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Election News and Commentary

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"America is great because she is good. If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." Alexis de Tocqueville .....................

Leading Abortion Activist Will Help John Edwards' Presidential Campaign

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 8, 2007
 

 

Sen. Patty Murray avoids C-word, opts for 'holiday' at national lighting ceremony
Posted: December 7, 2006
By Joe Kovacs
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

When Democrats won control of Congress in November's election, the victory may have reignited a controversy many Americans thought had been settled a year ago – and that is what to call the national tree in front of the U.S. Capitol.

In 2005, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., instructed federal officials to refer to it as the "Capitol Christmas Tree," after having been called the "Capitol Holiday Tree" since the 1990s.

But at last night's lighting ceremony for the 65-foot Pacific Silver Fir, the Democrat senator from the tree's home state of Washington never used the word "Christmas" in her speech to the assembled crowd, opting instead for the term "holiday tree" twice.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called this a "holiday tree" while House Speaker Dennis Hastert referred to it as a "Christmas tree" during last night's 43rd annual lighting of the "U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree"

"It is so wonderful and such an honor to be here tonight in the nation's capital as we light what we all believe from the other end of the country is the best holiday tree ever," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

"I am very proud of everyone in my home state who helped make this happen – all of our staffs who worked so hard; everyone who helped bring this tree out here; everyone who has worked incredibly hard, especially the young children who helped decorate this tree. So, tonight, we share with the nation what makes our state so spectacular: a bit of our spirit, a holiday tree."

Murray was in the minority in her use of "holiday tree," as the event's master of ceremonies, Alan Hantman, the architect of the Capitol, called it "the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree."

Additionally, Murray was immediately followed by a performance by the National Presbyterian School Chorus, which sang "O Christmas Tree."

Full story at: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53275

 

Insightful Post Election Commentary

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Senate Vote Tally on Embryonic Stem Cell Research Funding Bill
July 18, 2006

Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Yea Allard (R-CO), No Allen (R-VA), No Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Yea Biden (D-DE), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), No Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brownback (R-KS), No Bunning (R-KY), No Burns (R-MT), No Burr (R-NC), Yea Byrd (D-WV), Yea Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Chafee (R-RI), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), No Clinton (D-NY), Yea Coburn (R-OK), No Cochran (R-MS), Yea Coleman (R-MN), No Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), No Craig (R-ID), No Crapo (R-ID), No Dayton (D-MN), Yea DeMint (R-SC), No DeWine (R-OH), No Dodd (D-CT), Yea Dole (R-NC), No

Domenici (R-NM), No Dorgan (D-ND), Yea Durbin (D-IL), Yea Ensign (R-NV), No Enzi (R-WY), No Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Frist (R-TN), Yea Graham (R-SC), No Grassley (R-IA), No Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagel (R-NE), No Harkin (D-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), No Inouye (D-HI), Yea Isakson (R-GA), No Jeffords (I-VT), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Yea Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), No Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (D-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Lott (R-MS), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea Martinez (R-FL), No McCain (R-AZ), Yea

McConnell (R-KY), No Menendez (D-NJ), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), No Obama (D-IL), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Roberts (R-KS), No Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Salazar (D-CO), Yea Santorum (R-PA), No Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), No Shelby (R-AL), No Smith (R-OR), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea Sununu (R-NH), No Talent (R-MO), No Thomas (R-WY), No Thune (R-SD), No Vitter (R-LA), No Voinovich (R-OH), No Warner (R-VA), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Full story at: http://www.lifenews.com/bio1636.html

• Why Embryo Destruction is Worse than Abortion: "Embryonic stem cell research, by contrast, is wholly dehumanizing."

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N.Y. top court rules against gay marriage Updated 7/6/2006

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York's highest court ruled Thursday that gay marriage is not allowed under state law, rejecting arguments by same-sex couples who said the law violates their constitutional rights. The Court of Appeals, in a 4-2 decision, said New York's marriage law is constitutional and clearly limits marriage to between a man and a woman. Any change in the law would have to come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith said. "We do not predict what people will think generations from now, but we believe the present generation should have a chance to decide the issue through its elected representatives," Smith wrote. Gov. George Pataki's health department and state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office had argued New York law prohibits issuing licenses to same-sex couples. The state had prevailed in lower appeals courts. Full story at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-07-06-ny-gay-marriage_x.htm?csp=24

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Eyman stumbles with gay-rights challenge

6/6/2006, 7:44 p.m. PT
By RACHEL LA CORTE
The Associated Press

 OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Initiative activist Tim Eyman and other foes of
Washington state's new gay civil rights law failed to submit enough voter
signatures Tuesday to force a public vote this fall.

