posted July 23, 2006 11:54 AM              

quote:

---

Nonetheless, some members had no trouble explaining the value of the dead-end debate. "This is probably the best message we can give to the Middle East in regards to the trouble we are having over there right now," said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.).

---

Yep, the best message we can give the people of the Middle East while they are being bombed and maimed and killed by our military and the Israeli military in the name of the War on Terror is that while we don't give a hoot about that we are working hard in the attempt to ban gays from marriage. HUH??????

Also while many Americans can't find a decent job, while the Federal govenment has not even addressed the issue of raising the minimum wage nationally throughout Bush's two terms in office, while our nation is on the verge of bankruptcy, while millions of Americans are without healthy insurance and the cost of gas in Michigan is now $3.10 a gallon, while we cannot even get our roads repaired and crime increases on the streets of America, etc. etc., these bafoons think our number one concerns are gay marriage, the use of God in the pledge of allegiance and whether or not someone burns the American flag( another issue that was already defeated in the Senate). No grasp whatsoever on reality by these pocket lining, power grabbing morons.

This is an editorial from the Washington Post:

The People's Business

The House gets to work at what it does best -- scoring political points.
Sunday, July 23, 2006; Page B06

IT WAS BAD enough a few weeks ago when the Senate -- on the heels of debating a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage -- took up the not-so-burning issue of changing the Constitution to prohibit flag burning. Now the House is managing to make the other body look like a model of industrious, responsible legislating. With just this week left before it takes the rest of the summer off, the House has hunkered down to work hard -- on scoring cheap political points.

On Tuesday it took up the gay-marriage amendment. This was a meaningless exercise, except in terms of amassing political ammunition: The Senate had already defeated the amendment. Nonetheless, some members had no trouble explaining the value of the dead-end debate. "This is probably the best message we can give to the Middle East in regards to the trouble we are having over there right now," said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.).

Fresh on the heels of not accomplishing that bit of the people's business, the House then turned its attention to the Pledge of Allegiance -- specifically to an odious measure that would strip federal courts of jurisdiction to hear challenges to the pledge. This bill -- which was approved 260 to 167 -- is so ill advised that it didn't even make it out of the House Judiciary Committee; it failed on a tie vote, only to be scooped up by the leadership anyway and placed on the floor calendar. It is very likely unconstitutional and almost certainly unnecessary: The one major lower-court opinion that had struck down the use of the words "under God" in the pledge was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2004 on technical grounds.

The House has more to come on its "American Values Agenda." The Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act would require doctors who perform late-term abortions to tell their patients that fetuses feel pain. The Public Expression of Religion Act would shield local officials and governments from having to pay damages or attorneys' fees in lawsuits opposing the display of religious symbols on public property. A pair of gun measures would gut the ability of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to revoke the licenses of corrupt gun dealers and would bar police from seizing guns in the wake of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.

None of these measures stand much chance of being enacted, but then again, that isn't the point. The goal is to motivate voters, and perhaps this stunt legislating will do the trick. Or maybe voters who have more pressing concerns will watch the antics in Washington and decide to hire some representatives who would make better use of their time.