Senate approves hate-crime bill, tries to avert veto...tacked it onto a defense spending measure

Los Angeles Times via Chron.com ^ | September 28, 2007 | RICHARD SIMON

[Red Steel]

WASHINGTON

[sugar_puddin]

I loathe those people in our government who are destroying America! Soon, it will be a hate crime to say anything bad about them. Some of them are pure evil...

[Lancey Howard]

Wow, this cowardly p.o.s. Gordon Smith is another pandering “Republican” who needs to be shown the door, IMO.

[SolidWood]

Bush will have to refill the ink in his veto pen soon.

[jwparkerjr]

If I couild wave a magic wand and bring about any single change in Washington, DC, it would be to put an end to being able to attach bills to other bills as a method of forcing passage of unpopular measures. If the great American experiment in government ever fails its demise will have a thousand fathers, but this legislative trick will be an important one.

A bill should be on one subject, and one subject only. If an idea or proposal can’t make it on its own then it shouldn’t make it all. I have no doubt there have been some some bills that I would have approved of at the time, but it seems to me that every time this trick is brought out it’s to further passage of a liberal scheme or idea.

[Darkwolf377]

One of our greatest failures as a people, as a party, and as individuals is that we didn’t nip this “hate crimes” crap in the bud when it began.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Wave that wand to get rid of all political correctness all over the world!

[thirst4truth]

I canot believe this is my Senator. What a disgrace!! It is all about re-election, he is after all the last R Senator left in the left coast. WA,OR or CA. The fundraisers for him, say the D’s are coming after his seat.

[goldstategop]

ENDA. President Bush should still veto this special bequest for the gay lobby.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[JustaDumbBlonde]

"Bush will have to refill the ink in his veto pen soon."

Only because ink tends to dry up when it goes unused for 7 years.

[Lancey Howard]

the D’s are coming after his seat.

The rats can spot a weak sister from a mile away.

[JoanneSD]

I believe the line item veto would take care of these add on bills...I am not sure, but I think that President Bush, does not have that luxury..of having the line items veto..

[jwparkerjr]

You are right, there is no line item veto.

[Red Steel]

Clinton had the line item veto in the 90’s, which was a gracious gift passed to the Executive branch from a Republican Congress until the Supreme Court overturned it in 1998.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I thought this was a thought crime bill, not a hate crime bill.

[supercat]

If I couild wave a magic wand and bring about any single change in Washington, DC, it would be to put an end to being able to attach bills to other bills as a method of forcing passage of unpopular measures.

A related problem is the committee process. While the necessity of getting bills through committee before they reach the floor has at times been a good thing, it gives more power to people on those committees to load legislation with garbage. While the Constitution does not allow the President to alter a bill and then sign the altered version into law without the consent of Congress, I wouldn't see any Constitutional problem with Congressional rules allowing the president to request that his altered version of a bill he vetoes be put for a straight up/down vote in the House and Senate.

[jwparkerjr]

Didn’t one of the presidents get at this problem by refusing to spend the money that had been appropriated. I seem to remember a president who impounded funds. Maybe someone will recall the details.

If we don’t find a way to get a handle on government growth and spending it’s going to spell the end of our run as one of the most prosperous nations in history.