Sunday, May 11, 2008

House Republicans Vote to Table Mothers Day

This is a bit of old news but I wanted to save it for today, Mother’s Day, in case I didn’t have anything good to say about yesterday’s election – which I don’t.

One hundred and seventy eight Republican congressmen voted against Mother’s Day after they voted for it.

This is a true story.

Nebraska congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R – NE 1) sponsored a house resolution, HR 1113, to honor Mother’s Day on its 100th anniversary of observation. It had words in it like this (I trimmed it a little but kept the best parts):
"Whereas Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of each May;

Whereas 2008 is the 100th anniversary of the first official Mother's Day observation;

Whereas in 1908, Elmer Burkett, a U.S. senator from Nebraska, proposed making Mother's Day a national holiday;

Whereas it is estimated that there are more than 82,000,000 mothers in the United States;

Whereas mothers have made immeasurable contributions toward building strong families, thriving communities, and ultimately a strong Nation;

Whereas the services rendered to the children of the United States by their mothers have strengthened and inspired the Nation throughout its history;

Resolved, That the House of Representatives celebrates the role of mothers in the United States and supports the goals and ideals of Mother's Day.”
The resolution passed by unanimous vote and the House was about to move on to other business when Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R – KS 4 ) stood to move to reconsider the vote. I asked myself whether Tiahrt was maltreated as a child, or maybe abandoned, but the actual explanation was that Congressman Tiahrt was simply engaged in Republican politics-as-usual and simply wanted to put a stall on proceedings in Congress. He was mad that he wasn’t allowed to make any changes in a bill dealing with supplemental funding of our troops. Republicans, in retaliation, were taking every opportunity presented to them, and some that weren’t, to stall proceedings. And why not call for a revote on Mother’s Day?

Democrats countered by moving to table the call for a revote and this is the motion that will haunt Republicans, because 178 of them voted against tabling that motion.

Voted against Mother’s Day.

So yes, the Republicans won in putting the House through yet another groaning vote, but shot themselves in the foot by publicly voting against American mothers from coast to coast.

Indeed, Fortenberry, the bill’s sponsor, voted against mothers everywhere.

I suppose it is going to take real boners like this one to show Americans that there is a huge need for change in this country. It is going to take super majorities in both houses to do it, and a Democratic president in the White House.

It’s either that or who knows what will happen next.

Unless we get this majority maybe there will someday be a vote to repeal apple pie.

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