Delaware

"With all the excitement yesterday in Washington, it is important to remember that there will be a vote here in Delaware this year on marriage equality, and although we are optimistic, the outcome of that vote is anything but certain. You can volunteer to help win the vote by visiting Equality Delaware at www.equalitydelaware.org (I am proud to have been a long-time member of its Advisory Board). I have found that one of the most compelling ways to convince legislators that marriage equality is the right thing to do is to share why you decided it was right, so if you want to share a story here about why you decided to support marriage equality, I will pass it along."

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Dianne Feinstein announced yesterday that Feinsten's Assault Weapon Ban will not be part of the Democratic Gun Control bill because it did not garner more than 40 Democratic votes. Instead, Feinstein's bill will be offered as an Amendment to the Gun Control Bill, and it will obviously fail. It is regrettable, but it is expected. Still, the following Democrats deserve a tip of the hat for their co-sponsorship of the Feinstein Assault Weapons ban, including Senator Carper. But as look at this list, I notice a name missing and I wonder why it is missing. Because if Carper can do it, surely he can too. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) Senator Mo Cowan (D-Mass.) Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.) Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) Senator John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)