Sen. Warner target of religious campaign

[maxrandb]

Mind you. This is Republican Senator Warner of VA. A former SECNAV, staunch conservative, lifelong leader in the Republican Party. He's made his bones, and aside from the fact that he votes with the Republicans, seems like a decent guy.

If he's not safe from these "wing-nuts"...Who Is?

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=111292&ran=160424

WASHINGTON - Under fire from conservative Christians who want his help in a drive to loosen restrictions on evangelizing by military chaplains, John Warner sought cover Tuesday night on the Senate floor.

"I am being besieged," Virginia's senior senator said. "I am sorrowful that people attack me personally as if I had no religious foundation."

Warner, a Republican, is among the prime targets of a telephone, letter-writing and e-mailing campaign by evangelicals who want Congress to ensure the right of military chaplains to pray in public "according to the dictates of their own conscience."

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I'd like to add; "I am sorrowful that people attack me personally as if I had no religious foundation." - Dear Senator Warner, welcome to what every single fucking person in your sacred fucking House and Senate suffers on a daily basis simply because they have a "D" after their name.
You helped enable these fuckers, so please, take your silly prostestation to someone who gives a shit. In the famous words of Jack Nicholson; 'sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up here'"

I really have to get a handle on myself. I've been cursing more and more since 1994.

[Drum]

1. As if a "religious foundation" was cover or immunity? wtf?

[Tesha]

2. Nobody is safe from the religiously insane. (NT)

[saigon68]

26. BatShit Crazy hateful fundy Nut-Jobs

Want to rule the world

[JohnnyLib2]

3. hold on there

See the earlier thread by Bushhog, citing NYT. Defense appropriations are involved; Warner is apparently being swiftboated. Republicans eating their own ain't all bad!

[maxrandb]

9. I Agree that Repukes eating their own is a good thing

I'm curious as to why Hardball has not devoted an entire week to explore the "deep divide" within the Republican Party as a life-time Republican Senator fights to save his good name from the extremes within his party. You know, kind of like what they did with the Lieberman thing.

When some on the left take on a Democratic Senator it's front page 24/7 news about the "looney, extremist, America hating left". When religious wing-nuts swiftboat a powerful Republican, it's page 3 criket chirping stuff.

[Mike Daniels]

4. The far right has had it out for Warner since he torpedoed Oliver North

during North's run for the Senate. Warner refused to endorse North and prompted Marshall Coleman to run as an independent candidate.

The votes that Coleman received in the election more than covered the difference between Robb and North and the general feeling amoung the right was that North would have won had it not been for Warner. I have a feeling that charge is likely correct since the race was so tight I can't see any Democratic voters voting for Coleman over Robb.

Warner ended up facing a primary challenge from the right the next time he was up for election and I believe there was significant crossover during the primary by Democratic party voters to make sure that Warner won the Republican nomination.

[maxrandb]

10. I had forgotten about that

props go to Nancy Reagan for eviscerating Ollie as well.

[Mike Daniels]

13. That's true. If it wasn't for John and Nancy

Virginia would have been quite familiar with the term "Sen. Oliver North".

[maxrandb]

21. A Perfect Example of how far Virginia had Fallen

"If it wasn't for John and Nancy, Virginia would have been quite familiar with the term 'Sen. Oliver North'".

Just think about that statement for a moment DU'ers. "Sen. Oliver North". Is this a great fucking country or what? :sarcasm:

It was bad enough to have Governor Allen followed by Governor Gilmore. It could have been much, much, much worse.

[Captain Hilts]

24. There's a constituency for 'stupid'. Virginia has a lot of it. I'm so...

glad to have escaped to Ontario and now Maryland.

[Captain Hilts]

23. Longer than that. He has never needed their money or support.

Remember, he backed into the nomination for senator when the nominee was killed in an airplane crash.

[BOSSHOG]

5. Nothing wrong with cursing Sir

And just what every military installation needs, a proslytizing zealot evangelical saving everyone's souls. That's exactly what a chaplain's job is right?!?

Poor Warner, what a shame, people are sending him hate mail. Pro life, Jesus loving, life loving, innocent sheep are sending a United States Senator HATE Mail. Imagine.

[magellan]

6. Are we supposed to feel BAD for this jackass?

Goes around, comes around.

:nopity:

[maxrandb]

11. Like my mom said;

"You lie down with dogs, you get fleas"

[Captain Hilts]

25. Warner's not a jackass. He's a good guy. nt

[magellan]

32. He is?

He voted for increasing the exemption on the estate tax and to extend Bush**'s tax cuts, against the Hurricane Victims Tax Benefit Amendment to help victims of Katrina and the Medicare Rx Amendment that would have allowed the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority to negotiate contracts with drug manufactures for lower prices on bulk prescription drugs for Medicare, for the Federal Marriage Amendment, against the Cluster Munitions Amendment that would have prohibited any funding from going to cluster munitions, against an amendment to increase funding for the VA and against another amendment to increase the budget to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder....

