Frist: Democrats are against people of faith

[Chmee]

I swear, if this guy is ever a nominee for POTUS ....

As the Senate heads toward a showdown over the rules governing judicial confirmations, Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, has agreed to join a handful of prominent Christian conservatives in a telecast portraying Democrats as "against people of faith" for blocking President Bush's nominees.

Fliers for the telecast, organized by the Family Research Council and scheduled to originate at a Kentucky megachurch the evening of April 24, call the day "Justice Sunday" and depict a young man holding a Bible in one hand and a gavel in the other. The flier does not name participants, but under the heading "the filibuster against people of faith," it reads: "The filibuster was once abused to protect racial bias, and it is now being used against people of faith."

Organizers say they hope to reach more than a million people by distributing the telecast to churches around the country, over the Internet and over Christian television and radio networks and stations.

Dr. Frist's spokesman said the senator's speech in the telecast would reflect his previous remarks on judicial appointments. In the past he has consistently balanced a determination "not to yield" on the president's nominees with appeals to the Democrats for compromise. He has distanced himself from the statements of others like the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, who have attacked the courts, saying they are too liberal, "run amok" or are hostile to Christianity.

The telecast, however, will put Dr. Frist in a very different context. Asked about Dr. Frist's participation in an event describing the filibuster "as against people of faith," his spokesman, Bob Stevenson, did not answer the question directly.

"Senator Frist is doing everything he can to ensure judicial nominees are treated fairly and that every senator has the opportunity to give the president their advice and consent through an up or down vote," Mr. Stevenson said, adding, "He has spoken to groups all across the nation to press that point, and as long as a minority of Democrats continue to block a vote, he will continue to do so."

Some of the nation's most influential evangelical Protestants are participating in the teleconference in Louisville, including Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Chuck Colson, the born-again Watergate figure and founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries; and Dr. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The event is taking place as Democrats and Republicans alike are escalating their public relations campaigns in anticipation of an imminent confrontation. The Democratic minority has blocked confirmation of 10 of President Bush's judicial nominees by preventing Republicans from gaining the 60 votes needed to close debate, using the filibuster tactic often used by political minorities and most notoriously employed by opponents of civil rights.

Dr. Frist has threatened that the Republican majority might change the rules to require only a majority vote on nominees, and Democrats have vowed to bring Senate business to a standstill if he does.

On Thursday, one wavering Republican, Senator John McCain of Arizona, told a television interviewer, Chris Matthews, that he would vote against the change.

"By the way, when Bill Clinton was president, we, effectively, in the Judiciary Committee blocked a number of his nominees," Mr. McCain said.

On Thursday the Judiciary Committee sent the nomination of Thomas B. Griffith for an appellate court post to the Senate floor. Democrats say they do not intend to block Mr. Griffith's nomination.

That cleared the way for the committee to approve several previously blocked judicial appointees in the next two weeks.

The telecast also signals an escalation of the campaign for the rule change by Christian conservatives who see the current court battle as the climax of a 30-year culture war, a chance to reverse decades of legal decisions about abortion, religion in public life, gay rights and marriage.

"As the liberal, anti-Christian dogma of the left has been repudiated in almost every recent election, the courts have become the last great bastion for liberalism," Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and organizer of the telecast, wrote in a message on the group's Web site. "For years activist courts, aided by liberal interest groups like the A.C.L.U., have been quietly working under the veil of the judiciary, like thieves in the night, to rob us of our Christian heritage and our religious freedoms."

Democrats accused Dr. Frist of exploiting religious faith for political ends by joining the telecast. "No party has a monopoly on faith, and for Senator Frist to participate in this kind of telecast just throws more oil on the partisan flames," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.

But Mr. Perkins stood by the characterization of Democrats as hostile to faith. "What they have done is, they have targeted people for reasons of their faith or moral position," he said, referring to Democratic criticisms of nominees over their views of cases about abortion rights or public religious expressions.

"The issue of the judiciary is really something that has been veiled by this 'judicial mystique' so our folks don't really understand it, but they are beginning to connect the dots," Mr. Perkins said in an interview, reciting a string of court decisions about prayer or displays of religion.

"They were all brought about by the courts," he said.

Democrats, for their part, are already stepping up their efforts to link Dr. Frist and the rule change with conservatives statements about unaccountable judges hostile to faith.

On Thursday, Mr. Schumer released an open letter calling on Dr. Frist to denounce such attacks. "The last thing we need is inflammatory rhetoric which on its face encourages violence against judges," he wrote.

Link

[Stravo]

And people of faith are against American ideals so excuse me for not boo hooing this shit. We saw the greatness of people of faith in the Schiavo mess when they actively called on a state governor to rebel against a court order and deny a man his rightful place asthe final arbitor of his wife's will. We also saw these same people of faith crying and lamenting the death of a man that protected pedophiles, denied gays their rights and helped the spread of AIDS in Africa. So cry me a fucking river assholes.

