The ‘American Values Agenda’ can’t get out of the starting blocs

June 29, 2006

The House Republicans’ “American Values Agenda,” a sop to the party’s far-right base, includes some unusually vapid ideas, including a uniquely pernicious proposal called the “[tag]Pledge Protection Act[/tag].”

Here’s the idea: some people believe Congress violated the separation of church and state when it changed the Pledge in 1954, adding the phrase “[tag]under God[/tag].” Worried that some federal courts might agree with this analysis, the House GOP wants to strip the judiciary of the ability to hear cases involving the Pledge, whether the case has merit or not.

Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to help get the ball rolling on the measure, but Republicans suddenly ran into a problem: they didn’t have the votes.

House Republicans failed Wednesday to advance a bill protecting the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. Only a day earlier, the GOP had placed the measure on its “[tag]American Values Agenda[/tag]” in hopes of bolstering the party’s prospects in the fall election.

But Republicans could not muster a simple majority on the issue in a committee where they outnumber Democrats by six. […]

A simple majority is required to report a bill to the House floor with a favorable committee recommendation. The House Judiciary Committee split 15-15 on the pledge bill Wednesday; Rep. Bob Inglis, R-S.C., joined 14 Democrats to oppose it.

And why would Inglis, a far-right lawmaker from South Carolina, buck his party on this? Because, as he told reporters, once Congress starts down the “court-stripping” road, maybe some future-Congress led by radical liberals could start denying courts jurisdiction on issues conservatives care about.

Now, this may seem like procedural trivia. It’s a fairly obscure bill stuck in a House committee. But a) it’s amusing to see Republicans unable to advance their own “American Values Agenda”; and b) Judiciary Committee Chairman James [tag]Sensenbrenner[/tag] (R-WI) tried to play fast and loose with the rules to get his bill through anyway, but failed.

Can’t anybody here play this game?

Poor suffering Republican’ts.

Still, they seem to know how to win elections. Or fix them maybe. So don’t count them out in 2006.

  • Finally, some of the far-right numbnuts are thinking about the consequences of their actions and seeing that the lack of balance can equally slam against them when and if the Democrats control the Congress and the Presidency.

    This is what I precisely object to about the Republican party — the lack of forethought about the consequences of their actions. To me, that just translates to stupidity.

  • It’s possible that at least a few of the GOP are beginning to see the potential dangers of establishing a dominionist Xian form of sharia law….

  • I suppose it’s a credit to John Conyers that he has kept his sanity for this long putting up with the constant illegal, unethical and immoral practices of the Repub House leadership. I would have gone postal long ago.

  • It is so heartening to see some republicans with the foresight to realize that the very tactics that they are championing for short-term political gain could be turned around on them in the future. At least someone in congress has some sense.

  • Surfing over to The Raw Story everyday is a must for Rethug spotters. James “Looney Tunes” Sensenbrenner makes the evil Tom DeLay look sane.

  • It is encouraging to see there is some fundamental reality based belief deep deep down in at least some Republicans. It is too bad it requires something so extreme to bring it out. It is too bad only one Republican was able to think about this reasonably.

  • Bob Inglis is my representative. I just called his office to thank him for using some common sense, and respecting our system of government. The staff member said he was under a lot of pressure, but did the right thing. I agreed. Now if only I could get him to use some common sense in regards to Iraq.

  • I assume Sensenbrenner can still get the thing out of committee when he rounds up the seven (of 23) Republicans who didn’t bother showing up for the vote.

    I’m not so sure the Court will take kindly to being told what it can and cannot take up. Just this morning they told the White House to go to hell on the usurpation of judicial power at Gitmo. The Court may cooperate with the GOP – e.g., handing the presidency to the Bush Crime Family. But the Royal Moron had better not confuse that with thinking that he, rather than the Court, is “The Decider”. The Supremes are in for life and owe this lame duck adminstration … nothing.

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