It's not unusual for a politician to lie. It's not unusual for a politician to fail to keep a promise or two (or more!) upon taking office. It's not even unusual for a politican to misrepresent his position in an effort to raise contributions.
But for a politician to do all of the above in a single stroke in the brutal glare of the national spotlight is, well, at least enough to raise an eyebrow or two.
Today, Sam Arora, a self-described progressive Democrat, breaking his campaign promises to his endorsers, breaking his promises to his constituents, lying that he had not promised what he had indeed promised (while trying to remove evidence of such from the web), and despite his co-sponsorship of the bill, told his fellow Delegate that he would not vote for marriage equality should it reach the Maryland House of Delegates floor.
Update: Apparently Arora has reversed himself. See details at bottom.
Here are some messages in support of these claims, left on Arora's Facebook page after his turnabout came to light:
Sam Arora, you lied. You lied to your donors, you lied to your district and you lied to me. On January 30, 2011 and again on February 14, 2011 I was in your office. I sat with you and my gay son while you told us that you would fully support this bill that you were co-sponsoring. Don't pretend that you "implied" you "might" support this bill. You lied to me. In person. Twice.
Sam, you knocked on my door and we discussed marriage equality. You assured me that you believed in it and you got my vote (AND my partners and several neighbors). I know you remember calling me on your first day of session to tell me that you sponsored the Civil Marriage bill. I couldn't believe that a politician could be so thoughtful to do that on your first day.
By making campaign promises that you don't intend to keep, for the sole purpose of raking-in donations from Progressive and LGBT-friendly voters, you represent the worst in American politics. Enjoy your one term
They go on and on.
Arora has not yet, to my knowledge, abandoned his promise to vote to move the bill out of committee. However, that vote was once again postponed (as it was Tuesday, and again on Wednesday) for various and sundry reasons, as first one supporting Delegate, and then another, decided to waver. (There are 12 supporters and 12 votes are needed, so any relunctance or wavering on the part of any one of them quickly becomes a crisis.)
Where is Arora heading? Having gotten totally trashed in the press...
Sam Arora's disgraceful wavering on marriage equality in Maryland -- By Jonathan Capehart
by friends on the Internet...
Sam, you're my friend and I care about you. Because I care I'm telling you that going back on your word, your constituents and your principles is WRONG.
and from his own colleagues...
If he honestly feels like he cannot vote for this on the floor, the only honorable course of action will be for him to resign because he campaigned so strongly on the issue to so many different people.
the real question I have is whether Arora will continue down the darkside path he has chosen, deciding to say "F*** You!" to everyone but his new friends by voting it down in committee, thereby mooting the whole question of whether he will vote aye or nay on the House floor.
What prompted this turnaround? Arora claims that
his religious concerns won't let him "redefine marriage"
but
... where were his religious concerns when he filled out Equality Maryland's questionnaire during the campaign, and said he was for marriage, gladly accepting gay and progressive money for his campaign?
It's almost certain what really prompted this: NOM and the Fundamentalist Churches. They have been able to create a firestorm in Maryland over the bill, and have been inundating anyone they think is vulnerable on this issue with calls and letters, screeds about protecting children from gays, and probably threats to take them down in the next election.
As a Washington Post reporter tells it writing about another wavering Delegate, Tiffany Alston:
But then came the calls and the fury. "Maryland is so liberal, yes," she said. "But there are the churches..."
"Most of my constituents are against it," she said. "And now I have to think of them, to think of representing the people who put me here."
Ah yes, 'the churches'. I don't know whether the majority of her constituents are actually against marriage equality, but it is obvious that the majority of those willing to speak out, to call and to email her, are against it.
And this is a fundamental problem.
Time and again we see that NOM and its allies can whip their followers into a frenzy, spewing lies and hateful propaganda out from churches and into the media, making it all but impossible for legislators who have any doubts to withstand the pressure (despite the fact that very few, if any, state legislators have ever been ousted because of their vote for marriage equality). All this while the best LGBT groups can do is point to polls that show the majority of Marylanders (or New Yorkers, or Rhode Islanders) support equality -- there seems to be no way they can create such floods of emotive calls and letters on short notice.
You might think the reverse would be true. After all, it's not NOM's membership that is fighting for the right to be treated like any other human being in America. It's not NOM's members who are told they cannot marry the person they love or be with them in a hospital. But somehow they manage to be effective enough that a man will go back on his written campaign pledges and his solemn word, rather than face their wrath. That's scary.
If you would like to contact Sam Arora and tell him that the world is watching as he betrays every statement on marriage equality he's spoken or written up until a day ago, here's how:
Twitter: @Sam_Arora
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/...
(410) 841-3528, (301) 858-3528
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3528 (toll free)
e-mail: sam.arora@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3011, (410) 841-3528, (301) 858-3528, (240) 245-0018
Updated by jpmassar at Thu Mar 3, 2011, 11:11:15 PM
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - A bill that would allow gay couples to marry in Maryland has been stuck for days, but supporters believe they finally have the votes to move it forward.
The bill has stalled repeatedly in the House after speeding through the Senate, but WTOP has learned there will be a vote Friday night on the gay marriage measure in the House Judiciary Committee, which is necessary to move the bill along.
"There will be 12 votes for the bill," says Md. Delegate Luiz Simmons, D-Montgomery County.
http://www.wtop.com/...
Updated by jpmassar at Fri Mar 4, 2011, 10:26:31 AM
Update: Arora re-reverses himself:
"I have heard from constituents, friends, and advocates from across the spectrum of views and have thought about the issue of same-sex marriage extensively. I understand their concern--this is a very serious issue, and one that many people feel passionately about. As the vote drew nearer, I wrestled with this issue in a way I never had before, which led me to realize that I had some concerns about the bill. While I personally believe that Maryland should extend civil rights to same-sex couples through civil unions, I have come to the conclusion that this issue has such impact on the people of Maryland that they should have a direct say. I will vote to send the bill to the floor because it deserves an up-or-down vote. On the floor, I will vote to send the bill to the governor so that Marylanders can ultimately decide this issue at the polls. I think that is appropriate."
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/...
Updated by jpmassar at Fri Mar 4, 2011, 10:50:29 AM
Americablog:
Sam Arora speaks: I'm now against same-sex marriage but I'll vote for the bill anyway
http://gay.americablog.com/...
Updated by jpmassar at Fri Mar 4, 2011, 12:22:26 PM
Andrew Sullivan: "Sometimes it's great to see a statement so obviously disingenuous, so purely political, it rises above the din and becomes a work of art."
referring to Arora's statement quoted above.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/...
Updated by jpmassar at Fri Mar 4, 2011, 02:54:12 PM
Update Arora votes yea in committee, sending the marriage equality bill to the floor of the House of Delegates, 12-10.