- Will Bush betray his promise to veto the hate bill?
Sen. Kennedy thinks so, but I don't. I believe conservative leaders and
Senators let the hate bill pass so Bush can be exalted as the defender
of freedom, redeem his sagging ratings, and give new life to the Republican
bid for the White House in 2008.
-
- The evidence is overwhelming.
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- At midday, Tuesday, Sept. 25, Kennedy
demanded a vote on the hate bill. This should have electrified at least
30 million evangelicals and their leaders. Yet the websites of the largest
new right organizations remained barren, for at least 24 hours, of any
postings describing this alarming development. (See, <http://truthtellers.org/alerts/hatebillreadyforvote.htm>Hate
Bill Ready for a Vote and <http://truthtellers.org/alerts/donewrightwanthatebill.htm>Do
New Right Leaders Want Hate Bill Passed?) Conservative leaders warned the
previous Wednesday and Thursday that the defense authorization bill was
now in the Senate and Kennedy might try to attach his hate bill. (See,
<http://truthtellers.org/alerts/newrightdeemphasizes.htm>New Right
De-Emphasizes Hate Bill)
-
- Yet, when that actually happened last
Tuesday, there was silence. At least six of the largest new right watchdog
groups did not take advantage of this last-minute opportunity to bring
in perhaps three million calls to the Senate. 1 Instead, the same
trickle of the previous week was documented on Tuesday and Wednesday by
our staff. On Wednesday, the day before passage of the hate bill, we polled
38 Republican Senators' offices. We found most receiving from 5-50 calls
a day against the hate bill, with several receiving none. Instead of thunder
from the new right, an unbelievable silence continued for at least a day
after Kennedy demanded a vote.
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- All these organizations receive my e-alerts
describing the imminent vote and pleading for action. None responded, at
least with internet warnings. That is, until Wednesday afternoon when it
became highly probable that the hate bill would be voted on Thursday morning.
By Wednesday afternoon, when Senate offices were closing on the East Coast
and it was virtually too late, Focus on the Family, Family Research Council
and Traditional Values Coalition had sprung into action, calling for massive
protests. Yet, even if such protest was made Thursday morning, Senators
were already on the floor of the Senate, ready to deliberate and vote.
-
- Although Sens. Cornyn, Sessions, and
McConnell briefly criticized the hate bill, all were weak, in my opinion,
except Sen. Orrin Hatch. They did not equal the fervor and argumentation
of speeches by at least 11 Republicans against the hate bill this May in
the House. This relatively anemic response by most Republican Senators
was consistent with the fact that, all day Tuesday and Wednesday, no Senators
except Hatch took opportunity to address the Senate against the hate bill.
Pro-hate bill Democrats made powerful use of that time.
-
- This conspiracy of silence was not accidental,
either on the part of religious/conservative leaders or most Republican
Senators. It was calculated, undoubtedly from the White House, that through
passage of the hate bill, the President would have a stage on which he
can now ride his white horse, slaying the hate bill dragon against great
odds -- the champion of free speech and Christian/Republican values!
-
- The American people, and especially
the supporters of the new right, have been treated very poorly through
this deception. Be assured, new right leaders are going to make the most
out of the President's "heroism" as the savior of free speech.
They are going to pretend there was nothing more they could have done to
defeat the hate bill. Already this morning, Family Research Council claims
to have stood in the gap against the hate bill passage and asks donors
to contribute $1.2 million to help fight hate laws.
-
- Unless you and I speak out now, the
"spin masters" of both the left and right will quickly sweep
this conspiracy under the rug, forgotten in the new effusion of patriotism
it is meant to create. By every means possible, send this article everywhere.
Let's not let them get away with this!
-
- Endnote
-
- 1. These are Focus on the Family, Concerned Women
for America, American Family Association, Traditional Values Coalition,
Faith 2 Action, and Family Research Council.
-
- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
- Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National
Prayer Network, a Christian/conservative watchdog organization.
-
- Let the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith
teach you how they have saddled 45 states with hate laws capable of persecuting
Christians: <http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp>http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
-
- Learn how ADL took away free speech in Canada
and wants to steal it now in the U.S. Congress. Watch Rev. Ted Pike's <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7217700265038533779>Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians at video.google.com. Purchase this
gripping documentary to show at church. Order online at <http://www.truthtellers.org/>www.truthtellers.org
for $24.90, DVD or VHS, by calling 503-853-3688, or at the address below.
-
- TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on
this subject. Call (503) 631-3808.
-
-
- NATIONAL PRAYER NETWORK, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR
97015
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