Sen.
Gordon Smith (R-OR) today tried to offer his hate
crimes bill as an amendment to the Department of Defense (DOD)
reauthorization bill. Fortunately, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was on hand to
object to the unanimous consent motion required to consider the amendment
“pending.” After this objection Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) stormed onto the
Senate floor vowing to get the hate crimes bill onto the DOD bill and said the
hate crimes bill related to military funding because it sought to combat
“domestic terrorism” supposedly aimed at homosexuals. Here is an excerpt
from Sen. Kennedy’s remarks:
I have every intention, with Senator Smith, at some time
of offering the hate crimes legislation. I know the question comes up why are
we offering hate crime legislation on a defense authorization bill? Well, the
answer is very simple. the defense authorization bill is dealing with the
challenges of terrorism and the hate crimes issue, to try and get a handle on
the problems of hate crimes, we're talking about domestic terrorism, domestic
terrorism.
Apparently
Sen. Kennedy thinks those who oppose the federal prosecution of suspected
thoughts and beliefs, who seek to uphold “equal justice under law,” and who
oppose granting special legal privileges to sexual preference, are terrorists
akin to Al-Quaida and the Taliban.