Posted on 10/22/2009 6:35:24 PM PDT by conservativegramma
A "hate crimes" plan that opponents have warned will be used to crack down on Christian speech, even the reading of the Bible, is poised to be signed by President Obama, a longtime proponent of the plan to give homosexuals and those with other alternative lifestyles special protections not provided other classes of citizens.
The Senate approved the "hate crimes" plan 68-29 today after Democrats strategically attached it to a "must-pass" $680 billion defense appropriations plan.
Most Republicans, although normally strong supporters of the U.S. military, opposed the plan.
"The inclusion of the controversial language of the hate crimes legislation, which is unrelated to our national defense, is deeply troubling," Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., told Fox News after the vote.
The plan also hands out federal money to states and local governments in pursuit of "preventing" hate crimes.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said the move is a step toward thought crimes and suggested the bill will be a warning against those to speak out about their religious faith.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Cornyn, you just got put on my Never Vote For list right below Hussein and KBH.
Is it entirely fair to blame Cornyn when the bill was about defense spending? I would have preferred all of the Republicans to vote no in protest the addition of unrelated hate crime legislation; but I do not think its fair to blame Cornyn as if he voted in favor of a stand-alone hate crimes bill.
Seriously? You don’t understand that you can’t just vote for one part of a bill. Once you cast your vote, it’s for the whole ball of wax. There’s no excuse for “oooh, but I only voted for x and y but z just happened to be in it too, sorry.” That mentality is how the crooks get by with all they do. Put in something that would never get approved and it slides right in. No! He voted for the hate crime hogwash just the same as he voted for defense spending.
FYI, three times as many Republicans had the good sense to vote against it - 28 nays to 10 yeas. Cornyn voted with the RATS (with two exceptions one voted nay and the other abstained). So, yeah, I blame him.
http://www.opencongress.org/roll_call/sublist/6247?party=Republican&vote=Aye
worthless GOP for not making more of a noise about this.
They should have been calling every media in the country as soon as they caught wind of this.
Will the GOP now mention this in the next elections?
NAH COURSE NOT even though the public would be outraged
Hutchison who wants the Govt position in TX
I hope Perry brings this up.
these Dems and RINOS’ vote and there should be consequences for their vote but alas they have been inthat long that the ignorant voting folks look at R or D instead of looking at what what vote for and where they stand
“Seriously? You dont understand that you cant just vote for one part of a bill. Once you cast your vote, its for the whole ball of wax.”
No kidding? Really? Calm down. I know how the voting works.
99.9 percent of the bill was about needed defense spending. The Matthew Shepard Act was added as an amendment, which neither of the Texas Senators voted for.
So, someone like Cornyn is faced with a decision: vote for the bill because he supports 99 percent of it; or vote against the bill because of the Matthew Shepard Act but then for the next year possibly be seen as voting against a defense appropriations bill. Its not so simple as some here like to say; and blaming one of the more conservative Senators in the US may not be, in my mind, appropriate.
Cornyn is not the problem. The Democrats are the problem.
nail on head
I am fed up of those who vote D or R or the name of the guy they know ...
Even on here I have read where some think it is alright to vote for one person because they can ignore votes like this and then say they can’t blame them.
The GOP should have been making a noise so loud that every so called media outlet would have had to carry it, plus not voting for this
No he and the other RINO’s should not have voted for this what so ever and let it be known why to the public.
If they had made a noise about this to the public then the public would have known.
you cannot vote for a bill and ignore add ons like this
FYI, three times as many Republicans had the good sense to vote against it - 28 nays to 10 yeas. Cornyn voted with the RATS (with two exceptions one voted nay and the other abstained).
Yes, I saw that. Personally, I would have preferred that Cornyn join the protesting Republicans [who clearly voted against the bill to protest the hate crimes amendment]. Cornyn should have voted no and made every statement he could about the unscrupulous game playing by the Democrats.
So, yeah, I blame him.