And I only scratched the surface.

He's a jackass.

[LibertyLover]

7. Heard something about this on the way into work this morning

It seems that the Senate version of the bill in question omits giving military chaplains the right to prayer in public as their consciences dictate, while the House version does. Warner supports the Senate version. In fact the commentator on the radio mentioned that the military didn't want the House version as they believed it would cause divisiveness. So, while I hope Warner does not get re-elected, on this issue at least he appears to be on the right track.

[maxrandb]

12. As a military member

let me say that John Warner is right on this. Some people don't think it's a big deal, but there are multiple religious beliefs within each command. You simply shouldn't have a Christian (and let's not kid ourselves, that is exactly what this is about) prayer at a command function where everyone is either required, or "a-hem", encouraged, to attend.

They fight against gays in the military because they think it is a detriment to "good order and discipline". Wouldn't it also be a detriment to "good order and discipline" to have a chaplain stand in front of the entire command, including member's of other faiths, and say that "Jesus is the only way to salvation"?

[JohnnyLib2]

15. you've hit it;

I think that's the principle that Warner is holding the line for this time.

[waiting for hope]

8. I think that this is a good thing -

Perhaps more on the right will start to realize that mixing religion and politics just isn't "right".

[Virginia Dare]

14. Guess what, Dr. Frankenstein Warner....

you helped to create this monster, now it is turning on you. Poor, poor pitiful you...

p.s. the cursing is entirely appropriate.

:nopity:

[Supersedeas]

16. moderate and fiscal Conservatives finally confronting the Rove's political

beast

[maxrandb]

17. You're exactly right

Senator Warner strikes me as a person that is willing to reach across the aisle to make this country better.

Our government has been taken over by the "Limpball/Hannity RepubliKKKans". Maybe some of the ones that still consider that their job is to "defend the Constitution" have had enough of the James "show your son you penis" Dobson's of the world.

I'm trying hard, but I'm having trouble finding the difference between the extreme religious right and the Taliban.

[Virginia Dare]

19. I used to think John Warner put country before party...

now I'm not so sure.

At least he's gentleman enough to reply to my letters, even if I never agree with him. Felix the Jr. never bothers.

As one of his consituents, for me the torture legislation will be his true and final test.

[JohnnyLib2]

18. Yessir, and practically speaking

Warner (R) has a vote and influence on some key committees. I figure it's time to remain cynical but back those votes.

[DavidDvorkin]

20. My God, the man was married to Elizabeth Taylor!

Have these bastards no respect for American institutions?

Okay, so she's actually British, but still, Tony Blair, Margaret Thatcher, good Heavens!

Oh, and that little, insignificant, truly American institution, the Constitution, with its separation of Church and State.

[Captain Hilts]

27. He was married to a member of the Mellon family before that...

kind of the male version of Pamella Churchill, Hayward, Harriman...

[Captain Hilts]

22. Bible thumpers have always hated Warner. He was/is wealthy enough..

to not need their money.

He's never been Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell's boy.

[nealmhughes]

28. I rather degrudgingly admire Warner, he looks and sounds like a Senator.

He actually served in the military when he was younger before becoming SecNav. He doesn't always vote the way I wish (almost never, actually) but when it comes down to it, his one on one with Senator Byrd last year was masterful, Webster and Clay sort of stuff...

And he is actually FROM DC/Virginia! Even has a southern accent, how odd...
John Warner is the kind of guy who laughs at a pleading Talibangelist lobbyist begging for a meeting! Can one imagine Warner meeting Robertson or Falwell or Wildon at a DC cocktail party? The humor is too rich to not be on the floor now!

[Captain Hilts]

29. He could play a president in the movies, couldn't he? nt

[VegasWolf]

30. IMO, no religious foundation should be a badge of honor. You are in good

company.

[maxrandb]

31. Dems Missed an Opportunity

Imagine if during Sen Warner's floor speech, the following had happened.

Sen Reid: "Will the gentleman from Virginia yield for 1 minute?"
Sen Warner: "I'd be happy to yield to my good friend, the gentleman from Nevada"
Sen Reid: "I thank the gentleman from Virginia. He knows I have a great deal of respect for him, I just wanted to welcome the Senator from Virginia to what every single Senator on this side of the Aisle, and every single House member, and every single public servant from Governor, to Sherrif, to School Board member, to Dog-Catcher throughout this great country, has to deal with on a daily basis, simply because they have a "D" after their name. Welcome Senator! but I will say that your friends on the right, your friends on talk radio, your friends at the so called Christian Coalition opened this Pandora's Box, and you helped to enable them. Welcome my friend, to having your faith stomped on, on a daily basis."