Today's Cultural Warfare Update

[solarbird]

EDIT: Texas house passes law banning GBLT foster parenting, authorises investigations into sexual orientations of current foster parents, requires potential new foster parents to disclose their sexual orientation;

Focus on the Family news article (with action item) on the filibuster rules change;

FotF news article (with action item) on filibuster rules change - the first two of the Big Ten are coming back up tomorrow;

FotF article (with action item) on the big churchcast this Sunday;

Today's Family News in Focus;

Concerned Women for America rails against women in forward positions in the military (with action item);

Traditional Values Coalition rant on the judicial issue, demands confirmation of all Bush nominees (action item);

TVC-linked "Our Battle Plan," a TVC-sponsoured web site on "taking back the courts" (mostly asking for money, but is, of course, one big action item);

Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government article on their big anti-marriage rally. (Includes action item which succeeded - helping derail HB 1515.)

----- 0 -----Texas bans gay foster parents
Yahoo! News

http://beta.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050420/ts_alt_afp/usjusticegays_050420173703

The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill banning homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals from being foster parents.

If the bill gains approval from the Texas Senate, the state will be allowed to investigate the backgrounds of current foster parents and remove children living in non-heterosexual households.

All future foster parents will be required to disclose their sexual preference on an application form, a legislative aide said.

The move was denounced by local activists.

"More than 43,000 gay and lesbian couples in Texas are forming families and raising children, and this attack on LBGT (lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgendered) Texans will tear apart our families and remove our children from loving, stable families," the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas said in a statement.

"In an already over-burdened foster care system, the effect of reducing the pool of foster parents does nothing to protect Texas children," it added.


----- 1 -----
'Constitutional Option' Forecast Unclear
by Terry Phillips, correspondent
Focus on the Family
April 19, 2005

Is time running out on the blockade of President Bush's judicial nominees?

http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0036238.cfm

It's still too early to forecast whether Senate Republicans will be successful in their efforts to restore constitutional balance to the confirmation of President Bush's judicial nominees.

Speculation is that Majority Leader Bill Frist will soon seek to restore Senate tradition by returning to 51 the number of votes needed for confirmation— not the 60 now required to end the unprecedented filibusters against some nominees being maintained by Democrats.

Experts on both sides of the battle are counting votes, according to Amanda Banks, federal issues analyst for Focus on the Family Action.

"In fact, it is too close to call," Banks said. "Right now there about seven Republicans who remain undecided."

Kay Daly, who heads the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, said the stakes in the battle are huge.

"This is about saving the heart and soul of the Constitution," she said. "If we don't get filibuster reform in place, the left is going to continue to block good judges."

Right now, the mainstream media seem to be suggesting Frist is on the verge having the votes he needs.

"I think the media is starting to realize that, as we approach this vote, it looks more and more like the Republicans have actually got the votes," Frist said.

That's despite Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain's opposition to what the GOP has dubbed the "constitutional option"—and several suspected Republican "nays" elsewhere.

TAKE ACTION
The CitizenLink article, "Help End Judicial Filibusters," gives specific practical steps on how you can be involved in this battle.


----- 2 -----
Two Filibustered Judges Face Hearings
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family

SUMMARY: Thursday is a key day for a pair of judicial
nominees who have been blocked by Democrats'
obstructionism.

A pair of President Bush's judicial nominees blocked by
Senate Democrats for more than a year could be voted out
of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday -- and may
receive votes in the full Senate soon thereafter.

The two are Priscilla Owen, who has been nominated to the
5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans; and
Janice Rogers Brown, nominated to the D.C. Circuit Court
of Appeals.

A third nominee, Terrence Boyle, who is already a federal
judge in North Carolina, is also scheduled for a hearing
on his nomination to the 4th Circuit.

Owen and Brown have similar histories: both serve on a
state Supreme Court (Owen in Texas, Brown in California);
both have been filibustered by Senate Democrats for more
than a year; and both are very well-qualified.

"Priscilla Owen . . . has the highest recommendation that
the American Bar Association can give," said Bruce
Hausknecht, Focus on the Family Action's judicial affairs
analyst. "By all accounts, she is a brilliant jurist."