Thats where I do not agree so much. Cornyns decision was not one in which he was making a clearly wrong choice in representing me. He took a different approach than I would to a decision that had unfavorable consequences either way.
Cornyn is not the problem. If we rank Senators by my conservative preferences, Cornyn would be among the top 25, no doubt. Democrats and a few RINOs are the problem. I like to keep my outrage directed downrange at the primary target.
In other words, by analogy since we are in the post season, dont can a star pitcher because he walked somebody. Mention its a walk, encourage him to do better, but dont forget about his 2.0 ERA.
Bottom line, he voted for it. He is the problem. There was nothing stopping him from outting it loudly for everyone to hear. There was nothing stopping him from presenting his own bill that was 100% defense. I don't see the Republicans who voted against it scrambling to come up with excuses for shooting it down.
It's about establishing homosexuals as a "protected class" and making their opponents walk in the shadow of "enemies of the State". And if you don't think that'll be a gold mine of repression, just ask anyone in the border-watcher community or the Ku Klux Klan about the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is all about suing people like them into nonexistence. They'll be happy to take on churches for preaching Leviticus, they were running out of Klansmen to sue. Their buddies in Canada already have taken on religion -- I refer you to our friends at FreeDominion.com.
Sorry, but when it comes to a question between the Ku Klux Klan and the Southern Poverty Law Center, I will stand with the latter.
And again, I must state that I am opposed to the portion of the bill that protects a certain class of people via a hate crime provision.
Instead, under current law, people who attack gays should be convicted of assault and tossed in prison where they are sure to receive a certain type of sensitivity training from fellow inmates who are doing a long stretch in prison.
You are still wrong.
“Bottom line, he voted for it.”
Not a fair statement when we look at the vote in context. See my comments below.
There was nothing stopping him from presenting his own bill that was 100% defense.
Actually, Cornyn (and KBH, for that matter) voted against the Cloture Motion. The Cloture Motion is what required 60 percent, and it was the only chance a Republican minority had to stop this thing. If the 5 RINOs had not voted along with the Democrats on the Cloture Motion, we might have had a chance to remove the hate crime amendment.
See http://www.opencongress.org/vote/2009/s/326
After the Colture Motion passed (with the crucial votes from the RINOs), the remaining vote is only a 50 percent requirement and a done deal.
Again, I do not disagree with your preference that the final vote should have still been a No. I agree entirely. But I am not outraged by it. Cornyn stood up against the bill when he had a chance, and after that, whats the point, really.
Do not completely overlook all the good Cornyn does, including for example, adding language to the current bill that improves the ability of our overseas troops to get their votes counted in time.
“You are still wrong.”
How can I be wrong when we both agree that hate crimes legislation is a bad idea?
So ... what needs saying to invoke it?
Umm, do you even read your own posts? If the 'Pubs can't stop anything, then why would the Dems need the tactic of putting it into a bill that the Pubs would have a hard time voting against?
I fell behind on the news this week. We’ve been sick all week with some strange virus. So, I didn’t see this ping until now. Yes, this country is being driven into ruin. I hope it can be saved.
Commenters on Free Republic see more fuel for the coming second Civil War."This is an attempt to silence Christianity. They have no idea what a hornets nest theyve opened up. I cant wait until the first pink tutu wearing gay opens fire on a Pastors sermon. It WILL go to court and the 1st amendment WILL be used in defense. Going to come down one of 2 ways 1) the 1st amendment will be upheld and this law will be declared unconstitutional or 2) the 1st amendment will become toilet paper and then CWII opens up as something a mite hotter than rhetoric in forums and chatrooms."
Oct 22, 2009 ... "I can't wait until the first pink tutu wearing gay opens fire on a Pastor's sermon," proclaims Free Republic. "This would be the very first ...
www.examiner.com/x-17183-Birmingham-Gay-Community-Examiner~y2009m10d23-Love-conquers-hate-inclusive-hate-crime..Notice how FR "proclaimed"...in the second article.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.