Last night, Jon Stewart showed how a sensible piece of legislation to push for rights of disabled people worldwide was killed by Senate Republicans who have latched onto easily debunked and rather stupid conspiracy theories about the UN.
In a world gone mad, America can lead, and reclaim its exceptional moral authority.
ANDREA MITCHELL (12/4/2012): They needed 66 votes — it's a treaty — 2/3s of the Senate, and it failed.
Or we could shit the bed. HOW DID THAT FAIL?! What is wrong with you people?? I guess it's time for our new segment, Please Tell Me This Is Rock Bottom. How did this happen?
ANDREA MITCHELL (12/4/2012): 38 Republicans voted no.
CHRIS CILLIZZA (12/4/2012): To vote for anything that is even perceived to be granting the UN power is a dangerous game for a Republican Senator, because the UN is so unpopular among the Republican base.
Oh my God. It's official, Republicans hate the United Nations more than they like helping people in wheelchairs.
....
I don't get it. It can't just be you reject trying to get other countries to live up to America's ideals. That can't be it. So show us something else, maybe in a size Crazy.
SEN. MIKE LEE, R-UT (11/26/2012): It is with grave concern for sovereignty that I oppose this UN treaty.
SEN. JAMES INHOFE, R-OK (12/4/2012): The treaty could be used to interfere with the ability of parents with disabled children to decide what action is in the best interest of their children. This would especially affect those parents who homeschool their children.
Yeah, that's the stuff, that's the stuff. You voted No because your fear is if we sign on to a treaty that is only recommendations for improved disability standards — standards we ourselves made the law of the land in this country 20 years ago — what's to stop the men in blue helmets from storming into your living room — I'm sorry, school — and force you to build a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the cafeteria — I'm sorry, your kitchen?
Or force you to teach that Adam and Eve didn't ride a Stegosaurus.
Video and full transcript below the fold.
You know what? Finally, a righteous mission of worldwide equal rights for the disabled, with the support of war heroes and Senate elder statesmen. In a world gone mad, America can lead, and reclaim its exceptional moral authority.
ANDREA MITCHELL (12/4/2012): They needed 66 votes — it's a treaty — 2/3s of the Senate, and it failed.
Or we could shit the bed. HOW DID THAT FAIL?! What is wrong with you people?? I guess it's time for our new segment, Please Tell Me This Is Rock Bottom. How did this happen?
ANDREA MITCHELL (12/4/2012): 38 Republicans voted no.
CHRIS CILLIZZA (12/4/2012): To vote for anything that is even perceived to be granting the UN power is a dangerous game for a Republican Senator, because the UN is so unpopular among the Republican base.
Oh my God. It's official, Republicans hate the United Nations more than they like helping people in wheelchairs.
All right, look, I'm willing to keep an open mind here. What are your bullshit reasons for opposing this?
SEN. JON KYL, R-AZ (12/4/2012): We already have the most comprehensive disability rights laws and protections in the world, period.
SEN. JAMES INHOFE, R-OK (12/4/2012): It is considered to be the gold standard for the disabled.
Right. So by signing this, we are — through our moral leadership and hope beaconing — encouraging the other signatories in the world to live up to the only standard that never loses value, gold.
I don't get it. It can't just be you reject trying to get other countries to live up to America's ideals. That can't be it. So show us something else, maybe in a size Crazy.
SEN. MIKE LEE, R-UT (11/26/2012): It is with grave concern for sovereignty that I oppose this UN treaty.
SEN. JAMES INHOFE, R-OK (12/4/2012): The treaty could be used to interfere with the ability of parents with disabled children to decide what action is in the best interest of their children. This would especially affect those parents who homeschool their children.
Yeah, that's the stuff, that's the stuff. You voted No because your fear is if we sign on to a treaty that is only recommendations for improved disability standards — standards we ourselves made the law of the land in this country 20 years ago — what's to stop the men in blue helmets from storming into your living room — I'm sorry, school — and force you to build a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the cafeteria — I'm sorry, your kitchen?
Or force you to teach that Adam and Eve didn't ride a Stegosaurus.
What, is there anything else you object to in this Bob Dole-supported treaty that will force Americans to bow down to the UN?
SEN. MIKE LEE, R-UT (12/4/2012): This treaty simply has no enforcement mechanism.
MOTHERFUCKER!! (confused audience laughter)
Boy, the UN really thought of everything! An all-powerful one world treaty... with no enforcement mechanisms! It's like one of them Chinese finger traps, that all you have to do is relax your fingers, and "I'm free!"
Well, how about this? How about we change the treaty to include a classification of delusional paranoia as a disability? So now that you'll be covered, are we good?
(woman in wheelchair thrown down stairs)
The gentlemen from the Senate still say Nay. We'll be right back.
Al Madrigal then looked at
how marijuana would affect senior citizens.
Meanwhile, Stephen looked at how some parents are
paying tutors big money to cheat for their children.
He then covered the
PPP poll that showed 49% of Republicans think ACORN stole the 2012 election for Obama, as well as the UN treaty being rejected by the Senate GOP.
Stephen continued with
Hobbit Week by interviewing
Andy Serkis, and Jon had on former Sen.
Alan Simpson (R-WY), which of course went long. Here's the unedited interview in 3 parts.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3