Senate Democrats Sneak "Hate Crimes" Bill into Crucial Defense Bill

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | July 13, 2007

[monomaniac]

Would hold US troops fighting "War on Terror" as hostages in exchange for sweeping "hate crimes" legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Senate Democrats will hold US troops fighting the "War on Terror" as hostages in exchange for sweeping "hate crimes" legislation if the Senate votes this week, perhaps as early as Monday, to include it in the defense spending bill.

Instead of introducing the legislation giving sexual orientation "hate crimes" protection as a separate bill, Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) opted to introduce the "Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act" as one of hundreds of amendments to the Defense Reauthorization bill requested by President Bush.

"There's no question this is an attempt to sneak the bill in under the most shameful circumstances because they are attaching it to the defense of our military troops," Mat Staver, founder of the Liberty Counsel told LifeSiteNews.com.

Sens. Kennedy and Smith's strategy, Staver said, forces the President into a terrible dilemma: President Bush must either approve "hate crimes" legislation or veto the entire spending bill thus leaving US troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan without new support and dwindling resources. Since the President has no line-item veto, approval of the defense bill is an all or nothing deal.

"This is an underhanded ploy by liberals in the Senate to try to force Bush to sign dangerous hate crimes legislation into law," said Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America (CWA). "I would suspect that [Bush] would send this back to the Senate and say 'quit playing games with the lives of our troops' and have them send a clean bill to his desk to get these troops taken care of."

In May, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 1592 the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a bill similar to the Senate version proposed by Sens. Kennedy and Smith, that would insert "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" into existing hate crimes provisions, and give the federal government unprecedented involvement in local law enforcement.

The President had promised to veto any "hate crimes" legislation, calling the bill "constitutionally questionable." A statement from the White House said, "There has been no persuasive demonstration of any need to federalize such a potentially large range of violent crime enforcement." http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/may/07050302.html

Conservative groups have charged that "hate crimes" equals "thought crimes" and carries major implications for the religious freedom of Christians and other religious groups who preach homosexual behavior is intrinsically disordered and immoral. Such fears were confirmed when Rep. Artur Davis, a supporter of the bill, admitted that under this law a pastor could be charged with the crime of incitement if the he preached against homosexuality and a person in the congregation left church and committed a crime against a homosexual. http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07042601.html

CWA's Barber told LifeSiteNews.com that pro-family advocates must tell their respective senators to vote against the "hate crimes" amendment. "The grassroots, people of faith, people of conservative values and principles must be contacting their senators and let them know that any hate crimes legislation is unacceptable and they need to do whatever they can to fight this legislation," he said.

CitizenLink provides a page to find contact information for elected officials:

http://vocusgr.vocus.com/GRSPACE2/WebPublish/controller.aspx?SiteName=FOTF&Definition=Home&XSL=Home&SV_Section=Home

See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:

Democrats Refuse Religious Freedom Amendment to Hate Crimes Bill

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07042601.html

CWA Claims Fake "Hate Crimes" Being Used to Force Legislation through Congress

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/apr/07041107.html

US House Passes Gay Hate Crime Bill

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/may/07050405.html

President Bush Promises to Veto Homosexual Hate Crime Bill if Passed

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/may/07050302.html

[California Patriot]

That’s how I see it too.

[MountainFlower]

more graphics? lilliputians?

[California Patriot]

You must have been asleep, or on drugs, all the way back in late June. We defeated the Bush-Kennedy amnesty — with “faxes, e-mails and phone calls.” Although phone calls were the most important.

[smoothsailing]

If I'm reading this right, it's sickening. No way can this stand. President Bush has got to read the riot act on this. DAMN!!!!

[MountainFlower]

so what say we all phone him and tell him that?! I wonder what time the phones shut off up there at the switchboard!!

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Granted that our efforts using the tactics you note were crucial—yet they were not conclusive.

We need additional flanking attacks, would you not agree?

Let’s think outside the box, outside the Beltway and develop a winning Citizens’ strategy...

[California Patriot]

I’m all for thinking outside the box.