Brown, he said, is the daughter of a sharecropper in
Alabama, a widowed mother who put herself through college
and law school. She is also the first African-American
woman on the California Supreme Court.

"In her last retention election, she got 76 percent
approval vote, which was the highest of any of the four
justices up for retention that year," Hausknecht said.

Liberal Senate Democrats oppose the pair for different
reasons.

"In Owen's case, they fear for 'reproductive rights' --
which is the favored buzzword for abortion -- because she
has voted to uphold the Texas statute on parental
notification," Hausknecht said.

Brown also voted to uphold parental notification --
requiring girls to tell their parents if they intend to
have an abortion -- but she committed a much worse
infraction for liberal ideologues: She voted against
racial preferences.

"Since she wrote the opinion -- it was a unanimous opinion
-- she was accused of being against minority rights,"
Hausknecht said. "Every judge, from the lower courts to
the higher court, voted the same way -- yet she is accused
of being against minority rights."

Once they get out of committee, the nominations will have
to get to the Senate floor, which thus far, Democrats have
not allowed. But even getting out of committee isn't
something to take for granted.

"In order to even give Senate Majority Leader (Bill) Frist
the option of bringing Brown and Owen before the full
Senate before the May recess," Hausknecht said, "these
nominations need to clear the Judiciary Committee this
Thursday, or else they will not have time to make it on
the Senate calendar before the recess. So it's important
that all 10 Republicans show up on Thursday for this
hearing."

If the nominees should get sent to the full Senate,
Hausknecht said Senate Democrats have pledged to
filibuster -- or use the same procedural blockade they
have used against several of the president's picks over
the last four years. But this time, Hausknecht said, Frist
is expected to press for something called the
"constitutional option."

"The constitutional option," Hausknecht said, "is such
that, once a filibuster has begun, one of the senators
will ask for a ruling from the chair that a filibuster on
a judicial nominee is unconstitutional, and the chair will
make that ruling-- in which case it would only take a
majority of the Senate -- 51 votes -- to approve or vote
down judicial nominees."

If the constitutional option is invoked, Senate Democrats
have vowed they won't take things lying down. They vow to
shut down the Senate -- grinding action to a halt, except
in the case of national defense.

"The rhetoric has been increasingly shrill over the past
couple of weeks," Hausknecht noted. "I expect it to reach
a fever pitch by the time the nominations reach the floor
of the Senate -- probably next week."

TAKE ACTION: Please take time to contact -- via phone and
e-mail -- the Republican members of the Senate Judiciary
Committee and encourage them not to skip -- or even be
late -- to the committee meeting this Thursday. For
contact information, including an easy-to-use e-mail form,
click on the links below each name.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., Chairman:
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=497&lvl=C&chamber=S

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=586&submit.x=8&submit.y=8

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=248

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=203&lvl=C&chamber=S

Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=456&submit.x=20&submit.y=14

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=269&submit.x=6&submit.y=12

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=531

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=31770

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=255&submit.x=9&submit.y=7

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
http://www3.capwiz.com/fof/bio/?id=483&submit.x=3&submit.y=10


----- 3 -----
'Justice Sunday' Simulcast This Weekend
by Josh Montez, correspondent
Focus on the Family

SUMMARY: Your church can help stop the judicial
filibusters in the Senate.

http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0036230.cfm

Hundreds of churches are signing up to air a special
90-minute simulcast featuring three prominent conservative
leaders: Focus on the Family Action Chairman Dr. James
Dobson; FRC Action President Tony Perkins and Dr. Al
Mohler.

"Justice Sunday" will occur April 24 -- and your church
can get on board to help stop judicial filibusters.

The aim of the event is to return some justice to the
judicial nomination process that has been hijacked by
Democrats who have filibustered nominees with whom they
have ideological differences. Perkins said failing to
return the number of votes needed to confirm a nominee to
a simple majority of 51 will have far-reaching
consequences for President Bush.

"If this fails," he explained, "I am concerned that most
of his pro-life, pro-family agenda will be thwarted by
this radical minority in the United States Senate."

Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, agreed, saying this is really a battle against
"black-robed tyranny."

"Everyone who's watching this process closely knows that
it's the judges who really matter," he said. "Just think
of the fact that a president -- even if he wins two terms
-- is in office for only eight years, but these judges are
in positions to affect the law and public policy for a
lifetime."

Pastors, Mohler added, must get their churches involved in
the political process.

"It's just extremely important that Christians understand
that our political responsibility as citizens goes far
beyond the voting booth," he said. "It has to do with
seeing these issues through and nothing right now is more
important than getting the right judges in place."

TAKE ACTION: You can sign your church up to be part of the
simulcast online at
The Family Research Council Web site. The site also lists
radio stations that will be carrying the broadcast.

http://www.frc.org

Churches can get the broadcast through SkyAngel satellite
or via Webcast. It will be aired live from Highview
Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., at 7 p.m. EDT Sunday.

(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the
Family is for informational purposes only and does not
constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)


----- 4 -----
Family News in Focus
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Focus on the Family
Bob Ditmer

* Congress to look at protection for disabled
1. "Focused the nation on the plight of the disabled and their medical care." "A disturbing trend over the last 10 years from medical professionals... unilaterally removing food and water... over the objections of the family." Drafting a bill to set a "minimum" for Federal groups to follow. "The government must act to preserve the culture of life."

* Procter and Gamble boycott called off
3. Because P&G advertised on Queer Eye, Will and Grace, and in GBLT-targeted websites. "Television programmes slanted towards normalising the gay lifestyle." "Because of support of gay activist causes." AFA, Focus on the family, and other groups led the boycott. "The indications are that P&G are going to quit promoting the homosexual lifestyle and get back to just being a company trying to appeal to all Americans." Came from advertising on queer-audience-targeting shows, which AFA claims they've "stopped advertising" in those venues. Cincinnati-based "Citizens for Community Values" thinks that P&G has "had a change of heart." "They were being used by the homosexual lobby, and I think they're, in any way they can... they're trying to back away." P&G declines interview. "Any time consumers react the way they did, [companies] become concerned."

* New pope is for traditional theology and church teaching
5. "Delighted, joyous, and thrilled." "Priests for Life" says the church must be the conscience of the state and must be politically active. "Conservative in more than just life issues." "Peace, justice, truth, the sanctity of marriage..." "Liberals are more vocal than an actual force in numbers."

* First Lady states importance of fatherhood at Nat'l Fatherhood Initiative gala
7. "Fathers as committed leaders to their households and as examples to their families were honoured." "Overwhelmingly, the most influential person in their lives? Dad."

* Ky. Sen. urges Dems not to shut down government
2. Mitch McConnell writes letter asking Majority leader Reed asking Democrats not to filibuster other business if the Judicial rules are changed. "But it appears a rules change might be the only cure."

* Ill. Congressman Henry Hyde to retire
6. "He always will have that distinction of probably being the father of the prolife movement in Congress."

* Supreme Court refuses case legalizing sodomy
4. "The Lawrence v. Texas case that OKed sodomy." "Military man found guilty of sodomy;" he appealed, asked SC to use Lawrence v. Texas to overturn the decision of the military court. "It isn't the first time the ruling has been used to legalise illegal behaviour." Kelly Shackelford(?), Liberty Legal Institute. "This is going to have to be dealt with... the court has created a monster... they didn't take this case, but I think this should concern us all as to where we're headed... we've got to stop... the ridiculous decisions of this supreme court." Court allowed the military court decision to stand.


----- 5 -----
Women Soldiers at Greater Risk under New Army Structure
4/19/2005
Concerned Women for America

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/7946/CWA//index.htm

When the 3rd Infantry deployed to Iraq this year, it did so under a new structure called modular “units of action.” That structure combines support units with the combat teams and consequently places women soldiers closer to combat than they have ever been. Those changes are substantial enough to endanger the exclusion of women from any future military draft. Martha Kleder spoke with a good friend of CWA’s, Col. Robert Maginnis, USA ret., who now serves as a commentator for Fox News. He brings a commander’s perspective on these changes. Click here to listen.

"New developments on the issue of women in combat... tell us about these latest changes." "It is using what is called a brigade combat team concept, a modular force concept that is being promoted by General Sckholmaker(?)... 25 of those positions in that 225 man company can be occupied by women, and in fact, some of those positions are occupied by women... units that are typically in direct combat, such as the brigade combat team... these women would find themselves in direct combat... this is very disconcerting."

"We have already seen one female solder... killed in a forward army base." "Unfortunately, because of the nature of the 15% female component of the army... women in nontraditional roles - supply, military intelligence, military police... are integrated with the combatants... even on patrols that rare guarding supply convoys and the like... it's hard to anticipate where the insurgents might attack... it's not unexpected that women will find themselves in a combat-like role... if we don't change things."

"Inevitably, if you're in a situation and you have a shortage of personnel, all personnel are expected to be engaged... women were involved in countering that attack [at Abu Grabe]..."

"What do we do about this? Are there any efforts to try to bring this to the attention of Congress and reverse this trend?" "Well, I believe is it a technical violation of certainly the military's own policy... unfortunately, there's no statute prohibiting women from serving in any combatant role... it's just been the understood policy of the Defense Department... the Secretary of the Army has said this is not a violation, dismisses this as a violation... if a woman assigned to a combatant unit and that woman were to come under engagement or combat that they would quickly be withdrawn from the field... I don't understand how that could happen given the nature of the battle in Iraq... that I think is more helpful thinking than realistic, because you're going to need all your assets engaged... until such time as your enemies withdraw or are killed." Wants Congressional action to review and "exercise oversight."

"Speculate a little about what this might do for recruitment... aren't most of the young people who join the military of a more traditional mindset?" "It's the exception of the young woman who really wants to get shot at and go kill people. Clearly the military has goals for recruiting young women... we need to be very careful about changing personnel regulations..." Claims women coming under fire will reduce female enlistment. "But it also will put, I think, will influence... it will discourage parents from encouraging their young men... to join a military that is confusing the roles of men and women."

"If any of our listeners would like to make our voices heard... who should they contact, their "Duncan Hunter, from San Diego... chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.. he's looking at the issue now, and that would be something your listeners could contact him, or have your congressmen contact him.... also Senator Warner... why are we forcing young women into combat? Is this what the United States want? ... They need to register their concern, call for hearings, call for public positions taken by members of Congress... it's inevitable... should we have to go to a draft, and I don't want to use this as a scare tactic, but the war on terrorism is going to be very long... should we have to go to some sort of ... draft... we've removed, essentially... any barrier that would preclude our young daughters to be drafted, just as our young men... I'm absolutely convinced that the current Supreme Court, much less a changed Supreme Court, is going to see that the US Military has already breached the barriers... [so] women would have to serve in combat."


----- 6 -----
Democrats Must Stop Filibustering President Bush’s Judicial Nominees!
For Publication On Or After April 19, 2005

By Rev. Louis P. Sheldon
Chairman, Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2232

Washington, DC – The Senate Judiciary Committee will be holding a hearing this coming Thursday on the nominations of Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen and California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown to the federal bench.

Both of these fine jurists were blocked for years from receiving an up or down vote in the full Senate because of liberal obstructionists on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Justice Owen, for example, was first nominated by President Bush in May, 2001. Democrats waited 440 days before holding a hearing on her nomination and then voted along party lines in the committee in September, 2002 to deny her a vote in the full Senate.

The same fate has befallen Justice Brown. Her nomination has been stalled by liberal Senators since 2003.

The screeching leftist special interest groups like People for the American Way have worked hand in glove with Senate liberals to lie and to distort the records of these well qualified women to serve as federal judges.

Both of these women are being smeared as “activist” judges when the opposite is true. Both believe in interpreting rather than creating law when issuing rulings. They both believe in judicial restraint and neither believes that the judiciary is the only branch of government—unlike many liberals.

The liberal cabal is deeply concerned not only that qualified judges like Justices Owen and Brown will become federal judges, but they are also concerned about losing the stranglehold they have on filibustering judicial nominees from receiving a fair up or down vote in the Senate.

This obstructionism must stop!

