McCain votes AGAINST hate crime definition for gays/lesbians

[Bluebear]

The next time he is touted as a VP candidate for Kerry 2004, please keep this vote in mind. The bill passed 65-33, thank goodness, no thanks to McCain who voted against the bill which: adds "real or perceived sexual orientation, gender and disability" to federal hate crime laws, thus allowing the federal government the ability to provide assistance for the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes based on these categories.

[trumad]

1. Uhhh ..he's a Republican aint he?

[MallRat]

2. Sounds like VEEP material to me!

:eyes:

[redqueen]

3. Ugh

Yesterday on NPR that shill Liarsson said that McCain was KERRY'S first choice for Veep.

:grr:

[WI_DEM]

4. but he may appeal to "swing voters"

and in Kerry's eyes that is all that counts. McCain would be disaster as VP on a democratic ticket for any variety of reasons including this issue and the war on Iraq where he is as big a hawk as W.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. Will this put to rest this VP Crap??? McCain is a BIGOT......

a racsist, and a scumbag!!! He is a NEO-CON!!!

He is an SOB!!!

:grr:

McCain = Swine

[Bluebear]

23. That says it all.

[Leilani]

30. To call someone

a racist & a bigot, is pretty damning.

Please see my post below!

[Worst Username Ever]

6. Maybe the reason * is so happy lately

is because he has already locked in McCain as his VP to replace Cheney (old, sick, needs to retire), and assumes he has the swing-voter "dream ticket." Think about it... Democrats couldn't even bad mouth McCain, because obviously he is good enough for Kerry to court.

[redqueen]

10. Do we know for a fact Kerry 'courted' him?

I've heard lots of heresay, but nothing that leads me to believe this is anything more substantial than gossip.

[BootinUp]

14. Actually

I have been worried lately that Bush will replace Cheney and try to rejuvinate his image by blaming Cheney for as much as possible. I don't think McCain would accept the job on either ticket though, in fact I think he is on the record saying that within the last month.

[MajorFlaw]

19. Doesn't look like it. If McCain were really planning on

laying down for shrub, there are much more public and divisive ways of doing so. As it is, there's no reason to believe that Kerry and McCain didn't choreograph the entire dance with the intention of helping Kerry's campaign. Say what you want of his political beliefs, I think that McCain sincerely hates shrub and does not want to be his VP.

[arcos]

7. do you have a link to the roll call?

I want to know how Byrd voted...

[Bluebear]

8. Here ya go. Byrd voted Aye.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=2&vote=00114

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

20. Thats a real interesting vote, given the GOP who voted YEA.

My two GOP Senators did, as did Richard Lugar in neigboring Indiana.

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. Are you kidding me???!!!!

I'm bookmarking this thread and the next time someone says McCain should be Kerry's VP...I'll post this thread. Damn. Typical repuke.:grr:

[Bluebear]

13. I aim to please :)

[sangh0]

11. So where are the DUers who respect McCain now?

:shrug:

[Leilani]

28. Right here!

Please see my post below.

[ShaneGR]

12. I wonder if he released a statement as to why....

An interesting vote. I like McCain (As much as one can like a mod Rep.) but I never considered him to be a viable VP candidate.

[Bluebear]

36. I look forward to seeing that too

[SlingBlade]

15. Thanks for posting this

It show’s the Liberman Liberals that a PUKE is a PUKE is a Puke.

There all the fucking same, Some just aren't as obvious as others.

Fuck em:dem:

[stavka]

16. I agree with that position...

No special rights for special people, special as in ordinary human beings.

I was pleasantly pleased to see that Federal Law grants more protection than my own State's in recent policy discussions.

We are hoping to add the Federal Protection to company policy rather than the State.

[FreeState]

17. No special rights for special people

Please explane how adding sexual orientation adds a special right to a group of people?

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Sexual%20Orientation

sexual orientation n.
The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes.:

[stavka]

26. ..er, ehm..."It doesn't"??????

sarcasm my friend, sarcasm

[asjr]

18. How will this be reconciled with the Repubs

intent to amend the constitution to disallow gay marriage? Not allowing gays to marry to me would constitute a hate crime. It is certainly not allowing them their constitutional rights.

[Bluebear]

21. They'll say love the sinner hate the sin blah blah blah

nt

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

22. This wasnt a gay/lesbian vote....read the "statement of purpose"

To provide Federal assistance to States and local jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes.

And Id like to know McCains rationale. This looks like a rider to a Defense appropriation, and if I recall McCain is a bit opposed to stuff like this as a procedural thing.

Anyway, he is a conservative Republican....so I would expect him to vote conservative.

[saracat]

24. I keep telling

people ,John McCain is vile and conservative. He only occasionally votes with Dems to annoy Bush!

[Leilani]

25. I can tell you why McCain voted Nay

I just looked up the bill & it is the:

DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005

The amendment: to provide federal assistance to states & local jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes.

What the hell does this have to do with the Defense Authorization Bill? Nothing.

McCain votes against everything that costs extra money where it is not needed, or where hearings have not been held.

Since he is #2 Republican on the Defense Committee, he would follow this.

Votes in the House & Senate can be used to interpret a members standing on an issue, however, we know that is very misleading.
Example: John Kerry voted for & against the money for Iraq.

McCain is a conservative repub, but he is not a racist or homophbe.

I would recommend the research the eulogy McCain gave for Mark Bingham, the gay rugby player.

If McCain was a racist, would he have adopted a lttle girl from Bangladesh (I believe it was Bangladesh) who last time I looked had very dark brown skin. McCain took hits for this daughter in 2000 S. Carolina.

[sangh0]

31. Thanks for that

but what I still don't understand is why McCain voted against it. Why is spending money to prosecute hate crimes "extra money"?

I agree with you that McCain is NOT a racist or a homophobe (though his party is) but I still don't understand why he voted against this.

[Leilani]

34. Because he votes against all amendments

that are not germane to the bill.

For example: this is a defense authorization bill, so it has nothing to so with hate crimes.

This is a bill that is for military purposes. There are plenty of other bills where this amendment would belong.

This amendment would also cost extra money, & McCain has been trying to cut defense spending.

[bhunt70]

33. good post...I wish they would do away with amendments that are unrelated.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

35. Thanks, thats what I thought.

I knew McCain had opposed stuff like this for procedural reasons.

[HFishbine]

27. Kerry didn't vote for it either

Well, it's true.

[Ginaz]

32. Kerry didn't vote

[msmcghee]

29. My prediction . .

. . Bush* and Cheney are severely damaged by the explosion of mounting evidence of corruption and lying to the American people, protecting the Plame leakers, etc.

The pukes, realizing they're in deep doo doo go to plan B - McCain is nominated, Powell turns against the regime and apologizes to the American people for being too good a soldier for his boss - and is nominated for VP. The pukes wring their hands and say "What were we thinking, we're the good Republicans."

Idle speculation, I know.