The bloggers and talk radio were crucial, even apart from the calls they generated. The senators knew, because of them, that MANY Americans were aware of what the bill would do. Cutting off $$ to the national GOP was useful. And the booing of Grahamnesty (Chambliss or Isakson also?) was useful.

[Son House]

“This is an underhanded ploy by liberals in the Senate”

“This is an underhanded ploy by ‘Democrats’ in the Senate”

No suprize, and it’s July, and we’re still in Iraq, the new Somolia Black Hawk Down mission for Democrats, because everything they are trying to pass, to sandbag our Military Forces, still leaves Troops in Iraq.

[ran20]

I’d also be out fighting with the armed revolt. In addition I am pre-emptively giving my support to a military coup de tat. The military is tasked with protecting the constitution and republic... imo that includes against domestic enemies.

[Anti-Hillary]

This is the same kind of legislation that the Oregon State legislators passed here about 3 months ago. It is VERY scary. Their next move here is to introduce a reeducation curriculum in the skrools and and teach that homosexuallity is NOT an alternative lifestyle and that it IS moral. Gordon must think that since this crap was passed in his state that he does'nt have to worry about reelection. WRONG!!!!! This crap was not put to a vote by the voters (They also threw in “domestic partnerships) and we (conservatives) are mad as hornets. I am going to work like mad to give Gordon the boot. What a RINO!!!!

[Thunder90]

I’m suprised that they didn’t stick an assault weapons ban to one of the bills (Oh yea, they are doing that as well.) Also expect amnesty to be attached to one of these as well.

[kenth]

Yep, that’s exactly what he needs to do. What he doesn’t need to do is sign it, or veto it then sit back and allow the democrats to frame the debate as him abandoning the troops.

[KDD]

They did the same thing with the internet gambling ban.

Frist and Kyle snuck it into a troop funding bill in the middle of the night to avoid debate. We have to stop these Washington idiots from such dishonest political maneuvers.

[Tennessee Nana]

The Democrats around the country stood with us against the AMNESTY Bill...

Most of the same people are Pinko Wackos against the war in Iraq and could care less about the troops but would be for the so called “Hate Crimes” Amendment...

No help there......

Call any Senator or Congressman in Washington DC...

Toll FRee (888) 534-6226 (866) 220-0044

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

“...”I would suspect that [Bush] would send this back to the Senate and say ‘quit playing games with the lives of our troops’ and have them send a clean bill to his desk to get these troops taken care of.” ...”

I seriously doubt he will do that.

He can’t wait to sign it.

[kjhm]

And the minimun wage bill that the dems wanted got passed how? was it not attached to a defense spending bill?

[ct_libertarian]

I understand that you are probably writing rhetorically here out of emotion.
To address your rhetorical point, I do not support this.

However, it does touch on a constitutional question that has been sticking in my craw for a bit now.

The Democrats in Congress have been acting in a manner that is arguably beyond their constitutional scope.
As such, if this argument is accepted, they are violating their constitutional oath of office.

Is there a mechanism where the people can say: "This official has knowingly and with intent violated his oath of office. As such, we are petitioning for a panel of review, and if found guilty for his ouster and for an immediate replacement election in his state/district."?

Members of the military also take a similar constitutional oath of service.
As such, would it be proper for the people to make this request of the military when the executive branch is effectively crippled by these same unconstitutional actions of the legislative?

I would support a reasoned argument to this approach if it were found constitutional.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Despite all of the negative things that are presently going on with the Democratically controlled Congress, it’s pathetic that the Democratic Party may end up with even more political control of the government at every level starting in January ‘09!

[LibLieSlayer]

President Bush must go into “bill clinton” mode. He must turn the Nation against the dims by screaming at every microphone within sight... that the dims pander to the left and minorities and endanger the lives of those fighting to defend all of us by attaching legislation that would destroy our judicial system and destroy our Constitution.

rats are the enemy of America as surely as binny or zawahiri! It WILL WORK because this tactic HAS WORKED!

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

You are not alone... I know of not one single person that is happy with ANYTHING the dims say or do... not even the handful of dims that I know.

When “they” ask, “what happened to OUR (the dim) Party”? I answer, “You are just now noticing”?

LLS