Wow, pretty amazing how closely the Democratic National Committee is monitoring and quickly responding to communications to LGBT donors being asked to hold off on their donations this year until LGBT Americans get the things the Obama team promised.

I guess Ray Buckley’s not too busy raising LGBT money in 2010 to harass a small group of volunteers who ask their supporters to re-consider donating to Democrats until we get what we were promised.

Watch the whole video, too — Ray Buckley’s "surprise" must be off the charts as the midterms of 2010 approach, considering what he expected Obama to accomplish with is historic congressional majorities by the end of 2009.

For reference, here’s the letter from Robin McGehee that Ray Buckley accused GetEQUAL of getting Karl Rove to write:

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As I watch my inbox fill up with reports of LGBT young people taking their lives, I am sick with disgust when I see countless political fundraising emails asking me to give time and money to campaigns. While we sit under the crushing weight of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia endorsed by the federal government, I’m getting totebag offers from the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

I have had enough!

Today, GetEQUAL is announcing a campaign called “We’ll Give When We GetEQUAL,” asking LGBT Americans and straight allies to withhold time and money from political entities that are not fighting as hard for our equality as they are for our checkbooks and our volunteer hours.

There are numerous promises that we need our elected officials to make good on, but for now we’re asking for just one: an Executive Order signed by the President that will immediately stop military discharges under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Click here to sign the “We’ll Give When We GetEQUAL” pledge: www.getequal.org/givewhenequal

Since GetEQUAL launched six months ago, we’ve always been honest with you — pointing out broken promises from our elected leaders [1], and taking bold action to move the fight for equality forward. We’ve all seen the fundraising appeals from Democrats, and even some Republicans, clamoring for LGBT dollars while disingenuously promising to fight for us. It is clear they can identify our struggles, but I want tangible change that protects our children and gives our community the rights we deserve. It’s time to draw a line in the sand.

Democrats and Republicans are holding our equality hostage -– promising progress if we vote them back into office year after year, but never actually delivering on those promises. It’s time for us to call them on their game of chicken. We are insisting on progress before we will prop up political parties and committees that expect us to donate while they fund anti-equality candidates and fail us time after time.

Are we asking you to not vote? No -– too many social movements have fought for that hard-earned right to throw it away now. Are we asking you to not support pro-equality candidates? That answer is completely up to you -– though we believe that it’s good practice to support candidates who have proven that they support us by being champions for LGBT equality.

Are we asking you to withhold money and time from political parties and committees that cash our checks, without ever finding concrete ways to work toward our collective equality? YES!

Sign on to the “We’ll Give When We GetEQUAL” campaign: www.getequal.org/givewhenequal

There will be some who say we haven’t given Democrats enough time, and that Republicans are finally turning a corner on LGBT rights. Neither of these claims are true. Both are excuses that we have heard for decades, and that have brought us no closer to full equality. Our tolerance and patience — while we lose our jobs, are denied our right to marry, are forbidden to serve our country openly, and are forced to watch our youth kill themselves because they have no dignity or hope — is GONE!

There are a host of ways to hold our elected officials accountable for promises they’ve made, but we’ll get things started with a first step -– a way to see whether those who are asking for our money and our support are *really* willing to work for our equality. We are asking President Obama, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, to sign an Executive Order to IMMEDIATELY halt all military discharges of lesbian, gay, and bisexual soldiers — and we’re inviting you to participate in that effort.

Sign the “We’ll Give When We GetEQUAL” pledge and download an Executive Order to deliver to President Obama when he comes to your town: www.getequal.org/givewhenequal

Why continue to organize on behalf of politicians when we need to be organizing for ourselves?

Get Out! Get Active! GetEQUAL!

Robin McGehee
Co-Founder and Director
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