Eyman, appearing at the state elections division just minutes before closing
time, said he and allies had collected 105,103 signatures. That's fewer than
the 112,440 minimum required and considerably less than the 130,000 that is
suggested in order to cover duplicate or invalid signatures.

The announcement marked one of the few times that Eyman has failed to
qualify a measure for the ballot - and particularly one with as much seeming
appeal to social and religious conservatives.

Full story at: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/272954_eyman06ww.html?source=rss

ESHB 2661: Homosexual Rights Bill from Washington State Legislature Let The Voters Decide website (Ref 65 Info Website) Faith and Freedom explanation of ESHB 2661 Christian Coalition of Washington State Sound the Alarm website IRS Rule on Church Lobbying Activities Church signature gathering as a lobbying activity is allowed Homosexuality and the death of societies 2004 Superior Court ruling appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court in favor of homosexual marriage God created them male and female, and blessed them saying "be fruitful."

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Opponents of bias law seek signers

Church-backed campaign wants repeal of legislation

Jim Camden
Staff writer
May 19, 2006

Voters, not the Legislature, should decide whether the state should add sexual orientation to its anti-discrimination statutes, a pair of Republican legislators said Thursday night.

State Rep. Lynn Schindler, of Spokane Valley, and state Sen. Brad Benson, of Spokane, urged about two dozen people to work with their churches to make a final push for signatures for Referendum 65, a ballot measure that would repeal a law passed and signed this year. H.B. 2661 added sexual orientation to other "protected classes" from discrimination such as gender, race, religion and disability.

Benson argued that there is no statistical proof that homosexuals suffer from discrimination in employment, education or housing, but the statute is so vague it will spawn lawsuits for years. The bill passed, he contended, "because many legislators didn't want to be labeled a bigot."

Schindler told people in the crowd they needed to get out of their chairs and get to work. But they should stick to the legal questions about the law and "voice opinions with respect" to avoid being accused of hate speech.

"It has nothing to do with hatred of the person," Schindler said. "We have the right to say (homosexuality) is wrong, that it is not good for the family."

Full story at: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/tools/story_pf.asp?ID=131610

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SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/270981_eyman20.html

Eyman, churches link up. Initiative king seeks out evangelicals' help to repeal gay-rights law

Saturday, May 20, 2006

By CHRIS MCGANN
P-I REPORTER

OLYMPIA -- Using a page torn from the Karl Rove playbook, initiative
salesman Tim Eyman has turned to a network of evangelical churches to help
repeal the gay-rights law that the Legislature passed this spring.

Eyman needs to round up 112,440 valid signatures from registered voters by
June 6 to get Referendum 65 on the ballot this fall.

Though early reports indicated a lackluster response to the measure, Eyman
is banking on an 11th-hour surge from as many as 5,400 churches he hopes
will participate in "Referendum Sunday."

"That means that this weekend nearly 500,000 voters are going to hear about
and talk about our effort to get a public vote on House Bill 2661," Eyman
wrote in an e-mail sent to the media and supporters. "They'll be asked to
not only sign the petition but to take petitions home and fill them up and
return them next Sunday."

Full article at: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/270981_eyman20.html

Homosexual "Rights" ?  or Wrongs? ........ How can a Wrong be a "Right"? ........ Simplistic Sexuality is Deceptive and Destructive ......................

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Saturday, May 13, 2006 · Last updated 10:19 a.m. PT

Foes, friends of gay marriage anxious for court ruling

By DAVID AMMONS
AP POLITICAL WRITER

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Washington's closely watched same-sex marriage case was argued before the state Supreme Court in March of last year, and the long, long wait for a decision continues.

Some court-watchers are now speculating that this hot potato could stay under wraps until after the November election.

Gay marriage and gay rights were a front-burner issue in the Legislature this year, and the buzz over the Oscar-nominated "Brokeback Mountain" seemed to galvanize attention.

After 30 years of debate and disputation, lawmakers finally passed a gay anti-discrimination bill - and even before the governor had signed it, initiative activist Tim Eyman began pushing for a public vote this fall.

Full story at: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_ammons_on_politics.html

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