Gary Bauer on Liberal Democrat Treatment of Gates and Pace

Gary Bauer has an excellent analysis of how liberal Democrats behave in power. Their disrespectful behavior would not improve if another Clinton were in the White House.

Charmaine has given congressional testimony and Your Business Blogger has attended a number of congressional hearings. Hearings are usually conducted with decorum and respect and dignity. The high ceiling-ed hearing rooms are treated as sanctuaries; like churches. And people are mindful of being considerate and deferential.

But not these days.

Bauer, as usual, gets it right on yesterday’s hearings — and his message deserves a wide audience.

The Inmates Are Running The Asylum

I spent most of the day on Capitol Hill yesterday, meeting with members of Congress and discussing important issues. The terrain is familiar to me, though it can be hostile at times. I have worked in this town for three decades, served eight years in the Reagan administration and have been through some tough hearings myself.

But yesterday something happened that I have never seen before, and even the Washington Post felt compelled to report the “theatrics” on page A2 today, noting, “the lid came off” of the liberals’ anger during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.

Simply put, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Peter Pace were ambushed by radical activists and liberal Democrats on the committee. Senator Robert Byrd, chairman of the committee and the top recipient of campaign cash from MoveOn.org, whipped the audience into a frenzy. Here is an excerpt from the Washington Post:

“He [Byrd] invited the audience in the room to join him in heckling the witnesses [Secretary Gates and General Pace], creating a responsive Greek chorus.

“Byrd: Are we really seeking progress toward a stable, secure Iraq?

“Chorus: No!

“Byrd: Is our continuing occupation encouraging the Iraqi people to step up?

“Chorus: No!

“Byrd: Are Iraq’s leaders doing the hard work necessary?

“Chorus: No!

“Emboldened, two dozen hecklers in the audience from the antiwar group Code Pink continued to shout at the witnesses and wave signs for the better part of an hour. Finally, after Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) challenged Pace on his view that homosexuality is immoral, the hearing collapsed as the hecklers shouted down the nation’s top military officer.

“…When the proceedings resumed, minus two dozen pink-clad demonstrators, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) felt the need to ‘go on record with how disturbed I am about the conduct that occurred here. Such tension, such chaos, such disrespect.’”

What is described here is a mob scene in which top officials charged with the defense of our country were verbally harassed and insulted by arrogant politicians and a cadre of loud-mouthed radicals. Secretary Gates and General Pace were not there to offer testimony about the war. They were intentionally set up and they walked into a trap.

That kind of petty partisan behavior is disgraceful and unbecoming of the United States Senate. While I appreciate Senator Mikulski for speaking up, it’s no wonder that Congress’ approval rating has fallen to record lows lately.

By the way, when Senator Harkin decided to bring up the issue of open homosexuality in the military, General Pace reminded the senator that the U.S. Military Code of Justice prohibits homosexual activity — and adultery. To which Sen. Harkin retorted, “Well, then, maybe we should change that.”

Wow! I wonder what the good folks back in Iowa think of that idea. I hope they will keep it in mind next year when Harkin runs for reelection.

Global Warming = Higher Taxes

Liberals in the House of Representatives are putting the finishing touches

on a plan to combat global warming, and, of course, it involves higher

taxes. Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce

Committee is being very blunt about the facts of the plan, saying, “I’m

trying to have everybody understand that this is going to cost and that

it’s going to have a measure of pain that you’re not going to like.”

In making his call for “shared pain,” Dingell is proposing – and you might

want to sit down for this – to hike gasoline taxes 50 cents a gallon;

phasing out the interest tax deduction for home mortgages; and a new tax on

carbon emissions of $50 per ton, which would increase the cost of

electricity, winter heating fuel, etc., etc.

I’ve been saying for some time now that this debate was headed in precisely

this direction. Regardless of the science or the value of being good

stewards of the environment, liberal Democrats are turning the policy

debate on its head and using it as a tool to accomplish their agenda of

bigger government, higher taxes and more control over your life.

Democrats Debate Values; Go Off The Deep End

An interesting question was posed to the Democrat candidates during last

night’s debate in New Hampshire. A member of the audience told the

candidates about a situation that occurred last year in Lexington,

Massachusetts, in which second grade students were read a “fairly tale”

about prince who could not find true love until he met another prince. The

book is called “King and King” and it is being used to indoctrinate young

children about same-sex “marriage.”

This concerned citizen asked each of the Democrat candidates, “Would you be

comfortable having this story read to your children as part of their school

curriculum?” Their responses were revealing.

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards responded, “Yes, absolutely. I

want my children to understand everything about the difficulties that gay

and lesbian couples are faced with every day, the discrimination that

they’re faced with every single day of their lives.”

Barack Obama essentially agreed with Edwards, noting that children need to

understand that some people are different. Then it was Hillary’s turn.

“I really respect what both John and Barack said. With respect to your

individual children, that is such a matter of parental discretion,” Clinton

said.

Well, actually, it’s not. When the father of a child in the Lexington

class objected to what his son was being exposed to, he was told that

homosexual “marriage” was legal in Massachusetts. When he continued to

protest the school’s blatant disregard for parental rights, he was

arrested. Parents later sued the school district and a judge dismissed

their suit. So much for “parental discretion.”

I’m pleased to report that several Republican presidential candidates today

are noting just how extreme and out of touch the Democrats have become on

values issues. Earlier this year, the Democrats participated in the first-

ever “gay debate,” demonstrating the influence the militant homosexual

movement wields within the party of Clinton and Kennedy.

My friends, today’s news – liberal Democrats haranguing our military

leaders; trying to raise taxes through the roof; and forcing homosexuality

on our children – once again illustrates the stakes involved in the 2008

elections. I’ll be reporting even more in the days ahead. I hope you are

ready, and I hope you will support us!

Thank you (foot)notes:

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Full Disclosure: Your Business Blogger and Charmaine have worked for Gary Bauer in different capacities over the decades.