August 02, 2013 10:35 AM UTC

One Colorado Slams Recall/Prop 8 Spokesperson

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• by: Colorado Pols

We told you this was coming. An email from One Colorado, the state's leading LGBT advocacy organization:

Many of us remember the heartbreak our community felt last year when extreme, anti-equality forces killed civil unions legislation. But following that defeat, we fought back and prevailed. 

Now, they’re back. A small, radical group has launched a misguided effort to undo the progress we’ve made. They are attempting to recall two of our most steadfast allies in the Colorado Senate: Senators John Morse and Angela Giron.

And who have they sent to steal our fair-minded majority? None other than Jennifer Kerns, former spokesperson for the campaign to pass Prop 8 and limit the freedom to marry in California. Read more about Kerns here.

This is the same Jennifer Kerns, by the way, who just the other day said that these recalls are partly the result of this year’s “radical agenda” in the state legislature. Any guess as to which agenda items she’s talking about? Just ask one of the recall organizers – they’re specifically instructing their canvassers to attack our elected leaders for supporting civil unions.

These cynical scare tactics have got to stop – and it’s up to us to stop them…

We discussed the "professionalization" of the recall campaign against Sen. John Morse a few days ago, and Jennifer Kerns is probably the best example of this–with a long resume of Republican and right-leaning communications jobs. Unfortunately, that long resume risks dragging all of the baggage from those other issues into this recall, which may not help it succeed. Ms. Kerns tried to preempt criticism of her previous job as spokesperson for California's gay marriage ban campaign, as she told the Colorado Springs Independent:

"My work there had no influence on my work with the Recall campaigns," she states. "Not only do I NOT disapprove of his support of Civil unions, I have been on record for a long time supportive of Civil unions myself. Also, the Basic Freedom Defense Fund does not engage in social issues."

But that's not what Kerns told KUNC's Bente Birkeland:

Kerns says Democrats – who control both legislative chambers – had a radical agenda this year. The legislature passed several bills in addition to the gun measures, including civil unions, [Pols emphasis] in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants and new renewable energy standards.

Also, as One Colorado points out in their email, numerous sources have confirmed that civil unions legislation is a part of the canvassing script being used by recall organizers in Morse's district. Given the deceptions freely employed by recall petition gatherers, we suppose it's to be expected that their spokesperson will be two-faced about an issue that doesn't cleanly divide along partisan lines–or in the case of civil unions, enjoys very broad support among the public. But the more this recall becomes a broad ideological battle between left and right and less about the specific gun safety bills that originally provoked it, the weaker their case becomes.