christian grantham
Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD.
	last 5 posts | all posts from April 2005   Radical Voices of Virginia   'Virginia Family Values PAC' Takes Aim at Anti-Family Politicians   Virginia Republicans Irked by Party's Rightward Tilt   'Fire Oaths' for Loudoun County   The Tyranny of Justice

April 22, 2005

Take a look at this letter that went out from a very good friend of our opponent here in the 13th District. Eugene Delgaudio is a Supervisor for a county in our district, and he's "worn to the bone" from fighting the "radical homosexual" somewhere between the outter fringe of reality and the end of the rainbow. The last set of tools of the desperate is divisive pandering, and this is likely not to be the worst of it as they do anything possible to ignore the real issues facing voters in the 13th District.

Will Delgaudio and his ilk seek to fight for issues that matter to Virginians with such zeal and fundraiser prowess? Don't count on it. To these radical voices in Virginia, we don't have a problem with transportation. There are no overcrowded schools. And the best healthcare is simply not getting sick.

April 11, 2005
Dear fellow conservative,

Tonight, after a long day of fighting the Radical Homosexuals, I just feel exhausted. Beaten down, wrung out, and worn to the bone. This has been a most difficult year.

The radical Homosexual Lobby is more intimidating than ever. Now, they dare me to stand in their way . . . they laugh, and brag that they have the votes to kill the Federal Marriage Amendment and will legalize homosexual "marriage" state by state.

And they boast about ramming the Gay Bill of Special Rights and Thought Control Bill through Congress even with Republicans in charge . . . Once again I wonder if Shiela and the children should be here. Once before I had to send my family away to a safe house.

I'll never forget that time. And what does it say about a ruthless adversary that would attack my family rather than face me? My friend, without your support during this time I'm not sure that I will be able to manage things. Never have the Radical Homosexuals and their allies been so vicious, so powerful, and so well financed.

Never.

They have been strolling through the Halls of Congress handing out campaign "contributions" like sweet candy, and even some conservative Congressmen have taken the bait. In fact, one so-called "Republican," Congressman Jim Kolbe of Arizona has confessed that he is a practicing Homosexual!

And ever since he admitted his perversion, campaign money has poured into his office. One pro-gay rights committee even handed Kolbe $11,000. The Homosexuals have welcomed him with open arms, and he is ready to do their bidding. It is just sad to watch. And believe me, people are watching.

Congressmen and Senators see the power and the riches of the Homosexuals, and they are tempted. And like serpents with apples, the Radical Homosexuals are in the shadows, making deals and issuing threats. And those who ignore their siren call are risking their political lives.

My friend, I see what is happening and I am afraid.

Because when I return home from work, long after midnight, I feel like I am trying to hold back the waves on the beach. The Radical Homosexuals keep coming and coming, and they grow in size daily. This is a time when, if we are not careful everything we have worked for could fall apart. The insiders whisper that even though President Bush has come out for the Federal Marriage Amendment, he still supports key parts of the Homosexual Agenda. Frankly, I'm not sure what he's going to do anymore.

I am speaking to you from the heart, my friend.

This time we are facing an enemy who is riding high, and hungry for victims. And I am nearly at the breaking point. So I am coming to you, and asking you to help me like never before. I am asking you to put it on the line for what we believe in.

I am asking you for the strength to carry on.

Because what we are doing has never been so necessary, so important. And never have the odds been so stacked against us. At the beginning of this note, I told you how down and tired I have been. And it is true. But when things are at their worst, when I just can't take another step, I think about what Barney Frank, Jim Kolbe, Hillary Clinton and all the other pro-Homosexual
Congressmen want to do to America.

I think about their "pet" bill -- The "Gay Bill of Special Rights" -- and what it will do to America . . . and how close it is to passing. And how right now, night and day, I'm fighting to kill their evil Thought Control Bill.

Meanwhile, the perversity of so-called homosexual "marriage" is sweeping through America like a plague, and few in Washington seem to want to even fight back. I know the Homosexual Lobby will stop at nothing. And I see what their victory will do to the families of America. And then I reflect on how I will feel if I don't do everything in my power to stop them. I would never be able to forgive myself. Or look my children in the eye.

And then, from somewhere, I get the energy to carry on, to go forward. And I rejoin the battle. So now, I am coming to you. The simple truth is that I can't do this alone. So you now have a choice to make.

Will you join me in making a stand?

You and I have a chance to make history, to stop the Radical Homosexuals just as everything seems lost. No one thinks we can do it. Many in "Official" Washington have already given up. But I will not compromise. I will not "cut deals" with the enemies of the American family.

Never. Ever. Ever.

