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South Orange County Republican congressional members Darrel Issa and Mimi Walters did something disgusting against civil rights on Thursday. Under discussion was H.R 4974, the National Defense Authorization Act for the next budget year. Republicans had added a provision to kill the Obama executive order that companies who discriminate against LGBT people cannot receive government contracts. New York Democratic Party congressman Sean Maloney placed an amendment up on the floor for vote to restore that executive order. Last year, a similar amendment by Congressman Scott Peters did pass with 60 Republican votes, but on Thursday Republicans played a shameless game with Maloney’s amendment.
The Maloney amendment was ready to barely pass with around 35 Republicans in favor, but a number of congress members were pressured to change their vote so the effort to keep the anti-discrimination protections would be killed. The method that Kevin McCarthy used to kill the amendment was just as shameless as the behavior of the Nevada Democratic Party when it came to Bernie Sanders campaign. The leadership held the vote for an extra eight minutes for the members to change the vote, violating parliamentary procedures so that members would not actually go directly to the clerk to change their votes under normal rules. In California, the members who switched from anti-discrimination to pro-discrimination for partisan reasons are Jeff Denham, Darrel Issa, Mimi Walters and David Valadao.
As a Republican activist I do not feel justified helping any Republican campaign for congress this cycle now except for the 29 who voted for the Maloney amendment. I’ll instead be focusing on state and local races after this primary. President Obama is likely to veto this version of the NDAA for its embrace of discrimination. However, people have the opportunity to call their congress member and tell them to keep the Obama executive order prohibiting discrimination in federal contracts. Call Ed Royce, Dana Rohrabacher, Darryl Issa and Mimi Walters and let them know that Republican voters no longer tolerate discrimination. Some of these congress members may have Republican primary opponents – for example, Mimi is being challenged by the honorable Greg Raths. Send Mimi a message by choosing her opponent.
If people want the freedom to discriminate then they have the choice not to pursue a federal contract and subsist on the private sector instead. As for us fair-minded Republican activists, let’s focus on some worthy candidates instead. If Kevin McCarthy values discrimination, then let him eat gay wedding cake.
South OC has better choices in June and Novemeber: Mimi is being opposed by Republican Colonel Greg Raths and Democrat Ron Varasteh; and Issa is being opposed by Bernie enthusiast, Democrat Doug Applegate.
Do we know where Greg stands on this issue?
At least his chief of staff hasn’t been indicted! (yet)
http://www.rollcall.com/news/policy/4957-2
Given that he is:
Member of Vanguard University Veterans Advisory Board.
I have my doubts.
I was only recommending voting for him because we know where he stands on the issues as a no. Raths is only a protest vote. At least we can send a message to Mimi that she needs to shape up and not be a waffler.
I would suspect that Greg Raths position on this issue is not the same as Matt’s. And yet, I’d rather see someone in Congress who is sincerely wrong on such an issue than someone who pretends to be right — but will flip their vote as soon as it looks necessary.
Varasteh (whose position on this is I’m sure in agreement with Matt’s) would also have a fighting chance against Raths. It would be a tough, fair fight — unusual for AD-68. Mimi would just keep on pulling this sort of crap.
Darrel and MImi are great …..you can always rely on them being totally political and
marking the territory they want their District voters to remember at election time.
Thank God Darrell got off those stupid Investigative Committees about the IRS, Fast and Furious and Hillary. He and Mimi need to support our position on Gun Laws: Repeal all gun laws but one: Mandatory Drug Testing for all NEW Firearm Purchases and Transfers through an Federal Firearm Licensed Dealer. NIH Litmus paper test, like the one Colorado is using for overdosers of MJ…only this one would be for Opioineds, Psychotropics, Substance Abusers and Illegal Drugs. Fail or Pass. If you fail – come back clean in six months and try again, No Exceptions, nobody out of this loop…..come on Mimi and Darrell ….do the the right thing.
“Marking the territory” is a good way to put it.