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Senator Dave McBride confirmed to ThinkProgress today that he will vote yes on HB 75, the Marriage Equality bill. Our sources in the General Assembly had already had McBride as a yes vote on the bill, but this is good news that he is confirming it to the media, as it takes away any uncertainty concerning his vote. With Senator Bushweller confirming yesterday that he is a yes, that leaves the whip count at 10-9 in favor, with 2 Senators having not publicly stated how they will vote: Democratic Senator Bethany Hall Long and Republican Senator Cathy Cloutier. And ironically, the information we have on how each might vote goes against your typical partisan breakdown, with Hall Long leaning no and Cloutier leaning yes. However, I have been told by a source close to the situation that Senator Hall Long is not in the no column. She is not in the yes column either. And right now she is being very negatively lobbied by the anti-equality, pro-bigotry side (no doubt supported by the Glasgow area Church with that Westboro sign in lights on 896), and it seems to be pushing her in the opposite direction. I am told she has gotten many hundreds of positive calls from constituents on the pro-equality side, so we need to keep up that positive lobbying. That goes ditto for Senator Cloutier too. The positive pressure on her needs to be continued. I am told she is leaning our way, and voting for marriage equality seems to be a no-brainer given the political and electoral considerations in her district. She has been very good this session living up to the moderate image she presents in her campaigns of her record. She needs to keep it up, because this vote is an important one. And here's why. Echoing back to a point I made in a comment concerning my profound disappointment in Representative Earl Jaques' vote on HB 75 earlier this week, this is a legacy vote. Whether you vote yes or no, it will be remembered. Vote yes, and in 40 years you will be remembered as a champion for civil rights. Vote no, and you will look as craven and ridiculous as those black and white photos of the protesters on the Supreme Court steps back in the 50's and 60's, decrying interracial marriage and integration. This vote will be remembered, no matter how you vote. And given that the younger generations do not look upon homosexuality as anything other than a distinction without a difference, i.e. it no more condemns you to hell than having been born with blue eyes versus brown eyes, being born with brown skin versus white skin, or being born gay or straight. We are all human, we all love, and we are all equal. And if you vote no to that, you are saying you disagree with the above statement, and it will be remembered. And not in a good way that places you in a positive light in the history books. Instead the students of the future will look upon your no vote with the same amount of confusion and puzzlement that one looks upon George Wallace as he stands in a doorway refusing to let a black girl get an education. So here is your update on the whip count in chart form. Senators Hall Long and Cloutier, your legacy. It's up for grabs.

.... at least in my twitter feed. If you care about Delaware, you must discriminate against gays. That is the message from the "traditional" marriage crowd. Contact the following Senators today: Senator Brian Bushweller Dover (302) 744-4162 E-mail Address(s): brian.bushweller@state.de.us Senator Cathy Cloutier (302) 744-4197 (302) 577-8517 (302) 478-9616 E-mail Address(s): catherine.cloutier@state.de.us Senator Bethany Hall Long Phone: (302) 744-4286 E-mail Address(s): bethany.hall-long@state.de.us Senator Bob Marshall Phone: (302) 744-4168 Phone: (302) 577-8519 E-mail Address(s): robert.marshall@state.de.us

Here were the Senate votes on SB 30, the Civil Union Bill, back in 2010. The lone Senate Republican voting in favor of Civil Unions, Liane Sorenson, retired. She was essentially replaced by Republican Ernie Lopez as her district moved south in redistricting. Lopez has indicated that he will vote no, and he really has to to placate his rabid and enraged Tea Party base who are still smarting over his votes for Death Penalty Repeal and for Background checks. Bunting retired, and was replaced by Senator Hocker, who has to be a no vote. Katz was defeated by Lavelle. I am not sure how "gettable" Lavelle is. He was considered gettable during the Death Penalty repeal and Background check votes. He voted no on both. So I think it will be wishful thinking to put him as an unknown vote. I am considering him a no. Deluca was replaced by Townsend. Senator Townsend has made past statements supportive of marriage equality, and he is a sponsor of the bill, so I am considering him a yes. All of the Senate no votes on Civil Unions are still in the Senate. I am going to assume that all those who voted no for Civil Unions will also vote no for gay marriage, and going on the less logical assumption that all yes votes for civil unions is also a yes vote for gay marriage. I will list as unknown those who who I think are up for grabs. So according to this chart, Marriage Equality has 11 votes, just enough for a majority. The no votes have 9. And one vote, that of Cathy Cloutier, is up for grabs. I would highly encourage everyone supportive of marriage equality in Delaware contact every single "yes" vote on that chart in addition to Cathy Cloutier. If Marriage is to be won in the Senate, it will be at best a 12-9 vote or a 11-10 vote. So every single yes vote needs to be shored up and Cloutier needs to hear it. Click here for their contact info. In terms of sponsors and co-sponsors of the bill in the Senate, Senators Blevins, Sokola, Henry, McDowell, Peterson, Poore, and Townsend all are sponsoring HB75. Thus, I would assume they are all solid yes votes. That leaves Bushweller, Hall Long, McBride, and Marshall as possibly shaky Dem yes votes. So they need to hear from us.

Here it is in a nice chart form. Red for Republicans and Blue for Democrats. And yes, I colored Atkins red because in reality, he is a Republican. Has there been any partisan vote on a controversial issue this session where he has voted with the Democrats? No. Four Democrats, Earl Jaques, Charles Potter, Bill Carson and Trey Paradee all voted no with the Republicans. Only one Republican voted yes: Mike Ramone. He represents an upstate New Castle County district. Paradee and Carson's districts are downstate and more conservative, but not so conservative that they had to run scared and vote no just to stay in office since their Democratic colleagues in other Kent County districts voted yes. Likewise, Joe Miro and Debbie Hudson's districts are upstate and in New Castle County, and they voted no even though they may suffer electoral consequences given their districts. As did Democrats Earl Jaques and Charles Potter, both of whom are in safe liberal Democratic districts, and if I have anything to say about it, both will suffer electoral consequences due to this vote. The point of all this: this was not a vote that was given to district constituencies. This was a vote of personal principle. Those voting no are of the mind that equality is for me and not for thee. That makes them ill suited for office.

I know some libertarian minded liberals (like yous truly ) who were a little surprised at how compliant Bostonians were when the police declared a "lock down". But there is a big difference between being a little surprised and being a goddam lunatic.

The #DEHouse is in session now! They'll break for caucus before the debate/vote on the marriage bill. Like we did with House Bill 35, I will try to post updates from the debate on the Gay Marriage Bill (SB 75) here.