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently sent a letter of concern over this obstructionism to Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NM). In it, McConnell stated, “Democrats’ continued insistence on obstructing judicial nominees threatens our Constitution’s careful separation of powers among the three branches of government. Never before in the history of the country has a minority of senators filibustered—on a systematic, repeated, and partisan basis—well-qualified judicial nominees.”


----- 7 -----
OUR BATTLE PLAN
TO TAKE BACK THE COURTS
Traditional Values Coalition

http://www.ourbattleplan.com/

For 40 years, the anti-God Left has been using America’s courts to impose an anti-religion, anti-family agenda on America -– an extremist agenda that politicians (even most liberals) would never dare vote for.

And, ultra-liberal Democrats and the ACLU are leading a well-funded, orchestrated campaign to block the confirmation of President Bush’s pro-family federal judge nominees.

We need TVC Supporters like you to stand up today and help TVC turn up the heat on Senators in all 50 states to override Senators Ted Kennedy, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Kerry, and their liberal Democrat allies in the Senate . . .

. . . and insist on the immediate confirmation of President Bush’s federal judge appointments (some of which Senate Democrats managed to block for more than two years).

Together, we can force action on President Bush’s judicial appointments if the Senate sees overwhelming public outrage over the liberal Democrats’ obstructionist tactics . . . and their ongoing efforts to hijack the courts for their anti-God agenda.

TVC is launching an all-out assault to reach and rally 2,000,000 politically-active citizens representing all 50 states and all 435 Congressional districts.

We must tell every Senator and Congressman exactly what kind of judges their constituents want sitting on our federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court interpreting the laws of our nation.

[Includes a link to:]

The Plan

TVC is launching an all-out assault to reach and rally 2,000,000 politically-active citizens representing all 50 states and all 435 Congressional districts.

We must tell every Senator and Congressman exactly what kind of judges their constituents want sitting on our federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court interpreting the laws of our nation.

I need you to please send your best contribution today . . .

1) to help me and TVC put enormous grassroots public pressure on Senate Democrats to immediately confirm President Bush’s federal judge appointments; and

2) to help me show America how the liberal Democrats have hijacked America’s courts to push a radical anti-God, anti-family agenda on America.

3) to help TVC build a special Supreme Court Warchest Fund to fight for confirmation of President Bush’s Supreme Court nominees during the next 4 years. (Experts predict he’ll appoint between two and four new Supreme Court Justices!)

Please take a minute right now to contribute the largest amount you can afford today to help us fully-implement our TAKE BACK OUR COURTS Battle Plan.

By waging an enormous grassroots mobilization, media, and direct mail campaign designed to reach 100,000,000 voters we intend to expose these liberal Democrats for their ACLU-style leftist ideology that made it possible for this powerful federal court to rule the “Pledge of Allegiance” unconstitutional.

TVC’s $10 million TAKE BACK OUR COURTS Battle Plan includes:

1) Nationwide Media Blitz through TV, radio and newspapers.

TVC plans to launch a nationwide campaign to educate Americans about how the ACLU (with help from liberal Democrat politicians) have hijacked America’s courts to impose an extremist anti-God agenda on America. We will also urge citizens to call and write their Senators to demand immediate confirmation of President Bush’s federal court appointments now being blocked.

2) Voter Mobilization Mailings.

Direct mail is the single most effective method of reaching voters with the facts on how liberal Democrats over the years have packed America’s courts with radical, anti-God judges. With direct mail, we can generate overwhelming public pressure on Congress to immediately confirm President Bush’s conservative federal judge appointments. With our mailings we plan to let voters know which Members of Congress stand with President Bush . . . and which Members of Congress stand with the ACLU.

3) A major phone bank operation.

Our state-of-the-art phone bank can contact voters at a moment’s notice when a vote comes up in the Senate on one of President Bush’s federal judge nominations. We can phone up to 5,000 voters an hour (or 50,000 voters a day) in key states to urge voters to immediately call, fax and e-mail the Senator to demand that he vote on the side of President Bush and his federal judge nominee . . . and against the liberal Senate Democrats.

4) Distribute 25,000,000 Voter Guides for the 2006 elections.