I will do what is right, and I will always keep my promise to you. And now the rest is up to you. Because our financial situation is incredibly dangerous. Now as you know, we have never had the financial resources of the Radical
Homosexuals. We don't have the limousines, the plush offices, tens of millions from the Hollywood elite or the tax dollars that they have at their disposal.

But that's OK.

I have always said that with family, faith, and hard work we can accomplish anything. And in the past, we have. But now, we are dangerously low on money. And without an emergency gift from you today, our work will be in serious jeopardy.

So can I count on you to make a special, one time gift to my office? If you could send $1,000 or $500 right now, it would really make a huge difference. Things are so serious I don't know what to do, except to turn to prayer and to you. So please, give what you can. $200 or $100 would be such a special surprise, and it would be such a Godsend. I know what a sacrifice this is, and believe me, if I could pay for this on my own, I would.

But the truth is, I don't have it, so I am coming to you with open arms. And this is a struggle for all of us to be a part of. So whatever you can afford, please send it in immediately. $75, $50, $25, or any amount you can manage, these are all badly needed.

No matter how discouraged I become at times, I know that what we are doing is important. I know that we are on the right side. We are in the lead on this, and we are on the line. I am here, alone except for your prayers and support, nd I am ready for the fight of a lifetime.

The Radical Homosexuals are boasting that they are in the driver's seat, that no one can stop them, and that the Thought Control Bill is going to be the law of the land and they swear they'll pass the Gay Bill of Special Rights. And they brag the Federal Marriage Amendment is going nowhere in Congress.

I have devoted everything in this battle and at times risked my life. And my family has made many great sacrifices too. You have trusted me, sacrificed to keep our work going and I will never forget what you have done. And now, our destiny awaits us. This is our time to stand tall.

Join me, and we will make history.

Your friend,

Eugene Delgaudio
President

P.S. You and I have been through so much together that sometimes it seems like a lifetime. Once before when my family was away, your support and prayers meant more than ever. Like my own family, you sustain me in this crusade. The Radical Homosexuals are trying to turn America into a perverted pleasure palace. They hate us for standing in their way, and they have vowed to defeat us.

This will be the battle of a lifetime. Your maximum gift is absolutely necessary to keeping our struggle alive. I will be waiting to hear from you.

March 02, 2005

On the surface, The Virginia Family Values PAC might seem like a right-wing organization cloaking a divisive agenda. But a closer look reveals an agenda that stands for strengthening Virginia families by targeting radical politicians in Virginia's November 2005 elections. The following Q&A was conducted with Virginia Family Values President, Waldo Jaquith.

What is the Virginia Family Values PAC, and how did it come into being?
Virginia Family Values PAC is a state political action committee that was created to promote those values that are fundamental to Virginia families, values like freedom and privacy. Recently, some representatives in Richmond have begun to assert that it is government, not families, that are the primary unit of society. We, like most Virginians, disagree. Families are fundamental.

Virginia Family Values was formed as a result of a series of discussions over the Internet and in person over the course of years by like-minded individuals concerned about the erosion of family rights and freedoms. We elected to make it a PAC, rather than an interest group, because it's so important that some of the most anti-family candidates be removed from office before they can do any more harm.

Who makes up the Virginia Family Values PAC?
Currently, there are four board members -- myself, Andrew Chelena (a Virginia Tech student from Burke), Phyllis Ander (a mother of two and real estate agent from Virginia Beach), and Max Fenton (an artist from Charlottesville). Now that we've had a successful launch, and the General Assembly session is wrapping up, we'll move towards expanding the board by a couple of members and expanding the representation somewhat.

Virginia Family Values announced it would target four Virginia House Delegates this November. Who are they, and how were they chosen?
The four candidates being targeted by Virginia Family Values are Del. Bob Marshall, Del. Dave Albo, Del. Dick Black and Del. Bob McDonnell. Frankly, it was fairly clear who the PAC would need to target. All of us involved with the PAC have known these four to be among the worst anti-family legislators in Richmond. There are some individuals with voting records that are as bad as these four representatives, but it's these individuals who have taken a position of leadership among the anti-family forces.

How much money does a typical Virginia House Delegate need to run a successful campaign?
The cost of running a House of Delegates campaign really varies a great deal from district to district. In some districts, it can be done for as little as $30,000. In other districts, such as in northern Virginia, it can cost much, much more.

Virginia Family Values was recently formed in January. What are your goals for the first year? What is the long term vision?
The goals for Virginia Family Values -- to preserve those values common to Virginia families that are being threatened -- will be best realized by promoting Virginia family values and by removing from office those candidates who pose the greatest threat to Virginia families. Our goals for the first year are simple: to remove from office all targeted incumbents and, along the way, to bring to light the truly appalling anti-family agenda being pushed by these radicals.

