Susan Mikula is an artist.

They live in Massachusetts and commute to NYC during the week.

Happy couple, huh?

Rachel routinely stands up for us.

She is a resolute voice for those who value justice and liberty and truth.

She never, ever gives up.

Don't you think, just maybe, that the one very small thing you owe her (and tens of millions of your fellow Americans like her) is the commitment to, at the very least, support only Democratic leaders who respect and value her relationship enough to take a public stand in favor of civil unions?

Isn't that an incredibly low bar to set for ourselves as Democrats, since an overwhelming majority of the country favors civil unions and a great number of Republicans do as well?

Rachel and Susan are lucky enough to live in a state that recognizes their relationship legally and allows them to marry, should they so choose.

But millions don't.

There are about a zillion other issues that are equally as important in the grand context of all of our lives, and many of us have lines we won't cross when supporting politicians. Some of won't vote for anyone who voted for the IWR. Some of us cannot in good conscience vote for anyone who would make abortion illegal. Some of cannot vote for politicians who favor private school vouchers and prayer in school. Some of us cannot vote for politicians who are not keen stewards of the environment. Some of us cannot stand by and watch the consitution shredded. It angers and pains us.

In regards to this one issue, in the year 2008, isn't the very least we can do for our fellow gay and lesbian Americans to demand that our Democratic leaders, and those we would install in positions of power, reach the very, very low threshold of full support for civil unions?

Civil unions are really nothing more than second class families, with no federal recognition. It is not a high benchmark to set for a Democrat, even for one from a conservative state.

Isn't it absurd that we even have to have this discussion on a putatively progressive message board?

We at our best, all of us, when we take up each other's causes as our own and fight tirelessly for our common humanity and our mutual bond as free citizens and stand firmly for what is both right and just.

Doesn't that endeavor make all of us, after all, not only better citizens, but better human beings?

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Disclaimer 1: I am voting for the Democratic ticket regardless of whom Obama picks (well maybe not OJ Simpson or Sam Nunn) , but that doesn't mean all of us don't have a right and an obligation to speak out.

Disclaimer 2: I don't know how Rachel Maddow feels about the Veep candidates. I heard her make both mildly positive and mildly negative remarks about Tim Kaine the other day. I am merely using her (sorry Rachel) as a public figure we all know to make a point about standing up for each other.