SENATE BEST BET FOR HATE BILL DEFEAT
By Rev. Ted Pike
1 May 07
I am gratified that many Christian/conservative organizations and
tens of thousands of freedom-loving Americans are focusing their
concern on the House of Representatives as it prepares to vote on
the anti-hate bill H.R. 1592 this Thursday.
Yet let's face reality: Within the last 2 weeks, the Democrat majority
of the Oregon legislature voted unwaveringly to mock the will of
the people, passing pro-homosexual S.B. 2. Similarly, the Democrat-controlled
House Judiciary Committee scorned Republican concerns, approving
H.R. 1592 last week. We may expect the same in the House this Thursday.
Not only do pro-hate bill Democrats have 34 more votes than
the Republicans, but at least several dozen Republicans are probably
committed to vote for the hate bill. This means that in order to
even have a tie in the House about 55 members would have to cancel
their pledge to vote for the hate bill. Not a good possibility.
Hope in the Senate
An extremely different reality exists in the Senate. The pro-hate
bill forces may have as many as 65 votes, more than the 60 necessary
to win. This includes about 14 Republicans; but if 6 Republicans
are dissuaded from supporting the hate bill, S. 1105 will not pass.
The federal hate bill would be destroyed, at least for this session
of Congress.
Even though the hate bill S. 1105 is not scheduled for hearings
this week, I was told by a pro-hate bill staffer that, according
to the discretion of prime movers like Sens. Reid and Leahy, it could
be moved forward very rapidly next week, with virtually no advance
notice.
Do we wait until Thursday evening, after probable defeat in the
House, before we turn our protest to the Senate? I think that could
well be too late.
Since the Senate, not the House, is where our greatest hope lies,
I believe it is necessary NOW to devote a sizable portion of our
efforts to winning Senate Republicans back. There are 14 Senate Republicans
still in office who voted for the hate bill in 2004.Here are 12
who might be persuaded to come back to reality:
• Alexander, Lamar (TN)
• Bennett, Robert (UT)
• Coleman, Norm (MN)
• Collins, Susan (ME)
• Ensign, John (NV)
• Gregg, Judd (NH)
• Lugar, Richard (IN)
• Murkowski, Lisa (AK)
• Snowe, Olympia (ME)
• Stevens, Ted (AK)
• Voinovich, George (OH)
• Warner, John (VA)
In addition, there are 16 Republican Senators whose stand is either
unclear or unannounced. The pro-hate bill forces are working hard
to persuade them to vote with the Democrats. Lovers of freedom must
work even harder to keep them from succumbing. These possible "fence-straddlers" are:
• Allard, Wayne (CO)
• Bunning, Jim (KY)
• Burr, Richard (NC)
• Crapo, Michael (ID)
• Dole, Elizabeth (NC)
• Domenici, Pete (NM)
• Graham, Lindsey (SC)
• Hagel, Chuck (NE)
• Hutchison, Kay (TX)
• Martinez, Mel (FL)
• McCain, John (AZ)
• Roberts, Pat (KS)
• Sununu, John (NH)
• Thomas, Craig (WY)
• Thune, John (SD)
• Vitter, David (LA)
Call all of the above immediately. Don't be shy about calling again
in the weeks ahead.
Toll free numbers include
1-877-851-6437 and 1-866-220-0044, or call toll 1-202-225-3121.
If
you are a constituent of any of the above, it is vitally important
that you send them and their influential 8 to 10 legislative aides
my powerful flyer Anti-Hate
Laws Will Make YOU a Criminal. There
is evidence that this flyer, sent to legislative aides, has powerfully
motivated members of the House to action (although such may be too
late).
I am not suggesting that we stop our offensive in the House. Call
your House member immediately also. But, as every army must fight
not only on the front but also protect its flanks and rear guard,
so we must be proactive to carry the battle to the Senate now. How
foolish we would feel if, having spent a full week concentrating
on the House and being defeated, we were suddenly faced with an imminent
vote in the Senate and had done little to persuade crucial Republicans.
I believe that with the exception of Sen. Smith and Sen. Specter,
Republicans who have strayed, if overwhelmed by the will of the people,
can cancel their promises to ADL and the gay lobby in favor of those
who have power to vote them out of office. Call each of the above
31 Senators and tell them:
Please don't vote for hate crime bill S. 1105. Hate laws have taken
away free speech in Canada and many European countries.
Add this stern warning to Senators from your state:
If you vote for hate laws, I and my friends will never vote for
you again.
The above lists are posted at www.truthtellers.org. The legislative
aides are listed with the Republican Senators also.
Any Senator not listed opposes the hate bill already.
Rev. Ted Pike is director of the National Prayer Network, a Christian /conservative
watchdog organization.
Visit www.truthtellers.org to
learn much more about how you can help save free speech in America.
See our current Action Plan by clicking 'What
Can I Do?'.
Let the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith teach you how they
have saddled 45 states with hate laws capable of persecuting Christians:
http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/intro.asp.
Learn how ADL took away free speech in Canada and wants to steal
it now in the U.S. Congress. Watch Rev. Ted Pike's Hate
Laws: Making Criminals of Christians at video.google.com. Purchase
this gripping documentary to show at church. Order online at www.truthtellers.org for $24.90, DVD or VHS, by calling 503-853-3688, or at the address
below.
TALK SHOW HOSTS: Interview Rev. Ted Pike on
the threat of hate laws, both federal and state. Call (503) 631-3808.
National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas,
OR 97015
