trenton, New Jersey, today as legislators grapple with the decision by the state supreme court to redefine traditional marriage. Homosexual rights advocates are reportedly pressuring lawmakers to support legislation legalizing same-sex “marriage.” Leading Democrats in the state, however, appear to be wavering, while the Republican candidate in the surprisingly close U.S. Senate race announced his support for a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage. In Iowa today, President Bush said, “…we had another activist court issue a ruling that raises doubts about the institution of marriage.  I believe that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and I believe it's a sacred institution that is critical to the health of our society and the well-being of families, and it must be defended.” My friends, if you had any doubts about whether or not it is worth voting this November, I hope yesterday’s decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court erased any and all reservations. As I noted in Wednesday’s report, the radical Left is using the courts to impose an agenda that would not pass at the ballot box. But the people are not powerless. It is up to the American people to demand that their elected representatives take action to counter this agenda and rein in these rogue judges. That is why your vote is so important! I received many messages this morning from concerned citizens expressing their anger and frustration with yesterday’s ruling, the inability to pass a federal marriage amendment, and asking what can be done to stop judicial activism. The first thing we must do is to support candidates who recognize the value of preserving traditional marriage and who realize the dangers of judicial activism. And the two political parties have clear and distinct positions on these issues. For example, when Congress last voted on the proposed federal marriage amendment, 85% of Senate Republicans voted to prevent state and federal judges from redefining traditional marriage. In contrast, just 4% of Democrat senators – two of them – voted for the marriage amendment. In the House, 87% of Republicans backed the marriage amendment, while just 17% of Democrats voted for it. Unfortunately, passing a constitutional amendment is not easy. It requires a super-majority vote in both houses of Congress. And while the vast majority of Republicans support the marriage protection amendment, they don’t have a super-majority, so Democrats effectively killed it. In fact, 12 Senate Democrats who voted against the marriage amendment “represent” states that recently enacted their own marriage protection amendments! How’s that for being “out of touch”? By the way, the chairman of the Democrat National Committee is former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, the man who signed the nation’s first civil unions law. You -- the American people -- are not divided or confused about the meaning of marriage. Every time the issue has been put up for a public vote, the American people have overwhelmingly reaffirmed the traditional definition of marriage. To date, 20 states have passed marriage protection amendments by an average vote of 71%, and eight more states are likely to approve marriage amendments this year. If values voters stay home on November 7th, the federal marriage amendment will not get a vote in Congress. Democrats with long histories of opposing traditional marriage, even voting against the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, would become Speaker of the House and chairmen of key committees. In the Senate, the most partisan liberals would be empowered to block all of President Bush’s conservative judicial nominees. If Harry Reid had been Majority Leader for the past two years, Samuel Alito would not be on the Supreme Court today. In addition, all kinds of bills undermining traditional values will be pushed through Congress, while the courts impose same-sex “marriage” on America. That’s the alternative, my friends. Please feel free to pass on this "End of Day" update to interested friends and family members. If you would like to receive this update by e-mail, you can sign up online at http://www.cwfpac.com/cwf_eod_request.htm To be removed from Gary Bauer's End of Day distribution list, please reply to this message with "Remove" in the subject line. If you would like to support our work, please click on the following link: http://www.cwfpac.com/join_campaign.htm Paid for by Campaign for Working Families and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. Campaign for Working Families 2800 Shirlington Road Suite 930 Arlington, VA 22206 Phone:703-671-8800 Fax: 703-671-8899 Web: www.cwfpac.com