Folks are justifiably happy to learn Thune's "a gun in every glove compartment" amendment just went down to another richly deserved defeat. But it would be more accurate to say this time it fell short of winning.... by a mere 2 votes. That means it will be back, yet again. Count on it.
That should be cause for concern. Not simply because Republicans will continue raising this nonsense in their ongoing efforts to distract people from important work that needs to be done. It's cause for concern because Democratic support for this kind of legislative malpractice is growing. Every time it comes up for a vote more Democrats sign on. At first it was just Begich (D-AK). This time there were 20 Democratic supporters.
When Begich, Hagan, Feingold (WTF?), Tester, Webb, and Warner are voting in favor of this amendment we have a problem that needs to be addressed.
They weren't the only Democrats to vote in favor of this nonsense, Reid did too. As far as I'm concerned Reid is a lost cause who has sold his soul to the highest bidders. However, I'm selecting the one's listed above for a reason... they would not have become senators without the support of progressives and liberals.
We need to establish limits to the levels of cynicism and hypocrisy we are going to permit without consequences. Why do I say it's hypocritical? Consider the sponsor, Thune of SD. His amendment would have permitted the transport across state lines of concealed weapons. The argument being that people should not give up their rights simply because they cross state lines. Ok. Sounds reasonable. Except for the fact it flies in the face of fundamental Federalist principles. For example, the notion that states cannot usurp the rights of each other. You may be interested to know that is not just my opinion. Tom Davis, a former Republican congressman from Virginia pointed that out.
Let's see if Thune is consistent on that issue: How does he feel about women going across state lines to obtain legal abortions? Hard to say. He never voted on that exactly. However he Voted YES on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion. (Mar 2008). So, if it is not possible for a girl to get an abortion in South Dakota and her parents want to take her to Minnesota, Thune is opposed to that. Sounds like someone is trying to impose their will on people in other states. Last I checked, abortion is legal in every state. So much for respecting state sovereignity or civil rights.
But that isn't the end of the hypocrisy. The reason this even occurred to me is the clip of Thune defending this nonsense as a way to prevent hate crimes. This isn't the first time he's tried that nonsense. He tried inserting the amendment in the Matthew Shepard Bill. Wow. Who knew Thune was such an avid supporter of homosexuals? It would be hard to tell from his record.
Thune has voted
- YES to a constitutional amendment defining traditional marriage. (Jun 2008)
- YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)
- YES on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
No wonder he is rated 0% by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
What this demonstrates is a longstanding opposition for civil rights coupled with a desire to impose his will across state lines, topped off with a keen interest in rewriting the constitution along parochial doctrinal lines.
Yet we are supposed to believe he is now offering an amendment motivated by compassion for victims of hate crimes and a love for the constitution? Give me a break.
If you are going to find common cause with someone who is this partisan, cynical, and hypocritical, you better have a great reason. Especially if the guy you are supporting is championing positions that fly in the face of everything your base supports.
This brings me to Begich, Hagan, Tester, Webb and Warner. Every one of these people owes their seats to the hard work of progressives and liberals. We raised money for them through ActBlue... to name just one example. Tester and Webb in particular know the Democratic establishment wrote them off only to be surprised that these "darlings of the liberals" made it across the finish line because we did not listen to the DLC. Begich and Hagan also benefited from the efforts of those campaigning for Obama. Coat tails are not created by magic. They require people knocking on doors and riasing money. I raise this because Begich actually cosponsored S.845, one of Thune's prior attempts to get this nonsense made into law.
As the health care debate drags on, I have started noticing these same names come up an awful lot whenever people talk about Democratic resistance to core policy changes favored by the vast majority of people here. I'm beginning to think Tester and Webb have forgotten they are members of this community. They need to account for themselves.
That brings me to Feingold. There is no question he is held in high esteem here. For good reason. But this vote is completely shocking. I can see Harry Reid whoring his vote for something like this. I don't like it, but I am not surprised by it. Feingold's support, on the other hand, totally mystifies me. I'm willing to reserve judgment, but like Tester and Webb, I think he needs to explain himself.... to us.
Some people may think its arrogant of me to demand accountability on core issues from people we helped elect. If I'm the only one calling for this, then it is going to go nowhere. However, if we make our collective voices heard, I think things will follow a dramatically different course.
Or we can do nothing and act surprised the next time this amendment rears its ugly head and we're still waiting for universal health insurance.