[Chmee]

Nutty as he can be, I have to give McCain some props for reminding Americans of history as far back as ... gee, almost an entire decade! ... that Republicans did the exact same thing to some of Clinton's nominees.

It's our fucking process, shitheads! All of a sudden when your guys don't get rubber-stamped by the people's representatives, it's an outrage?

[The Spartan]

Oh for fuck's sake. This reminds me of the Daily Show clip where John Stewart points out the Republican "principle" of smaller government and Stephen Colbert points out that that was when they didn't control the Federal government. Power hungry fuckers want to turn this country into a goddamn totalitarian theocracy.

How the hell did this guy ever become a Doctor?

[Zed Snardbody]

I didn't want to really belive that the civility between parties was gone.

I really didn't. Now there is no doubt in my mind. This seems to fucking wrong to me.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

Oh for fuck's sake. This reminds me of the Daily Show clip where John Stewart points out the Republican "principle" of smaller government and Stephen Colbert points out that that was when they didn't control the Federal government. Power hungry fuckers want to turn this country into a goddamn totalitarian theocracy.

How the hell did this guy ever become a Doctor?

Because he's a medical doctor, and a medical doctor only needs a basic grounding in biology and chemistry. He doesn't have to learn jack about the scientific method, or anything that would ever make him question his fundamentalist beliefs. That's the quick answer.

[Darth Wong]

People of faith would not be a problem if they didn't have this annoying habit of trying to force everyone else to live by the tenets of this faith. Unfortunately, they do. And any time someone "of faith" stands up to brag about it in Congress, he marks himself as one of these turds (or a panderer, which is functionally the same thing).

[Frank Hipper]

That these buffoons have their linen in a knot over destroying the filibuster only confirms to me how chillingly short sighted, single minded, and FUCKING STUPID this crop of rightists are.

The term "burning bridges" is beyond their comprehension, if they succeed, but need filibuster tactics ten years down the road, they'll undoubtedly blame the Democrats for doing away with it somehow.

...and shit all over this idiot's move for religiously founded judicial appointments.

[JME2]

(Reads article)

And there's my recommended serving of bullshit for the day...

[Durandal]

Thank you, Senator Frist, for confirming that Bush's agenda is to flood the courts with right-wing Christian conservatives who will be most likely to violate the separation of church and state.

[Stravo]

Thank you, Senator Frist, for confirming that Bush's agenda is to flood the courts with right-wing Christian conservatives who will be most likely to violate the separation of church and state.

If you're serving a right wing Christian agenda are you an activist judge?

[The Dark]

I call bullshit on the Democrats being hostile to Christianity. Their views on the environment and poverty more closely align to the Biblical ideal than the Republicans do. The Republicans are friendly to cultic fundamentalism, hostile to Christianity.

[The Spartan]

If you're serving a right wing Christian agenda are you an activist judge?

No, they seem to think that a judge is activist when they won't do what the fundie's tell them.

Like the recent Shiavo nonsense, there were conservative, liberal, across the board judges ruling against her parents because the law was quite clear and every doctor who wasn't a quack or shameless political fucktard (like, oh, I don't know, *Frist*) said she was dead. But that's not what the fundies wanted so the judges are now "activist." Which is another way of saying, "They didn't rule the way I wanted to and I'm gonna throw a hissy fit."

[Chmee]

Thank you, Senator Frist, for confirming that Bush's agenda is to flood the courts with right-wing Christian conservatives who will be most likely to violate the separation of church and state.

If you're serving a right wing Christian agenda are you an activist judge?

It's the same bullshit hypocrisy that lets the Bushies shout that they're all for 'state's rights' .... until a state decides to allow gay marriage or medicinal marijuana, and then the Feds drop down on them like an angry Valkyrie.

[Durandal]

Thank you, Senator Frist, for confirming that Bush's agenda is to flood the courts with right-wing Christian conservatives who will be most likely to violate the separation of church and state.

If you're serving a right wing Christian agenda are you an activist judge?

It's the same bullshit hypocrisy that lets the Bushies shout that they're all for 'state's rights' .... until a state decides to allow gay marriage or medicinal marijuana, and then the Feds drop down on them like an angry Valkyrie.

... Or to take a vegetable off life support.

[Sephirius]

goddamn I am happy to live in Canada... seriously though, most of this stuff is so stupid it's almost funny, until you think about the consequences.
-sigh-

[The Dark]

goddamn I am happy to live in Canada... seriously though, most of this stuff is so stupid it's almost funny, until you think about the consequences.
-sigh-

Yeah, it'd be a comedy if it were on TV. In real life, it's a tragedy.

