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Democrats Blocked Resolution Welcoming Pope because of "Pro-life" Language
LifeSiteNews ^ | 4/18/08 | John Jalsevac

Posted on 04/20/2008 10:48:03 AM PDT by wagglebee

WASHINGTON, DC, April 18, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A resolution welcoming the Pope to the United States was stalled in the U.S. Senate after Democrats said they would not vote on the resolution unless offending "pro-life language" was removed from it.

The resolution was introduced on Tuesday by Republican Senator Sam Brownback and was co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Bob Casey, both Catholics.

The original text included, amongst a series of statements regarding the Holy Father's biography and accomplishments, the statement, "Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has spoken out for the weak and vulnerable, witnessing to the value of each and every human life."

Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, however, disapproved of the wording of that part of the resolution, and demanded that the last ten words, "witnessing to the value of each and every human life", be removed. Boxer and a number of colleagues delayed the vote for three days. In order to pass using the process of "hotlining," which allows for a resolution or a bill to pass in a matter of minutes instead of weeks, the resolution welcoming Benedict required a unanimous vote.

One senior Republican leadership aide told FOX News, "What's the problem with this? Does Sen. Boxer not value life? It speaks directly to the message the Pope delivered when he arrived here."

Senator Boxer also disapproved of a part of the resolution that mentioned that the Pontiff, " has spoken approvingly of the vibrance of religious faith in the United States, a faith nourished by a constitutional commitment to religious liberty that neither attempts to strip our public spaces of religious expression nor denies the ultimate source of our rights and liberties."

In the end, however, Senator Brownback caved to the pressure from Boxer, and messaged his aides from the Mass at Nationals Stadium on Thursday, telling them to change the language of the resolution to meet Boxer's demands. The bill was passed shortly therafter, reading only "Whereas Pope Benedict XVI has spoken out for the weak and the vulnerable."

The section relating to religious faith in the United States was changed to say that Benedict XVI "has spoken approvingly of the vibrance of religious faith in the United States, a faith nourished by a constitutional commitment to religious liberty."

The passed resolution welcomes Benedict, acknowledging that "millions of Americans have discovered in Pope Benedict 's words a renewed faith in the power of hope over despair and love over hate."

The resolution concludes, saying, "The Senate welcomes Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of his first pastoral visit to the United States and recognizes the unique insights his moral and spiritual reflections bring to the world stage."

The House passed a less controversial resolution welcoming the Holy Father on Wednesday.

A copy of the original resolution can be read here:
http://www.politico.com/pdf/PPM42_poperesolution.pdf

A copy of the revised resolution can be read here:
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM43_080417_ott08341_xml.htm...



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 110th; abortion; barbaraboxer; benedictxvi; boxer; catholic; democratparty; democrats; moralabsolutes; obstructionistdems; papalvisit; prolife
Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, however, disapproved of the wording of that part of the resolution, and demanded that the last ten words, "witnessing to the value of each and every human life", be removed.

Someone should force these leftists to PUBLICLY acknowledge that they DO NOT value human life.

1 posted on 04/20/2008 10:48:03 AM PDT by wagglebee
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To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; narses; 8mmMauser; NYer; Salvation; Pyro7480

Pro-Life/Catholic Ping


2 posted on 04/20/2008 10:49:01 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: 230FMJ; 50mm; 69ConvertibleFirebird; Aleighanne; Alexander Rubin; An American In Dairyland; ...
Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]


3 posted on 04/20/2008 10:49:37 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

But they welcomed Ahmandinajad! Just f....g unbelievable.

How insulting.Of course this won’t be told by the MSM.


4 posted on 04/20/2008 10:50:41 AM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie ( WE NEED A TROOP SURGE IN CHICAGO !!)
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To: wagglebee; informavoracious; larose; RJR_fan; Prospero; Conservative Vermont Vet; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.

5 posted on 04/20/2008 10:51:10 AM PDT by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
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To: wagglebee

No surprise here. They can’t admit they’re wrong, you know. Not about anything. And, that the SCOTUS upheld abortion makes them all the more sanctimonious.


6 posted on 04/20/2008 10:55:57 AM PDT by Froufrou
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To: wagglebee

The anti-American baby killers are at full swing in the Royal 100 Club.


7 posted on 04/20/2008 11:03:52 AM PDT by YOUGOTIT (The Greatest Threat to our Security is the Royal 100 Club)
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To: wagglebee

Heh, in my opinion, that’s exactly what Boxer just did. If she pulls the “it was only about abortion” card you can always come back, “then you’re admitting that an unborn baby is a human life?” She’s put herself in a real catch-22 with this quote, not that the media would dare press on the issue; they don’t value human life either.


8 posted on 04/20/2008 11:15:21 AM PDT by messierhunter
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To: wagglebee

These people demonstrate their hatred of innocent human life on practically a daily basis.

Anyone who does not see it is willfully blind.


