UPDATE at bottom of post.

Last week, Washington’s favorite homobigot Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church, sent out an e-mail stating

News Flash Wednesday, 11 March 2009

The Domestic Partnership (everything but marriage) bills will probably pass the House this week.  Please be praying that the sanctity of marriage will be upheld in this state.  I will be on the KING 5 TV program “Up Front” addressing this issue on Sunday, March 15.

Up Front‘s host, Allen Schauffler, did a great job laying out the DP/marriage issue and its history in Washington state in the show “Up Front: Gay Marriage”, which can be seen here (embed code not provided, unfortunately).  Huterchson & sidekick, Joseph Backholm of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, show up at about 11:45 minutes into the story.  There is an additional, web-only segment of Schauffler interviewing them here (highly recommended for those who enjoy hearing lies and distortions flow like water from Hutcherson’s lips!).  

After reading Hutcherson’s email Alert, I was thinking he had something big to announce, like a referendum drive.  I was disappointed.  He and Backholm seemed utterly defeated and reflected a disorganized opposition with nothing to offer its adherents.  Of course, it could be that they’re just holding their cards close to the vest until the bill actually passes.  But I don’t think so, because this performance must have been terribly discouraging to their supporters.  And others from their team, such as Gary Randall of the Faith & Freedom Network have been decidedly un-inspirational for some time.  Randall’s latest “pep talk” went like this

Plan to attend the “Stand Up For Marriage Rally” next Thursday, March 19, on the Capitol steps in Olympia….I have heard of three churches that are bringing a bus load of people. I’m sure there will be more. Perhaps you could organize a group from your church this Sunday.

Is he defeated, or just playing coy?  Check out the transcript of the Hutcherson & Sidekick portion of the Up Front piece below, and let me know what you think.

Allen Schauffler  Gentlemen, what’s your best guess.  Is [The Domestic Partnership Expansion Bill of 2009] going to pass in the House and be signed into law by the governor?

Joseph Backholm  Alan, I think you’d have to bet on it if you’re going to wager.  I think there’s a chance that it does not pass.  On a vote, the Senate is probably the place where it would have been stopped.  If there’s any chance of it being stopped now, I think it’s because the Speaker of the House tables it because because it would not politically be advantageous for them.  He’s seen what’s happened in every state in the union where this issue has been to the ballot.  They’ve always voted to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

AS  Pastor, what do you think?

Ken Hutcherson  Uh, I think it’s gonna pass.  I don’t think there’s anything in the state of Washington right now that gonna stop it.  I think the homosexual community owns the state of Washington.  I think the homosexual community owns the governor. I think the homosexual community owns the Senate and the House.  They got too much money.  And uh, politicians love power and money.

AS  And if this does become law, would you like to see the voters of the state of Washington have a chance to validate it or reject it?  Will you support or will you be helping organize an initiative, something that might go on the ballot and give the people a chance to say yes or no to.

KH  Well I think that uh, you know, Joseph has been the one who has really jumped on the grassroot people, and have made calls, and have done so many good things up until the vote Tuesday night in the Senate.  So I think there’s a groundswell that is coming, I think that people need to be awakened.  I think that those with high morals, those who stand strong on what marriage is between one man and one woman, ah the church, ah we need to get our act together and get in gear and I think there will be some type of movement to put it before the people.

AS  To put domestic partnerships, this issue, before the people.  Joseph, do you see that too?

JB  I think it’s possible.  I don’t know that that decision has been made.  Now it’s gonna be particularly tough this year because the number of ballots you need, the number of signatures you need to get on the ballot is determined by turnout in the last election, and it was really, really high, so the percentage you have, and you only have 90 days to do it, um, so we will really have to assess whether or not the pieces are in place to do it on this issue.  And again, domestic partnership is a very different issue than actual marriage for ballot initiatives.

AS  About 300,000 signatures: that’s a lot.

JB  Well, you don’t need that for a referendum.  It’s 4% rather than 8% for an initiative.  It’s 4% for a referendum.  SO you need 120,000 to qualify.  Of course you need some margin above that to actually uh, fer fer mistakes on signatures, so.  But it’s still a sizable number, and you only have half as long.

AS  You’ve said in the past that you think the duty of state government is to support what you would call “traditional relationships”, and remain neutral on all others.  Is that realistic given what we’re seeing?  Isn’t it clear that state government is very involved in developing law around this issue?

JB  Oh state government is, is involved in developing law on this issue.  And when I’ve said that, my concern has been that uh, this is not the only type of relationship the state law discriminates against.  In Washington state, you can’t get married to someone who is closer than a 2nd cousin, you can’t get married to someone who is already married, you can’t get married to someone who is under the age of 18, and you can’t get married to someone who is of the same gender.  The only factor we’re dealing with here is the gender requirement, and so, you’re point leads to the fact that if we redefine it in this way, on what basis do we exclude all the other relationships that could also conceivably involve loving, consenting adults?  And what reason do we exclude these rights from them, and so my point there is that the current distinction because heterosexual relationships are the only place where children are produced, and the best environment, their biological parents, in which children should be raised, that that is the most rational distinction.  Because once your redefine in any way, where do you stop, and on what basis?

AS  Pastor Hutcherson, in the past you’ve taken on, very publicly taken on, Microsoft.  When the company seemed to be in Olympia supporting some of these initiatives.  Would you take the same tack this time around with companies that were supporting this bill, or with legislators that have come out vocally supporting this bill.

KH  Well I think the way to do it this time is to get the people and get the finances behind us.  So we may have to do it ecumenically, where we do it, it may take us a year.  You know, we may not be able to do it in 90 days.  But, our state hasn’t changed in just 90 days, it’s taken us a long time to get here.  So we gotta understand that it is the – we have to persevere.  We have to do what it’s gonna take, and I will, I mean, you know.

AS  Well what is it going to take?

KH  I think it’s just unity. My number one thing is unity.  What can we do together that we can never accomplish separately?  And that is what has killed us in this state, well as far as the church is concerned.  We have too many pastors who has a tendency to want to get the glory.  I kinda figure Christ is supposed to get the glory and the credit.  You know, he don’t wanna share either.  And, if it’s not their idea, then half the time we can;t get ‘em to work together.

AS  You expect a battle on this?

KH  Oh most definitely.  And I plan on being the Number 1 part of the battle.

Note how Hutcherson swipes at his rivals by saying “We have too many pastors who has a tendency to want to get the glory.”, then apparently misses the irony in following up with “And I plan on being the Number 1 part of the battle.”  Thanks Ken for validating my suppositions, as laid out in Rivalry Among the Washington State Haters?.  

 More confirmation of our theory.  Thanks Gary!