I've wondered for a while how the big lefty non-profits could hire consultants who work with right-wing hate groups at the same time that the lefties are pouring out their innermost secrets to these same consultants.
Convio, a big Internet consulting firm in DC, worked on Howard Dean's campaign among other big lefty clients. Well, now they're working for the Alliance for Marriage, the lead group of anti-gay religious right bigots trying to write us out of the US Constitution.
According to yesterday's Washington Post:
With an Internet store and online fundraising and advocacy, to say nothing of 1 million free bumper stickers, the Alliance for Marriage is trying to build up support for its proposed constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.....Well, Convio, here's a bumper sticker: Fuck you.
[Alliance for Marriage president Matt] Daniels said AFM is also working with Convio Inc. for online fundraising and advocacy services to build up its army of citizen-lobbyists. Convio helped Democrat Howard Dean raise millions of dollars online and recruit large numbers of supporters for his presidential bid.
"They gave us an excellent deal," Daniels said of Convio. "Convio allows us to reach, motivate and retain supporters using online communication, fundraising, team-building and advocacy tools."
And actually, Convio deserves an even bigger fuck you for claiming on its Web site that it doesn't work for clients who "promote prejudice and hate." Oh, so writing gays out of the Constitution, trying to rescind every single civil rights protection on the planet for gays, isn't promoting hate and prejudice?
Fuck. You. And fuck every non-profit in this city that dares touch your company in the future. Though I don't think, after this, any lefty non-profit will ever have the nerve to work with Convio ever again (because if they do, they'll be publicly savaged - you should see the emails that are flying around DC about this scandal).
For its part, Convio has a "Right to Be Heard Policy" on its Web site, explaining that it provides Internet software and services equally to law-abiding nonprofit organizations, regardless of their missions, issues and positions. The company said it does not advocate on behalf of its clients and noted that it "does not work with groups that promote prejudice and hate even if they are in full compliance with the law."From Convio's site:
