Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR): "equal rights should not become special rights"

"Special Rights"

Great translation, John.  I wish someone would ask what exactly the "special rights" conveyed by our inclusion in ENDA are, or, in this case, what rights the senator has that she doesn't think should be extended to all of her constituents (and put in exactly that way).

I don't think we'd get a coherent answer, but it would at least put her squarely on record as the bigot she apparently is.

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by: Dave in Northridge @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 14:20:19 PM CDT

Call her

Senator Blanche Lincoln (D)

1.202.224.4843

She should get 200,000+ calls. One from each Marcher for Equality!

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by: veendam @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 14:33:09 PM CDT

The bill is fully inclusive of straights

Whenever we have bills/laws that list examples of groups, somebody cries "specials rights!"

Well, in the case of S1584, it's just not so.

To the text:

(6) GENDER IDENTITY- The term `gender identity' means the gender-related identity, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, with or without regard to the individual's designated sex at birth.

(7) LABOR ORGANIZATION- The term `labor organization' has the meaning given the term in section 701(d) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e(d)).

(8) PERSON- The term `person' has the meaning given the term in section 701(a) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e(a)).

(9) SEXUAL ORIENTATION- The term `sexual orientation' means homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.

LGBT and non-LGBTs BOTH get protection.

If you're a straight male or female, this bill covers you too.  Check that last line quoted - homo, hetero, and bi.

Tell Lincoln's staff to try another bumper sticker reason to oppose the bill.  This "special rights" opposition is just a flat out lie.

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by: HunterC @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 14:53:29 PM CDT

I wonder if they even read it.

I suppose their argument could be that it's clearly meant to protect gays and lesbians.  However, even that's false, as gay people hire all the time (I'd say we make up a pretty good chunk of the HR industry,) and GLBT organizations might prefer GLBT employees.

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by: lw @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:14:10 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Blah on Lincoln

This woman makes me sick.  From her actions reguarding the health care thing and now this.

She needs to lose her seat.

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by: deezero @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:01:19 PM CDT

So I take it

that she'll be introducing legislation to rescind the "special rights" granted to religious and ethnic minorities under previous hate crimes laws?  

Hell, if we were to start rescinding the special rights granted to religion, most pastors would go into used car sales or hearing aid scams in no time at all.  This would be a secular nation before we knew it.

Cynic, n.  A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.  
-Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

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by: QScribe @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:02:10 PM CDT

Does she actually oppose ENDA?

Has anyone found a source indicating that Blanche Lincoln actually opposes ENDA?

The poorly written constituent letter doesn't actually say that she opposes the legislation. The letter reads to me like a dodge that tries to make a bigot think Lincoln sympathizes with his idiocy. The key position line is Lincoln will "remember" the writer's position. That's standard brush-off language in Senate correspondence.

Wouldn't it be consistent with this letter for Lincoln to eventually say she has concluded that this particular bill--which expressly bans affirmative action and preferential treatment--does not cross the line into "special rights"?

Is there more to the constituent letter or has she elsewhere made clear that she will vote against ENDA?

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by: uh_huhh @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:08:05 PM CDT

That's why...

...I no longer contribute to all-inclusive pro-Democratic Party organizations like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee or the Senate version (DSCC).

The money would end supporting bigots like her.

A Senate majority is meaningless if it owes its existence to hate-mongers like her.

Defeat her in the primary.

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by: OnBorrowedTime @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:13:28 PM CDT

Are there the votes to pass this?

I am wondering

I tell you Chica that no greater abomination exists than women denying their spirit of sisterhood and instead becoming the oppressor. -Rebeca, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

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by: MauraHennessey @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:17:25 PM CDT

Daily Kos says NO, but...

A post at DaiyKos says we're at 56 votes, 4 short. But I have no idea what the poster's source is.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyo...

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by: uh_huhh @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:31:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

That presumes a filibuster

The 60 vote Democratic caucus, including Lincoln can vote for cloture on the procedural issue of ending debate, which will allow Reid to bring the bill to the floor.

And then Blanche Lincoln and any other turncoat Democrats who want to betray the Democratic platform are free to vote against the bill itself.

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by: Clarknt67 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 16:00:23 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Agreed, but...

the Democratic caucus in the Senate doesn't seem to be working that way. DINOs haven't had any reluctance about threatening to join with Republicans to filibuster their own party. It's outrageous, but I think we have to assume that these DINOs will vote against cloture if they oppose ENDA.

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by: uh_huhh @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 16:04:48 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Agreed. This needs to change

If they want to reap the rewards of being in the majority party (chairmanships, all myriad of spoils of winning) they need to learn not to sabotage the party platform. Or the party platform is meaningless. This is a matter Reid & Pelosi need drilled into their heads. And it applies to all issues, not just glbt.  

