From the "Delayed gratification" file.

Those of you who were able to resist attempting mischief in the Republican caucuses and thereby retained your eligibility for the Democratic caucuses can collect your reward this Sunday, as Washington Democrats begin the process of selecting 130 folks to represent us at the Democratic National Convention.

(It clicks a bunch bigger)

The main driver for caucus attendance is usually a hotly contested nomination race. This year there's no such motivation.  President Obama will be our nominee, and I fully expect our delegation to be unanimous in that regard. The nomination isn't the only question before the caucuses, though.  As the chart above shows, there is the opportunity at every level to move resolutions and platforms that reflect the principles and positions of the Democratic Party.  In that regard, this is where Washington Democrats can join the movement to include a marriage equality plank in the national platform.

I've already endorsed the language proposed by Freedom To Marry, but I'd happily settle for the language in our own 32nd Distict Democrats platform, which supports...

The right of every adult to marry the person of his or her choice without gender restrictions upon that choice, and to enjoy the same civil and legal rights accorded to all marriages.

Whatever the final language may be, it's time for the national platform to make our support for marriage rights explicit. Officials including the National Convention Chair, at least four former Democratic National Convention and a list of elected officials that includes our own Senator Patty Murray agree.

President Obama, I'm sorry to say, doesn't. Maybe I'm not such an Obamabot after all, but I don't think the Party should, as tradition would suggest, yield this plank of our platform to the nominee.  If he finds leading a Party committed to marriage equality uncomfortable, perhaps it's the irritant necessary to spur his evolution on the issue.  

I'll be caucusing Sunday afternoon, and running for delegate to the LD/County level with a pledge to support the nomination and re-election of President Barack Obama and the inclusion of explicit marriage equality language in the county, state and national platforms.  I'll be asking for a similar commitment from those who seek my vote for delegate to any level as the process advances.

Your precinct caucus is at 1:00 this Sunday afternoon.  If you don't know where, use the Washington State Democratic Party's caucus locator.