UPDATE: Apparently yet ANOTHER spokesperson for SFMM yesterday told the press that about 70,000 signatures were being submitted- not over 100,000!

Scott Fish, spokesman for the Stand for Marriage campaign, said volunteers are going to drop off more than 70,000 signatures – about 15,000 more than the minimum needed to force a referendum.

Hilarious- they don’t seem able to get their story straight at all, do they?

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Check out this video response by Maine4Marriage:

Supposedly SFMM, er, their hired hands from Michigan collected over 100,000 of them. Funny- they never stopped by my house ONCE…

Opponents of Maine’s new law allowing same-sex couples to marry delivered more than 100,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office on Friday as part of their effort force a November referendum on the issue.

Leaders of the petition drive said the fact they were able to collect so many signatures over a relatively short time underscores deep discontent among Mainers toward the new law.

“We are here today to witness this that 1,260-some volunteers and over 100,000 Maine citizens have already said no,” said the Rev. Bob Emrich, one of Stand for Marriage Maine’s leaders. “And they did so because they believe there is still a duty and a benefit to nurture and promote the unique institution of traditional marriage,”

If at least 55,087 of the 100,373 signatures are deemed valid, a question will appear on the November ballot asking voters whether they wish to repeal the gay marriage law.

But there’s the thing: just how many of those are indeed valid? I have little doubt that SFMM was able to pull 55k+ signatures, but 100k?

No way in hell. Calling bullsh*t here, folks…

But as one could expect, those who oppose Maine’s equal marriage law (and the larger national picture this law represents) are not questioning the validity of the signatures at all, but instead reporting the 100k as a sign of strong support.

Washington Times even interviewed the latest newbie campaign manager. Did I miss something while on vacation- what happened to Marc Mutty, on loan from the Portland Roman Catholic Diocese?

Since when is Jeff Flint the official campaign manager?

But then again, I seem to remember Mike Heath “sardonically” stating that not he (Heath), but Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland’s Bishop Richard Malone was in charge…

Anyone else see, similar to a major league baseball game, the changing of pitchers after every inning as an indicator of a game plan going badly?

As for the “1260 volunteers”… oh please.

If they had that many volunteers, why did they have to pay for troops from Michigan?

You think just maybe the number, which is utterly laughable when one also considers the 4 lone donations from Mainers, might be a reaction to this accurate figure of 400 grassroots volunteers??

A coalition fighting a move to repeal the state’s gay marriage law says it has collected more than 60,000 pledge cards of support from Maine residents.

Maine Freedom to Marry organizers announced at a noon rally Thursday at Portland City Hall that more than 400 volunteers had collected the cards from across the state. The announcement came a day before opponents are scheduled to deliver signatures to Augusta to put the issue of gay marriage on the November ballot.

The rally was the latest development in a campaign that is expected to be highly emotional and very expensive. By mid-July, the coalition of opponents of gay marriage, the Stand for Maine Marriage political action committee, had raised more than $343,000, while those fighting the repeal had taken in $138,640 in contributions.

Gay-marriage proponents at the rally said they had collected the pledge cards during the past year. Jesse Connolly, campaign manager, said volunteers will collect even more this summer.

“We are the local grassroots campaign,” said Connolly.

And look who was first to weigh in with his opinion of this very dubious “accomplishment”: “native Mainer” NOM’s Brian Brown!!

Stand for Marriage Maine supporters, however, believe voters will restore the traditional definition of marriage.

“In thirty other states in America, when voters have had their say, they have voted for marriage as between a man and a woman,” noted Brian Brown, executive director of National Organization for Marriage, which is also part of the Maine coalition.

Okay, okay… here’s a real local reaction, via Christian Civic League, er, the Mike and Mike twins:

The Maine Family Policy Council congratulated Stand for Marriage Maine for the successful petition drive but cautioned the coalition against becoming overconfident.

“Victory in November is not a foregone conclusion,” the council stated. “Our opposition has unlimited financial resources, a clever propaganda campaign which plays on traditional Maine values, and that most powerful factor of all, the support of the media and the liberal establishment.”

Funny, aren’t they? Seems Heath and Hein are living in another Maine, very different than the Maine of mine and the Governor’s… you know, the one where people just live their lives and want everyone else to be able to do the same, equally…

By the way, there is a name change of note:

At the rally, Connolly announced that Maine Freedom to Marry had legally changed its name to No on 1/ Protect Maine Equality.

Mark Sullivan, a spokesman for the campaign, said the name change is designed to make it clear that a “no” vote on the referendum question in November would retain the gay-marriage law.

“We want people to be absolutely clear what they are voting about,” said Sullivan.

Vacation time is over; time to go to work!!