Robertson endorses Guiliani and House passes ENDA...is religious right dead?

I'm not sure if Hell froze over today. Perhaps they are getting the cold weather that is eluding us in Arizona. Pat Robertson, the man behind the Christian Coalition, endorsed Rudy Giuliani, abortion- and gay-rights supporter, for President today. John McCain was endorsed by former presidential candidate Sam Brownback, also a Christian conservative, while Mitt Romney is touting the endorsement of Bob Jones III. Yeah, now those are some people who I would really want endorsing my campaign! People who still think that interracial dating is the downfall of America. So I suppose it is a mixed bag as to whether or not the "Christian right" still holds considerable sway in the Republican Party. I would say yes if they are still trumpeting these endorsements, but the fact that the religious right is willing to embrace Giuliani also indicates they are doing whatever they have to in order to stay relevant.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which prohibits employment discrimination against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. Transgendered person were left out as they were deemed too controversial, and granting them the right to employment could sink the whole bill. But 184 Representatives voted against this bill, only a handful because they felt it was wrong to leave out transgendered persons. Most voted against this bill because they felt it is right to fire someone for being gay. For those reasons, President Bush has promised to veto the bill.

Speaking of Presidential vetoes, the President is also threatening to veto a bill for human services funding. Bush is threatening a veto because Congress refuses to go along with the President's proposed cuts to rural health, Head Start, LIHEAP (which helps low-income, often elderly, people in cold climates pay their heating bills), nutrition programs for the elderly, funding for special education for the developmentally disabled, Pell Grants for college students, and early literacy programs for young children. And yes, my Republican friends, these cuts involve spending less money this year than last year. It is not a reduction in the amount of the increase, so give up that argument already. Yes, people should be as self sufficient as possible in society, but there are folks who need help. Going after children, the disabled, the elderly, and education? Wow! Perhaps if Haliburton or Bechtel provided these services, the President would be willing to fund them.