National Organization For Marriage Targets New York Senators Who Switched Votes And Supported Same-Sex Marriage; Calls Courageous Senator Mark J. Grisanti “Benedict Arnold”

The National Organization for Marriage launched the first manoeuver this morning of its previously-promised $2 million campaign to defeat the seven state Senators who switched their votes to back same-sex marriage, The New York Daily News reporting that mailings are being sent to homes in the district of each senator comparing the lawmaker to the legendary Revolutionary War traitor Benedict Arnold. The group claims it will spend $150,000 on the mailings. “This is the first step in what will be a sustained, determined effort to make sure the constituents of these cowardly Senators know what they have done,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s president. “They decided to ignore principle and their constituents in a calculated political flip-flop only after Governor Cuomo raised $1 million from Wall Street billionaires and hedge fund managers to support the legislation. Now, some of these same Senators are raising tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash from gay marriage activists all around the country. It’s despicable.” The mailings target Republican Senators Mark Grisanti, Roy McDonald, James Alesi and Stephen Saland; and Democratic Senators Shirley Huntley, Joseph Addabbo and Carl Kruger. They also note that Grisanti ran for office on a traditional marriage platform and solicited and accepted a $4,000 campaign contribution from NOM, that Alesi once said “It’s not our job to be moral,” and that Kruger is under indictment for allegedly taking $1 million in bribes in exchange for political favours and declared the Senate vote would "redefine what the American family is.”