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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (52996)	2/3/2006 3:43:14 PM
From: longnshort	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 93284

Democrats in Maryland won't let the people vote. Busch blocks vote on marriage By S.A. Miller February 3, 2006 ANNAPOLIS -- Democratic lawmakers in Maryland, determined to avoid a vote on homosexual "marriage" in an election year, closed the House yesterday to quash a constitutional amendment endorsing traditional marriage. In a move unprecedented in the modern history of the General Assembly, House Speaker Michael E. Busch abruptly recessed the chamber to block a vote on a proposed amendment that would define marriage as a union only of one man and one woman. The Democratic speaker's action allowed the House Judiciary Committee to kill the proposal later yesterday, likely preventing it from being voted on by the full House this session. "It's game-playing," said Delegate Anthony J. O'Donnell, Southern Maryland Republican and minority whip. "It is one more example of unchecked power by a [Democratic] majority that has been in control of the House for 180 years." Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican who supports the amendment, said closing the House was "at least, an abuse of the spirit of the rules." As he left the House chamber yesterday morning, Mr. Busch said his decision to recess had nothing to do with the amendment. "We have a lot of work to do today," the Anne Arundel County Democrat said. Mr. Busch also said the amendment would be debated today on the House floor. But tensions escalated when Judiciary Committee Democrats changed the amendment's bill to include civil unions as an equivalent to "marriage" for same-sex couples. The change passed 11-10, and three Democrats -- Delegates Kevin Kelly of Allegany County, Darryl A. Kelley of Prince George's County and Theodore Sophocleus of Anne Arundel County -- joined Republicans in opposition to it. The committee then sent the rewritten bill to the full House with a unanimous, unfavorable report. Such a report renders a House bill dead, notwithstanding a complicated parliamentary move to resurrect it. "[Democrats] went through great political gyrations to get around what should have been a straightforward process," said Delegate Michael D. Smigiel Sr., Eastern Shore Republican and committee member. "They were more interested in protecting their political party than in letting Marylanders vote on this important issue." The marriage debate has dominated the General Assembly since a Baltimore Circuit Court judge ruled last month that the state's 33-year-old ban on same-sex "marriage" is unconstitutional.

To: American Spirit who wrote (52996)	2/3/2006 4:01:45 PM
From: sea_biscuit	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 93284

There is plenty of firepower in the form of the Air Force. Plus the troops can be deployed to Iran (and let Iraq go to hell) to deal with the Iranian armed forces. That, plus nukes, will ensure that Iran will fold a lot faster than you expect. I fully agree with you that, over the long-term, Iran+Iraq will be many times more disastrous than Iraq alone, but this is all about the short-term gains and winning elections. The so-called centrist Democrats who are really Republican Lites, and who favor continuing the wars will not win in the short-term because... who wants to vote for second best anyway? And in the long-term, they will look like fools because they were so terribly wrong. If you want to oppose the war, oppose it because it is illegal, immoral and wrong. Not because you think we might face stiff resistance.