The Dusty Dog

Do-Nothing (but hate) Congress

They've lost their marbles. Of course, I'm assuming that they ever had marbles. But, if they once did, they are now gone. Kaput.

The "they" I'm talking about is, of course, the republicans in Congress. It seems that there is a new agenda item for which they are fighting for, now that they've lost the flag burning debate. Seems today, that they're attempting to unleash another pile of dung upon the American people:

“The American Values Agenda is a collection of legislative initiatives that speak to the values many American citizens hold dear,” said House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH). “Freedom to display the American flag. . . freedom of religious expression. . .the right to keep and bear arms. . .respect for the sanctity of marriage, and the dignity of all human life. These are values that have defined the American character, protected our families, and shaped our society.

This is really quite the pile of elephant dung. It's a collection of useless, discriminatory, self-serving, santimonious, pandering and otherwise destructive bills before Congress. It makes Gingrich's 1994 Contract With America pale in comparison. Following are a few of the items that this do-nothing-but-hurt Congress is trying to foist upon the American People:

Pledge Protection Act (HR 2389; Rep. Akin)
Pledge Protection Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal judicial code to deny jurisdiction to any Federal court, and appellate jurisdiction to the Supreme Court, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance or its validity under the Constitution. Makes this limitation inapplicable to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia or the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Seems the repukes want to bring back the 1950's McCarthy era insertion of the God thing back into the pledge, and prohibit any future challenge to that challenge in any local or federal jurisdiction. I've previously written about the God/Pledge issue in my article Pledge Deemed Unconstitutional. Obviously, my stance has not changed.

Freedom to Display the American Flag Act (HR 42; Rep. Bartlett)
States that a condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association may not adopt or enforce any policy, or enter into any agreement, that would restrict or prevent an association member from displaying the U.S. flag on residential property within the association with respect to which such member has a separate ownership interest or a right to exclusive possession or use. Seems that maybe some condo association took issue with someone who may have displayed a flag in a manner that caused some duress to the association; like maybe the flag was so big that it maybe obscured someone's views out their windows, maybe. I dunno. Like we need Congress to be debating this crap when our soldiers have become casualties in an illegal war, 50K Americans don't have health insurance, and the environment is being rapidly poisoned.

The Public Expression of Religion Act (HR 2679; Rep. Hostettler)
To amend the Revised Statutes of the United States to eliminate the chilling effect on the constitutionally protected expression of religion by State and local officials that results from the threat that potential litigants may seek damages and attorney's fees. This is really important. If a public entity gets sued for unconstitutionally displaying some religious artifacts and icons and other religious symbols, the defendent will not be responsible for shouldering the court costs, even if they lose. In other words, you sue and you win, and you pay the court costs. This piece of shit is intended to accomplish one thing only: prevent litigation against unconstitutional religious displays. Unfuckingbelievable

Marriage Amendment (HJRes 88; Rep. Musgrave)
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage. Of course, this heap o' dung is that same old repuke assertion that marriage only be between a man and a woman, wherein this proposal would be the first amendment, if passed, that would actually serve to restrict rather than protect individual pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. And, what the hell for? Nothing, except to pander to a bunch of scumsucking demagogues who have nothing better to do than hate.

Human Cloning Prohibition Act (HR 1357; Rep. D. Weldon)
Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit any person or entity, in or affecting interstate commerce, from knowingly: (1) performing or attempting to perform human cloning; (2) participating in such an attempt; (3) shipping or receiving an embryo produced by human cloning or any product derived from such embryo; or (4) importing such an embryo or derived product. Fact is, cloning and stem cell research will proceed regarless of whether these dirtbags pander against it, and very likely produce very significant desease-modifying and recuperative protocols for diseases and injuries that are presently both horrific and incurable. Therefore, I do hope that all the repukes who advance this ban, albeit fruitlessly, will be forever prohibited from benefiting from any medical advances derived from this science. May these dispiccable repuke hatemongers suffer immensely from these dumbass displays of selfishness and self-righteousness.

These are but a few of the bills that comprise this pile of dung called The American Values Agenda. These are not American values. These are not bills that are trying to ensure safety, protection, and the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, as otherwise described in our Constitution. In fact, this hooey is nothing but the opposite. And, all this crap accomplishes is preventing any real substantive work being accomplished by Congress, like figuring out how to get health care and educational opportunities to all citizens, reversing the scourge of poverty and diseases and environmental degradation that is plaguing this country and the world, and protecting citizens from real terror here at home, rather than some pre-emptive, illegal war that is doomed to failure. This collection of garbage bills is guaranteed to muck up the works in Congress, resulting in election year devisiveness and ultimate failure of Congress to accomplish anything substantive and worthwhile.

posted by Dusty Dog at 6/29/2006