Interesting development in the push to include marriage equality as a plank in the Democratic platform adopted in Charlotte later this year:
Four former chairs of the Democratic National Committee called on the party on Wednesday to embrace marriage equality in the 2012 Democratic platform.
“We are proud that the Democratic Party fights for working families, economic justice, and equal opportunity for all,” said Howard Dean, Donald Fowler, Steve Grossman and David Wilhelm in a joint statement. “Times change but our principles must always remain strong. That is why, as former chairs of the Democratic National Committee, we stand with Freedom to Marry, 22 Democratic senators, Leader Nancy Pelosi, and more than 35,000 Americans in urging the Party to include a freedom to marry plank in the platform that is ratified at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this September.”
Dean, the former governor of Vermont, served as DNC chair from 2005 to 2009. Massachusetts Treasurer Steve Grossman led the organization from 1997 to 1999. Fowler was South Carolina state party executive director and CEO of the DNC convention in Atlanta in 1988 and was DNC chair from 1995 to 1997. Wilhelm ran the day-to-day operations of the 1992 Clinton-Gore presidential campaign and was DNC chair from 1993 to 1994.
Let’s look at this chronologically:
Howard Dean: 2005 to 2009
Steve Grossman: 1997 to 1999
Donald Fowler: 1995 to 1997
David Wilhelm: 1993 to 1994
There seems to be a gap. Here are the folks prior to Dean who are missing:
Terry McAullife: 2001 to 2005
Joseph Andrew: 1999 to 2001
Ed Rendell: 1999 to 2001
Roy Romer: 1997 to 1999
Chris Dodd: 1995 to 1997
Debra DeLee: 1994 to 1995
I dislike posting short diaries, but I hope this is long enough to generate some discussion. For some of the names on the list above I’m sure there’s a lot of “Who?” remarks. And “Who cares?” But there’s a glaring exception at the top of the list, an exception Virginia Democrats should take notice of.
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