May 21, 2009

Proposals being Pressed to End the Electoral College

If those pushing to end the Electoral College get their way, big cities including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles could have the power to choose the next President!

Proposals are gaining traction in Congress to eliminate the Constitutionally-required use of the "Electoral College" for Presidential elections, and instead use the popular vote count to select the President. This would essentially give heavily-populated states--and even large cities--the greatest power to decide the outcome.

Under the Electoral College, electors generally total the number of U.S. Senators and Representatives for each state, giving all states at least three electors. This would require that the entire country be considered when candidates are trying to get votes, and not just the few large states that could decide the election under a popular vote.

To contact your representatives about the proposals to eliminate electoral college
Capitol Switchboard
202-224-3121

Posted by Administrator at 05:38 PM

 

May 07, 2009

Hate Crimes Bill Update

This is an update to our last Crosstalk Hotline message due to fast-moving events in the Senate.

We announced that the Hate Crimes Bill, which has passed the House, was scheduled for a vote on Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee, without hearings, which would send it to the full Senate. That vote did not take place, so the bill is still in committee. Crosstalk has learned that instead, on Wednesday, Sen. Patrick Leahy quietly scheduled a Senate Judiciary hearing next Tuesday to consider “helping state and local law enforcement.”

This does not specifically mention S.909, known in the Senate as the "Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act". But sources have checked with Senator Leahy's staff and have learned that S.909 could be added into that hearing because one of its purposes is “to provide federal assistance to states, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes…”

Even though it is called a "hearing", it is likely that no witnesses will be called, and Republicans on the committee may even be blocked from entering into debate or offering amendments. Conservative watchdogs watching what is happening believe that Senator Leahy is trying to rush the hate bill through by a majority vote, catching Republican Judiciary members unprepared, and effectively blocking all testimony opposing this massive increase in protected categories for "hate crime" penalty enhancements, including 30 "sexual orientations", most of them deviant, and some against the law.

Again, here is a link to a list of the sexual orientations protected in the bill as passed by the House:

http://www.afa.net/sexualorientationshr1913.asp

Plus, the American Psychiatric Association lists another 547 different "Paraphilias" that will also be protected under the "hate crimes" bill.

Republicans are more likely to put up a fight in committee now, because Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania (who supports this legislation) has become a Democrat, he is no longer the ranking Republican member of the Judiciary Committee. Senator Jeff Sessions, a conservative from Alabama was in line to become the Ranking Republican member. We do not yet know if the G.O.P. will name a new Senator to the committee to bring their membership back up to eight.

Because the bill is still in committee, there is time for even more calls to Senators to ask them to stop this legislation.

Continue reading "Hate Crimes Bill Update" »

Posted by Administrator at 08:49 AM

 

May 06, 2009

Hate Crimes Bill goes to Full Senate for a Vote

Hate Crimes legislation is quickly moving through Congress--a bill that would protect up to 30 types of deviant sexual behavior by increasing penalties if it was determined that a crime was perpetrated on them based on hatred of that behavior.

The House version, known as H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, already been passed, and the Senate Version, S.909 was quickly introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy.

This bill, as passed by the house, is about as broad as it could be in the number of sexual orientations it protects--essentially anything except biblical heterosexuality, and its high standard of one man-one woman marriage for life. All attempts to remove any of the most radical "orientations", like pedophilia (desiring sexual relations with children, an activity which is illegal in all 50 states) were summarily rejected by the Democrats in the House. In like manner, attempts to protect other vulnerable groups, like children, the elderly, returning veterans, etc. were quickly voted down.

Continue reading "Hate Crimes Bill goes to Full Senate for a Vote" »

Posted by Administrator at 02:31 PM

 

May 05, 2009

Broadcast Fairness Doctrine Could be Reinstated

The Federal Communications Commission has announced the roster of a new advisory committee on diversity in communications. This move appears designed to bring increased minority ownership and involvement in communications, which is designed to increase the number of "liberal" talk programs, and to establish government regulation of talk radio via a return to the "Fairness Doctrine", but under a new name. This committee will be meeting starting Thursday, May 7.

"Fairness Doctrine" type regulations would mandate that any station that airs a controversial issue must provide time for opposing views, even thought other stations and programs may already be providing those views.

Two bills have been introduced in Congress to block the FCC from implementing the Fairness Doctrine or or any similar control of broadcast speech. They are SB S-34 and HR 226.

Continue reading "Broadcast Fairness Doctrine Could be Reinstated" »

Posted by Administrator at 08:50 PM