9 posted on 04/20/2008 11:32:51 AM PDT by fetal heart beats by 21st day (Defending human life is not a federalist issue. It is the business of all of humanity.)
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To: wagglebee
Photobucket It's amazing how they have turned abortion into some 'right', practically a rite of passage. It is nothing more than murder. How ironic a man is charged with murder..which he should be...if he kills a woman's fetus...yet if she chooses...it's alright...because it is her choice. So perhaps we should have the eldery put down...simply because we do not have the time or money to deal with them. Pathetic.
10 posted on 04/20/2008 11:52:10 AM PDT by xuberalles ("Barack Obama: Change Is A Dime Bag!")
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To: wagglebee

That’s because Democrats are sicko death cult freaks.


11 posted on 04/20/2008 11:58:00 AM PDT by DGHoodini (Tin eared zeroes and Hollypukes comin...)
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To: wagglebee
What ever happened to “Inclusiveness” and Openness and Tolerance of Other's Ideas?

I thought all points of view were equally valid.

Do I need to include a barf-alert with this post?

12 posted on 04/20/2008 11:58:51 AM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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To: wagglebee
When crap like this happens the pubbies should stand as one and denounce at press conferences such actions by the dims.

Because they repeatedly fail to even make even a token effort I refuse to contribute to the party. I will vote but that is it. :-(

13 posted on 04/20/2008 12:02:15 PM PDT by Tunehead54 (Nothing funny here. ;-)
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To: wagglebee

sad


14 posted on 04/20/2008 12:29:26 PM PDT by Eagles6 ( Typical White Guy: Christian, Constitutionalist, Heterosexual, Redneck)
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To: wagglebee

It does not matter to the dumb-o-crats, they already have the votes of the dead counted to their side anyway.


15 posted on 04/20/2008 12:33:53 PM PDT by chiefqc
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To: wagglebee

“What’s the problem with this? Does Sen. Boxer not value life?”

Obviously not.


16 posted on 04/20/2008 12:58:01 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: wagglebee
That's ridiculous. Forget the Dumbocrats--just another publicity stunt from a Congress collapsing under the weight of its own excuses and egos.

The United States of America are deeply honored by your visit, Holiness: Pax Dominum sit semper vobiscum!


Photobucket
17 posted on 04/20/2008 12:59:00 PM PDT by kelsiejackson ("We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.")
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To: wagglebee
In the end, however, Senator Brownback caved to the pressure from Boxer, and messaged his aides from the Mass at Nationals Stadium on Thursday, telling them to change the language of the resolution to meet Boxer's demands.

Do you know what Brownback's problem is? NO BALLS, DUDE!

18 posted on 04/20/2008 1:03:45 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (To the liberal, there's no sacrifice too big for somebody else to make. --FReeper popdonnelly)
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To: wagglebee
A resolution welcoming the Pope to the United States was stalled in the U.S. Senate after Democrats said they would not vote on the resolution unless offending "pro-life language" was removed from it.

Offending P-L language? The DBM/dems are such asswipes that don't even realize how convoluted it is to be against language which which values and promotes LIFE!

Every American should know about this story and how you would have to be totally debased to be against these words, "witnessing to the value of each and every human life",...

19 posted on 04/20/2008 1:42:15 PM PDT by sirchtruth (No one has the RIGHT not to be offended...)
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To: DGHoodini

Exactly. Too, socialism is at odds with valuing human life. The only valuation of human life in socialism is that of whoever puts themselves at the top.

The democrats are below shameful.


20 posted on 04/20/2008 4:01:32 PM PDT by kenth (I have a apolitical blues)
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To: kenth

Every FReepers who is pro life should do exactly what the Pope said today. Stand up for life! And the Unborn! Write a letter to the editor of your newspapers and ask they publish your letter of outraage Against Sen B. Boxer and the Dims who refused to publish and approve the first resolution!


21 posted on 04/20/2008 5:02:42 PM PDT by missanne (If we lost the war in Iraq, who won?)
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To: 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; afraidfortherepublic; Alas; al_c; american colleen; annalex; ...

.


22 posted on 04/20/2008 6:49:51 PM PDT by Coleus (Abortion and Physician-assisted Murder (aka-Euthanasia), Don't Democrats just kill ya?)
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To: messierhunter

That was my first thought, too. She was inadvertently admitting that the pre-born are living human beings.


23 posted on 04/20/2008 7:01:01 PM PDT by mollynme (cogito, ergo freepum)
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To: wagglebee

We really are rotting from within on so many levels.


24 posted on 04/20/2008 8:46:57 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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To: kelsiejackson

That’s a great poster. If you did it...great work.


25 posted on 04/20/2008 8:50:14 PM PDT by fishhound (Boycott the Olympics in China.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
In the end, however, Senator Brownback caved to the pressure from Boxer, and messaged his aides from the Mass at Nationals Stadium on Thursday, telling them to change the language of the resolution to meet Boxer's demands.

