Wednesday, December 20, 2006
BARTLE, LEMBKE DON'T CARE WHAT VOTERS THINK
In 1999, voters defeated Proposition B, which would have enacted a concealed carry weapons law. That didn't matter to a newly-conquering Republican General Assembly, which in 2003 ignored the will of the voters and passed a statewide concealed carry weapons law.
Two Republican legislators seek to repeat that bold act of telling voters that they don't matter.
Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit and Rep. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis announced plans to place a "short, simple, straightforward ban on human cloning" on the 2008 ballot. The short, simple straightforward reason: They want to repeal Amendment 2.
They think that embryonic stem cell research is the same thing as abortion. They believe in a political pro-life agenda. They want to cram their narrow moral world-view down the collective throats of the majority.
Bartle and Lembke are giving a bad name to the rest of Republicans in the General Assembly. Even Gov. Blunt distanced himself: "My position on this is well-known," he said at a news conference Tuesday. The AP reported that Blunt said the language voters passed sufficiently bans cloning while allowing research.
In 2005, Rep. Jay Wasson told the Christian County Headliner that voters should be the ones to decide about embryonic stem cell research. "I don't think the legislature can agree on it," he said. "It's a difficult issue-passion gets involved on both sides."
The more Lembke and Bartle do to repeal Amendment 2, the more it will weaken the Republican party's hold on the state's moderates. They should be good, little legislators by shutting up and championing the will of the people.
In 1999, voters defeated Proposition B, which would have enacted a concealed carry weapons law. That didn't matter to a newly-conquering Republican General Assembly, which in 2003 ignored the will of the voters and passed a statewide concealed carry weapons law.
Two Republican legislators seek to repeat that bold act of telling voters that they don't matter.
Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee's Summit and Rep. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis announced plans to place a "short, simple, straightforward ban on human cloning" on the 2008 ballot. The short, simple straightforward reason: They want to repeal Amendment 2.
They think that embryonic stem cell research is the same thing as abortion. They believe in a political pro-life agenda. They want to cram their narrow moral world-view down the collective throats of the majority.
Bartle and Lembke are giving a bad name to the rest of Republicans in the General Assembly. Even Gov. Blunt distanced himself: "My position on this is well-known," he said at a news conference Tuesday. The AP reported that Blunt said the language voters passed sufficiently bans cloning while allowing research.
In 2005, Rep. Jay Wasson told the Christian County Headliner that voters should be the ones to decide about embryonic stem cell research. "I don't think the legislature can agree on it," he said. "It's a difficult issue-passion gets involved on both sides."
The more Lembke and Bartle do to repeal Amendment 2, the more it will weaken the Republican party's hold on the state's moderates. They should be good, little legislators by shutting up and championing the will of the people.
Labels: ELECTIONS, politics, STEM CELLS
// posted by MoJoe @ 10:51 
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