As individuals, those of us who make up the PAC have a vision for Virginia as a state that provides the freedoms and privacy to Virginians that are our constitutional due and our rights as individuals. Government has no business in people's bedrooms. Period. Our long-term goal is simple: get government out of our bedrooms.

How can people help Virginia Family Values?
As a PAC, the number one method of aiding Virginia Family Values is to provide financial support. That money will go to supporting the challengers in the targeted races, in addition to informing voters in the districts about the incumbents' terrible anti-family voting records.

Of course, it's also helpful for people to get the word out. Too few people are aware of efforts in Richmond to regulate individuals' most intensely private acts or the existing laws regulating things like the precise physical configuration of a husband and wife when they are making love.
[Q&A: Virginia Family Values PAC - 03-02-05]

For more information about the Virginia Family Values PAC, visit www.vafamilyvalues.org

Disclosure: I am assisting Elect Roemmelt, a campaign in a targeted race mentioned above.

February 24, 2005

An announcement, to be made tomorrow, by Virginia Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr. (R-Winchester) could electrify an already closely watched Virginia Governor's race. Citing the Republican Party of Virginia's tilt to the right, Sen. Potts may announce a run for Virginia Governor as an Independent.

A contrarian Republican legislator angry over the rightward shift of his party appears poised to bolt the GOP to run for governor as an independent.

Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr. of Winchester, a sports promoter known for prickly populism, is expected to disclose his intentions at a news conference tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Old Senate Chamber of the state Capitol.
[Potts on verge of independent bid for governor? - Times Dispatch - 02-24-05]

Republican operatives are red in the face over Potts and his potential candidacy, but this is really just basic political science. If your party moves to the extreme right (or left for that matter) you will face an intra-party challenge. Ultra-conservative Republicans should recognize this as inevitable, but of course they won't.

They'll call Potts a traitor and a turn-coat, all the time impervious to the fact that they've brought this on themselves by reveling in their own extremity. The responsible Republicans of Virginia should blame radical groups like the Virginia Club for Growth for Potts' candidacy. But of course they won't.
[Potts To Announce Intentions - The Virginia Progressive - 02-24-05]

As a conservative grip threatens to strangle the Republican Party, moderate voices are standing up to take back Virginia.

Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr., a Republican from Winchester, plans to announce Friday morning that he is mounting an independent bid for governor but will not formally leave the party he says is gripped by conservative social issues and anti-tax rhetoric.
[Potts to Run for Va. Governor - Washington Post - 02-25-05]

February 09, 2005

It's O.K. for Romeo and Juliet to sexualize our children with a shared onstage kiss, but when two males do the same, some within neighboring Loudoun County, Virginia break out the 2005 Republican Fire Oaths.

Now, thanks to a high-decibel dust-up over freedom of expression and values, student writer-director Sabrina Audrey Jess's one-act play, "Offsides," has a dramatically expanded audience.

Del. Richard H. Black (R-Loudoun) e-mailed his supporters claiming that, in the play, "two male students engaged in a homosexual kiss onstage" and that public schools were "being used to promote a homosexual lifestyle." His son-in-law, Loudoun County Supervisor Mick Staton Jr. (R-Sugarland Run), followed up with a missive of his own, warning of the play's disturbing "indoctrination." On Sunday, activists blanketed Loudoun churches with fliers decrying the production.

The school district had received about 150 e-mails about the play by yesterday afternoon, Loudoun schools spokesman Wayde Byard said.
[Gay-Themed High School Play Sparks Va. Protests - Washington Post - 02-09-05]

Here's to student writer-director Sabrina Audrey Jess for standing up to divisive forces in Virginia whose only tools in their fight against freedom and liberty are censorship and hate.

February 08, 2005

Take a look at the priceless justification of Virginia Republicans for enacting discrimination. According to Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (R-Fairfax), it's time to tell those pesky judges to stop measuring Virginia's desire to discriminate against the United States Constitution. He might remember Virginia lost that argument decades ago in Virginia v. Loving when the state failed to defend the sanctity of marriage against the immoral threat to marriage and family of mixed-race love.

Sen. Ken Cuccinelli (R-Fairfax) told colleagues to adopt the amendment and push back against the "tyranny of judges that has largely come to pass in the last 30 or 40 years."

"The homosexual left has been on the attack against marriage and family for 40 years, and we've been taking it," Cuccinelli said in an interview last week. "If you're going to start a war, if you're going to invade a country, expect a counterattack. All we're doing is regaining lost ground."
[Va. Senate Backs Ban On Gay Marriage - Washington Post - 02-08-05]

Within a week, I'll begin sharing ways you can help us defeat Virginia House Delegates this November who have abandoned the priorities of average Virginians for divisive politics.