Do you know what Brownback's problem is? NO BALLS, DUDE!


Exactly. Brownback's cowardice is the real story here. We know what Boxer is all about. It ain't news. If Brownback had any guts at all, he'd have called her bluff and let her and the other Dems block the stupid thing. The pope doesn't need (and undoubtedly couldn't care less about) some piddly resolution from the US Senate. Let the Dems defeat the thing because of abortion. Then they could all go back home and have to explain to their Catholic constituents about how they voted against honoring the pope because he opposes abortion.
26 posted on 04/20/2008 9:00:15 PM PDT by irishjuggler
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To: All

“demanded that the last ten words, “witnessing to the value of each and every human life”, be removed. ..”

What do Dems have against LIFE? This includes everybody’s life, including THEIRS.


27 posted on 04/21/2008 2:05:02 AM PDT by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: Sun

You see, people breathe. When we exhale, he emit CO2. If we want to save the planet, we have to stop brathing. Thus, each and every life isn’t valuable, because living is suicidal.

That’s the enviro-whack Dem logic.


28 posted on 04/21/2008 2:11:13 AM PDT by ovrtaxt (This election is like running in the Special Olympics. Even if McCain wins, we’re still retarded.)
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To: ovrtaxt

But yet the elites want others to stop breathing, or giving up things, but not themselves.


29 posted on 04/21/2008 3:33:18 AM PDT by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: wagglebee
Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm


30 posted on 04/21/2008 3:34:03 AM PDT by 8mmMauser (Jezu ufam tobie...Jesus I trust in Thee)
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To: wagglebee
Someone should force these leftists to PUBLICLY acknowledge that they DO NOT value human life.

Boxer barely stopped short of that. I'm surprised she didn't insist that the terms "weak and vulnerable" be removed as well, since they could also be perceived as applying to those she finds inconvenient. I won't hold my breath waiting for the MSM to report this story, though.

31 posted on 04/21/2008 4:17:25 AM PDT by Tabi Katz
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To: wagglebee
Someone should force these leftists to PUBLICLY acknowledge that they DO NOT value human life.

Won't happen. The closest we came was when we had Santorum in the Senate and he engaged Boxer one-on-one in a debate that led down this path. She flinched and ran away yelling something like "I'm not going to answer that!". But, now that we've lost Santorum in the '06 debacle, nothing like that will ever happen in the Senate. Casey doesn't give a crap, IMO.

32 posted on 04/21/2008 6:02:09 AM PDT by chimera
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To: wagglebee

Congress is the most dangerous body in America.


33 posted on 04/21/2008 7:17:31 AM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: Marysecretary; wagglebee

If that’s true, the SCOTUS must be #2.


34 posted on 04/21/2008 7:24:15 AM PDT by Froufrou
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To: wagglebee

Well, now, from our founding document - the birth of the nation started with the Declaration of Independence.

“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”
nope, nope, and nope

“Endowed by our Creator” - BIG nope
“with certain unalienable rights” - nope

“laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them” - another BIG nope

Think about this, folks. If the founders looked at our society today, they’d see that we were being taxed to pay for public education where they teach that the principals of THE founding document of our country are “unconstitutional” by judicial fiat.


35 posted on 04/21/2008 7:24:42 AM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: Froufrou; Marysecretary

I would probably have to go with the Supreme Court over Congress.


36 posted on 04/21/2008 7:25:45 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: messierhunter

If it’s just a bunch of cells, it’s not a “life”, so this reference to “life” wouldn’t apply, eh, Boxer?


37 posted on 04/21/2008 7:29:18 AM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: wagglebee; Marysecretary

I would’ve too, but I wanted to give Mary the benefit of the doubt. ;o)


38 posted on 04/21/2008 7:32:32 AM PDT by Froufrou
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To: Froufrou; Marysecretary

It’s close. If Congress had the ability to do the damage that the Supreme Court does, they probably would, but fortunately they don’t.


39 posted on 04/21/2008 7:37:49 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

I’ve pledged support to Sen. Cornyn even though I can’t really afford to make donations that aren’t deductible.
It’s important to me to focus now on Congress and the Senate because there are only yahoos running for POTUS.


40 posted on 04/21/2008 7:42:37 AM PDT by Froufrou
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To: wagglebee

I think they work hand in hand to ruin our great nation.


41 posted on 04/21/2008 11:58:16 AM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: wagglebee

Congress makes the snowballs and the Supreme Court throws them.


42 posted on 04/23/2008 4:24:26 PM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: Marysecretary

First they put some rocks inside the snowballs.


43 posted on 04/23/2008 4:29:24 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee

LOL, indeed.


44 posted on 04/23/2008 4:38:22 PM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: wagglebee

What significance does a stupid resolution make?

Would his trip have been more successful it had passed?

I think we worry too much about meaningless stuff and not enough about that which really matters.


45 posted on 04/23/2008 4:44:30 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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