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Getting Stupid With The Fringe

by: Colorado Pols

Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 12:16:47 PM MST

We got a rather shrill email this morning from religious right activist Mark Hotaling's Christian Family Alliance of Colorado.

Two openly homosexual legislators are doing their part to payback millionaire homosexual activist Tim Gill by pushing a bill that will give tax-payer funded benefits to the homosexual partners of state employees.
Under the bill, Senate Bill 88, homosexual partners of state employees will be covered under their partner's health and dental insurance.
Critics of the bill have voiced opposition to the legislation but the bill now faces another hurdle - an outright conflict of interest by the authors.
Under both Senate and House rules, legislators are not allowed to vote on or advance any legislation that they would directly financially benefit from and must publically [sp.--Pols] disclose the conflict of interest.
The bill sponsors, Senator Jennifer Viega and Representative Mark Ferrandino, are both openly homosexual and their "partners" would receive taxpayer funded healthcare as part of SB88. Blatantly flaunting Colorado's opposition to homosexual marriage, Ferrandino actually lists his "husband" on his State funded legislator website.

Uh, what? Somebody needs to run these kinds of accusations by a lawyer before they need one to defend against a libel charge. This is like saying a legislator can't introduce a car insurance bill because they...wait for it...have car insurance! Or a legislator can't introduce an education bill if they...have kids! No matter how you feel about the issue, this is about the silliest argument that could possibly be made.

The next silliest argument, of course, is blaming Tim Gill for everything they don't like. Both Viega and Ferrandino live in comfortably-Democratic Denver districts that they could only lose if beaten in a primary. What does Tim Gill have to do with this again?

No worries though, all they need to do is throw in the word "homosexual" a couple of times and it no longer matters to their target audience if it's complete bullshit.

Colorado Pols :: Getting Stupid With The Fringe

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Getting Stupid With The Fringe | 22 comments

Hate is alive and well

At least one one side of the political spectrum.

Does this mean they've given up on their rhetoric that it would encourage straight couples not to marry? That was rich.

by: redstateblues @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:22:27 PM UTC

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Oh, its on both sides....

I hate them too!

"But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining." Glenn Beck

by: Arvadonian @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:32:51 PM UTC

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I think the most enraging thing

is putting "partners" and "husband" in quotes like that. They'd never be able to get away with this kind of crap with any other minority group.

by: redstateblues @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:36:28 PM UTC

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Well,

to be fair, I usually call them "christians"....because this group of people who are far more easily identified by what they hate than by what they love don't resemble Christ, what he represented or any true Christians that I know...

"But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining." Glenn Beck

by: Arvadonian @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:21:26 PM UTC

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Those "Christians" and their "values"

by: RedGreen @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:31:11 PM UTC

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The Republican way: Make shit up.

They are also presuming that the partners of the legislators would benefit. Maybe they have better benefits where they work.

"Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth." Paul Krugman, 9/2010

by: parsingreality @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:25:33 PM UTC

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And As with Most Businesses

Does the state really pay for benefits for spouses or children? I bet not. I bet they can get the benefits, but they have to pay for them.

by: Craig @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:59:14 PM UTC

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To be fair

I know many Republicans who support this kind of legislation. It think it's fair to say the Right Wing makes shit up, but then again, so does the ultra-left.

by: jackblackCSU @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:14:27 PM UTC

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We don't make stuff up,

we just benefit from a doctrine akin to "papal infallability," minus the pope.

Oh, wait, I just made that up....

We're all in this story together: Let's make sure that we write it well.
http://www.steveharveyforcolor...

by: Steve Harvey @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 23:03:57 PM UTC

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Thank you.

What a waste of time.

by: Laughing Boy @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 00:18:09 AM UTC

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The ultra-left?

Like the Communists? The Socialists? Who in the state lege has a left wing power equivalent to the ultra-cons and Focus on the Family? What think tank?

No, your response is even typical of the right. When caught, "You do it too!"

I'll wear the egg on my face when you can show such outright BS from the far left, whatever that might be.

"Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth." Paul Krugman, 9/2010

by: parsingreality @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 01:45:53 AM UTC

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How insulting....

Isn't Gill more like a billionaire?

"But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining." Glenn Beck

by: Arvadonian @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:25:53 PM UTC

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Pat Stryker is the liberal billionaire. The others are short of that -- and after the market cut everyone's wealth in half last fall, maybe far short of that.

by: RedGreen @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:32:45 PM UTC

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Thanks, Hotaling!

I wasn't aware this bill was in the hopper. I'll make sure to let my legislators know they ought to support it.

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid." - Nietzsche

by: twas brillig @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:30:36 PM UTC

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car insurance bill; education bill.

.
Technically, I think any legislator introducing, advancing or voting for such bills would stand a good chance of directly financially benefiting from them. But not any more than every other Colorado resident.

I know when I prepare legal challenges to actions of the federal government, I have to research not just the applicable legislation, but also the discussions in Congress that reveal the intent. The courts sure do, as well as my adversaries in the Department of Justice.

Just guessing, but I don't think that rule in the state legislature was intended to apply as broadly as you assume.
.

by: Barron X @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:50:47 PM UTC

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Substantially more than any other resident

Some people don't have cars or kids, so they get no benefit.

In this situation, straight legislators get various benefits that gay legislators don't; would it be fair to say that any straight person who votes against this bill is doing it for personal gain?

Sorry, but I think you're reaching here.

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

by: sxp151 @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:22:33 PM UTC

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Um...

Don't legislators vote on their own salary and pay raises?

"But when I see a 9-11 victim family on television, or whatever, I'm just like, 'Oh, shut up!' I'm so sick of them because they're always complaining." Glenn Beck

by: Arvadonian @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 20:44:51 PM UTC

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Usually set up

to take effect in the next term, or automatic increases they can vote to stop (like in Congress now).

by: RedGreen @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 21:34:15 PM UTC

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So, by your "logic," African American legislators

can't vote in favor of civil rights legislation.

Remarkable how well the analogy works, isn't it?

We're all in this story together: Let's make sure that we write it well.
http://www.steveharveyforcolor...

by: Steve Harvey @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 23:06:18 PM UTC

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By this logic

shouldn't Penry recuse himself from any legislation affecting the oil & gas industry as they feed him tons of money?

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

by: DavidThi808 @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 04:22:55 AM UTC

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Let's face it,

by this logic:

1) legislators with a living parent with an estate of any value can't vote to lower the inheritance tax,

2) legislators who own homes can't vote to lower property taxes,

3) legislators who live on this earth can't vote on more than half of the matters that come up for a vote in the legislature.

We're all in this story together: Let's make sure that we write it well.
http://www.steveharveyforcolor...

by: Steve Harvey @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 04:27:46 AM UTC

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Heh

Nice one.

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

by: sxp151 @ Fri Feb 13, 2009 at 19:58:03 PM UTC

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Getting Stupid With The Fringe | 22 comments