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by: Clarknt67 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 17:39:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

"Inside ENDA"

is a Facebook group led by Jillian Weiss regarding counting the votes in both houses.  There are 50 CONFIRMED "Yes" votes in the Senate, and she feels 6 more are "likely."  There are only 4 confirmed "No" votes, Lincoln being one of them based on that letter to the constituent.  My guess is now she'll be moved back into "Undecided."

I believe the votes are there, if it can procedurally make it far enough soon.

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by: Bruno @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 21:02:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Inclusive ENDA

is what I meant to write.

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by: Bruno @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 21:02:49 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

They've got the majority votes to pass it

The question is do they have 60 to break a filibuster if the Senate leadership handles the bill/amendment/vehicle in such a way that allows a filibuster.

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by: HunterC @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:37:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Everything requires 60 now

Don't ask me why, but Harry Reid has accepted that every piece of legislation has to have a filibuster-proof majority in order to pass. Just a few years ago, it used to be that filibusters were extraordinary and targeted. Now they just assume everything is filibustered and everything has to have 60 votes. It's ridiculous, but it isn't specific to ENDA.

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by: uh_huhh @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 16:02:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

You answered your own question

Reid is weak. A very very weak leader. I'm hoping he loses in Nov. even if it costs Dems a seat.  

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by: Clarknt67 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 17:41:40 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Inclusive ENDA - facebook

Joing the group "Inclusive ENDA" on facebook and you will receive regular updates on this.  

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by: Donna @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:54:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I called

TWICE.
The second time someone finally answered the phone after it rang about 5 times. I told the young lady I supported ENDA and I hope Blanche Lincoln will support it.

I'm not holding my breath.

I cannot stand Blanche Lincoln and I can't wait to vote against her. She has a really good chance at losing her seat.

At least with Republicans we know what we're getting. I can't stand DINOs.

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by: PurpleLove08 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:33:44 PM CDT

I called as well

I left my name and my phone number and asked her to contact me and explain to me what "special rights" she was talking about.

Blanche Lincoln has been around too long.  She is a closet case lesbian, and she really needs to be outed.  Time to vote the bigots out of office...  I have refrained from going to any public appearance where she is, because I am afraid I will have a "YOU LIE" moment... only my words won't be as nice.  LOL

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by: cubbie @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 17:33:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Really, haven't heard that

Does Mike Rogers know?

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by: Clarknt67 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 17:46:17 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I wish

I was in the same room as her so I can call her @$$ out.

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by: PurpleLove08 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 20:32:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Obviously, Blanch can't read

so the people should vote the illiterate out of office.

History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government.-- Thomas Jefferson

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by: Mykelb @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 15:34:25 PM CDT

trust me

She isn't getting my vote.

I voted for the first time last year. I was so excited to vote! I had waited SO many years. I've been writing my "representatives" ever since I was 8.

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by: PurpleLove08 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 16:21:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

"Special Rights' a misnomer

I think we should always be quick to point out that using the term 'special rights' is a complete misnomer when our general definition of rights is that it's available to everyone and therefore not 'special.'  

In order to have a clear discussion of the issue we need to demand the abandonment of nonsense phrases like 'special rights' to find out just what they feel is priviledged or unequal when we allow added protections for specific minorities (which we've been doing for quite a while now) not to mention determining what measurements or analysis should be used to decide when a specific class of people deserves further protections.  

For example, people of religion-which I'm sure many on the right would be quick to demand the continued upholding of such protections for that class of people which we've protected early on in the history of our country (at least for certain religions in actual practice).

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by: Bricar1632 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 21:08:28 PM CDT

Point of order

Blanche Lincoln is a wholly-owned and operated subsidiary of the Walton family.  Please call her "Blanche Lincoln (D-Wal*Mart)" rather than "(D-AR)."

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by: popebuck1 @ Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 23:19:40 PM CDT

They always get it backwards

Keeping protections against religious discrimination but not sexuality or sex and gender diversity is to keep a special right. Aplying it to us would make it an equal right.

Marriage only for hets is a special right. Same-sex marriage would be equal rights.

So anytime anyone mentions they are against Special Rights we need to point out that makes them on our side! That oppossing our Equal Rights means maintaining existing Special Rights.

This is how powerful the spin campains and framing and Big Lie practices of our opponents have been when so may are effectively looking at things backwards.

They have effectively argued that up is down and left is right!

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by: battybattybats @ Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 02:20:30 AM CDT

Arkansas

I just want to say that I resent your statement: "She is after all from Arkansas." I'm from Arkansas and I support LGBT rights wholeheartedly. Your comment makes it sound like everyone from Arkansas is an uneducated homophobe. I will not disagree that a lot of people from the south are homophobic, but there are also many who are not. I do not agree AT ALL with Senator Lincoln, but your remark was an unfair generalization about the rest of us.

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by: ascmh1031 @ Thu Nov 12, 2009 at 01:55:16 AM CST