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They can't mobilize to do squat for immigration, Iraq, Katrina, give poor workers a boost in minimum wage, but boy oh boy, come election time it is time to pound the drum for American Values.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/28/mg.thu/
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/28/mg.thu/
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Republicans released a package of bills Tuesday aimed at energizing social conservatives five months before the midterm elections.

Billed as the "American Values Agenda," the measures range from legislation that would "protect the Pledge of Allegiance from attacks by activist federal judges seeking to rule it unconstitutional" to a constitutional amendment "declaring marriage to be between a man and a woman."

"Through this agenda, we will work to protect the faith of our people, the sanctity of life and freedoms outlined by our founding fathers," House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) said in a statement released by his office.

Jennifer Crider, a spokeswoman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California), dismissed the announcement as a campaign stunt.

"The American people will see through the Republican's old playbook of distract, distort, and divide," Crider told the Grind. "Pandering to the radical right-wing's wrong priorities does not reflect American value of opportunity, security, and prosperity. Americans are demanding change, and Democrats are offering a new direction for America with real solutions to our nation's challenges."

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) told CNN's Deirdre Walsh that Republican leaders decided on the 10 legislative items after meeting with about two dozen outside groups in February as well as receiving input from the House GOP's "Values Action Team" headed by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pennsylvania).

Blunt said details were announced this week "both to give our outside friends the notice they need to make their final effort on these issues and to let the members know before we go home before the week in July that they'll be working in the district on this."

A Blunt spokesperson said the goal is to move on most of these items in July, but they will be spread out over several weeks depending on committee schedules. With the August Congressional recess fast approaching, some of these items could slip into September.

The GOP's "American Values Agenda" includes: Pledge Protection Act, HR 2389; Freedom to Display the American Flag Act, HR 42; The Public Expression of Religion Act, HR 2679; Marriage Amendment, HJ Res 88; Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, HR 356; Human Cloning Prohibition Act, HR 1357; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (BATFE) Reform, 5092; Internet Gambling Prohibition; Permanent Tax Relief for Families; Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act, HR 5013.

A House GOP aide told Walsh the first three items that likely will be addressed are the Pledge Protection Act, Marriage Amendment and Internet Gambling Prohibition.

And to think they actually get paid to produce crap like that :(

I do like the fact that the Democrats have vowed to block the annual pay raise for Congress until they raise the minimum wage. :D

Geez, how can they talk about values??? What hippocracy.

I do like the fact that the Democrats have vowed to block the annual pay raise for Congress until they raise the minimum wage. :D

Geez, how can they talk about values??? What hippocracy.

You're not suggesting the Dems are free of hippocracy, are ya? I hope not.

BTW, the local Dems here are notorious for slipping in pay raises for themselves in the wee hours of the night right before shuffling off for the mid-year breaks.

It's also been really interesting watching the Dems eat their own in Connecticut.

You're not suggesting the Dems are free of hippocracy, are ya? I hope not.
Absolutely not. But trying to convince people they represent "American Morality". Geezus! That just makes my intestines writhe.

And of course, voting down raises for the poorest of the poor while giving themselves a big-fat-raise... I don't care what party you belong to, it's just plain hippocracy.

Absolutely not. But trying to convince people they represent "American Morality". Geezus! That just makes my intestines writhe.

And of course, voting down raises for the poorest of the poor while giving themselves a big-fat-raise... I don't care what party you belong to, it's just plain hippocracy.

One of the pay raises the local Dems gave themselves here was done just a few weeks after denying Government Employees and teachers a cost of living increase. And this from the party that claim to be looking out for the working man.

There's plenty of it going on both sides of the isle. You know why? Shh, don't tell anyone, they are all politicians.

It seems to me that all of the politicians are involved in efforts that produce absolutely nothing concrete. That way you aren't responsible for doing anything I suppose. I want them all to have to re-run, though most people will either just check off all the marks for one party or another for reasons like "they give us the cheese", or just check off whomever it is that is there already without really considering what the representative does.

With stuff like this and voting on resolutions that do nothing, they are wasting our money and time. There are real issues to be worked on but its too hard and not politically astute to take a stand on anything real. You just might lose your incumbency.