We will closely track Congressional votes on key moral values issues and judges. We aim to distribute some 25,000,000 VOTER GUIDES in the months leading up to the 2006 Congressional elections. We want to distribute these VOTER GUIDES through our network of more than 43,000 churches. We also plan to distribute them to Christian and conservative voters through the mail, as well as in shopping malls and door-to-door in neighborhoods. These VOTER GUIDES will tell voters which Members of Congress stand with President Bush and appointing common-sense conservative judges . . . and which Members of Congress stand with the anti-God agenda of the ACLU.

5) A nationwide Internet and e-mail campaign.

TVC’s website is becoming an increasingly important weapon for mobilizing traditional values voters to instantly pressure Members of Congress to vote on the side of traditional moral values and faith when a key vote takes place. In addition, TVC’s growing e-mail list of voters (now more than 800,000 e-mail addresses) allows us to contact Christian and pro-family voters instantly at very little cost to urge immediate political action, such as calling their Congressman and Senators on a key vote before the Congress.

[Even more at URL]


----- 8 -----
March 8 Mayday Rally a Resounding Success
Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government
Dear Friends,

I have never been more proud of our WERG team than I was at the March 8th Mayday for Marriage Rally at the capitol. It was certainly the largest rally in Olympia this year with an estimated 10,000 in attendance. According to a State Patrol officer, it was the largest rally they have ever had in Olympia (except for the teacher’s union when they came to get a raise in salary.) Our people came in buses, vans, and cars from all over the state to make a very simple statement: “Marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Our attorneys were present to argue the case before the Supreme Court. After the rally, and after the court hearing, I left feeling like we actually have a chance to win this case and preserve authentic marriage. It will almost certainly be close. I am thinking maybe 5-4 one way or another.

Please do not let up on the prayers. Have your church pray on a regular basis. Request prayer in Sunday School and home groups. Add it to your regular prayers at home. Pray that God will work in the hearts of the Supreme Court Justices and that they will support authentic marriage in their decision. No one knows when they will decide but I think it will be two or three months.

If they rule that the DOMA law is discriminatory, and in conflict with the state constitution, Washington will be the second state in the nation to have legalized “same-sex marriages”. God can cause the leaders hearts to move HIS way ... PRAY!

Please also remember to pray for our lobbyist, Bob Higley, who works tirelessly in defense of biblical principles within the halls of the Legislature.

While I am asking for prayer, please do not forget to pray for the other issues we are facing in this legislative session. With both houses and the governorship in the hands of one party, it is hard to block some kinds of legislation. We are very close to being able to block HB 1515 which would add “sexual orientation” to the jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission. If you haven’t done so already, please call your senator about this right away and ask him or her to “OPPOSE HB 1515”.

Are you getting legislative updates through someone in your church? If not, would you consider being the person to channel immediate information to your church? We will supply you with the information on a weekly basis during the session. We would ask you to make copies and have it available at church on Sunday. If you would be willing to help, please contact Danille Turissini, our grassroots coordinator. She will show you what to do. She can be reached at danille.t@werg.org or 360-301-4134.

Finally, WERG went out on a limb to sponsor this GREAT rally and there have been significant expenses that were necessary to make it all happen. They must be paid to those who provided services supporting this rally. We are asking every WERG supporter to consider an extra effort financially to help cover these costs. As you know, we do not have a large base of supporters, but you are faithful and we know we can count on you. God bless you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Joseph B. Fuiten, WERG President

Comments

[banner.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't see why you're tracking the filibuster thing. The republicans won't change it cause they're freaking wimps. If they had any balls they would have changed it already (change it like the dems did in the past so they could pass their stuff).

[solarbird]

Well, this is the time, and this is the place, as Laurie Anderson would say! Plus, it's interesting - they haven't been this hyperfocused on one action plan in a long, long time. They're investing heavily in this, and their reaction if it doesn't happen will be singularly informative.

[banner.livejournal.com]

Personally I want them to do the 'Byrd' or 'Constitutional' option. Fillibustering these nominations is wrong. Most fillibusters are wrong. And everyone in the Democratic party who is saying this plan to stop them is nasty tried to ban ALL filibusters back in 95. But then, such are politicians.