[Firefox]

Ah, Dr. Frist, a man who knows as much about the Constitution as he does about medicine. Unless this is hammered well by his and others' opponents in next year's election, I have difficulty seeing how he's not going to win another term.

As Jon Stewart said, I'd cry, but I'd have to put a condom on my face.

[irishmick79]

It's a sad day in America. The Republicans have begun their brazen assault on the judiciary, and they actually seem to be retaining their core support because most Americans don't give a shit enough to fight them. If they are successful in ramming their nominees through, then I really am afraid for America's future.

[Morilore]

The telecast also signals an escalation of the campaign for the rule change by Christian conservatives who see the current court battle as the climax of a 30-year culture war, a chance to reverse decades of legal decisions about abortion, religion in public life, gay rights and marriage.

There it is, right there. Fucking laid out right for the world to see. I'm scared.

That these buffoons have their linen in a knot over destroying the filibuster only confirms to me how chillingly short sighted, single minded, and FUCKING STUPID this crop of rightists are.

The term "burning bridges" is beyond their comprehension, if they succeed, but need filibuster tactics ten years down the road, they'll undoubtedly blame the Democrats for doing away with it somehow.

...and shit all over this idiot's move for religiously founded judicial appointments.

They may not need it. At this rate, ten years from now the Democratic Party may very well cease to exist as a politically viable force.

Think about it. All three branches of government, installed into power by pandering to theocrats with a very strong groupthink instinct.

It's not hard to see fundamentalists tying to prosecute political opponents for offending against the nation's Christian Principles (TM) or for violating religious freedoms in some asinine rationalization, especially if they get the judiciary on their side.

I call bullshit on the Democrats being hostile to Christianity. Their views on the environment and poverty more closely align to the Biblical ideal than the Republicans do. The Republicans are friendly to cultic fundamentalism, hostile to Christianity.

Do people around the world share American "cultic fundamentalist" viewpoints on the issues the fundies get their panties in a twist about?[/i]

[The Dark]

I call bullshit on the Democrats being hostile to Christianity. Their views on the environment and poverty more closely align to the Biblical ideal than the Republicans do. The Republicans are friendly to cultic fundamentalism, hostile to Christianity.

Do people around the world share American "cultic fundamentalist" viewpoints on the issues the fundies get their panties in a twist about?

I couldn't say for certain, having not traveled around the world. I am not aware of any nation that does hold the same views as the Republican party. The Conservatives in the UK would be somewhat similar as far as authoritarianism and economic conservatism go, but with a far different political philosophy.

[Castor Troy]

People of faith would not be a problem if they didn't have this annoying habit of trying to force everyone else to live by the tenets of this faith. Unfortunately, they do. And any time someone "of faith" stands up to brag about it in Congress, he marks himself as one of these turds (or a panderer, which is functionally the same thing).

Why do you associate people of the faith as one?

Why would people like me associate themselves with those murderers that go around killing abortion doctors?

[Darth Wong]

People of faith would not be a problem if they didn't have this annoying habit of trying to force everyone else to live by the tenets of this faith. Unfortunately, they do. And any time someone "of faith" stands up to brag about it in Congress, he marks himself as one of these turds (or a panderer, which is functionally the same thing).

Why do you associate people of the faith as one?

I didn't. I said they share a particular characteristic. I never said they all share it at the same strength. The guy who says prostitution should be illegal because it's "immoral" according to his religious beliefs and the guy who goes around bombing abortion clinics share the characteristic of trying to make other people live by their beliefs, albeit at different strengths.

Why would people like me associate themselves with those murderers that go around killing abortion doctors?

You wouldn't. But I'm willing to bet you have no problem throwing people in jail for the "crime" of prostitution. It's just not as severe with the average believer, that's all.

[Castor Troy]

I didn't. I said they share a particular characteristic. I never said they all share it at the same strength. The guy who says prostitution should be illegal because it's "immoral" according to his religious beliefs and the guy who goes around bombing abortion clinics share the characteristic of trying to make other people live by their beliefs, albeit at different strengths.

You wouldn't. But I'm willing to bet you have no problem throwing people in jail for the "crime" of prostitution. It's just not as severe with the average believer, that's all.

Actually, I wouldn't have a problem with prostitution.

But, I can see your point, so nevermind.

Just...don't think that all Catholics are theocratic fascists, that's all, really. Maybe "most" Catholics, but certainly not all.

[Darth Raptor]

For the purpose of discussing religious groups as a political body with an agenda, you don't need to point out the moderate minority because they're silent, invisable and irrelevant. If they actually had some semblance of influence within their religions they might be worth mentioning. As it is they're just a beneign abberation.