Radnofsky says Hutchison Abandons Constitutional Dut to Advise and Consent

[Czolgosz]

Sen. Hutchison Urges Colleagues to Abandon Constitutional Duties

July 20, 2005

Kay Bailey Hutchison, within minutes of the President's naming of Roberts, stated: "There is no higher priority facing the Senate than the task of confirming Judge Roberts to the high court...The Senate should act quickly to ensure he is in place by the first Monday in October."

This immediate rubberstamping is an abdication of her responsibility as a senator. She has abandoned her duty to advise. She calls on all senators to abandon their duties so clearly specified in the Constitution: Article II Section 2 instructing that the President shall nominate, "and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint.... Judges of the supreme Court...."

This conduct is part of a broad pattern of our opponent's behavior in dealing with veterans and service persons issues, recently exhibited in violation of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. Congress has the obligation to "support Armies" and "to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces," and in turning her back on the promise of the Republican President Abraham Lincoln, in the ultimate words of his Second Innaugural: "...to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.... "

How has KBH turned her back on our service members and veterans?

Barbara Ann's campaign continues to focus on the leadership she will bring to the Senate. She has focused on KBH's veteran-hostile record: opposition to VA funding, support for anti-veteran legislation, and active opposition to legislation that would have protected service members from financial fraud and abuse. The opposition camp reacted to BAR's exposure of these facts with orchestrated visits to VA facilities, and a flip-flop in signing onto legislation that attempts to make up for shortfalls in VA funding.

Consistently Barbara Ann has advocated for service members and exposed the ineffective leadership and anti-service member bias of her opponent. Veterans' issues in Texas are long-term, critical, and they deserve careful foresight and advocacy in Washington, not votes such as the following:

KBH opposed Senator Murray's amendment to fully fund VA needs in 2006

KBH opposed Senator Akaka's amendment to fully fund VA needs in 2006

KBH opposed Senator Durbin's amendment to protect veterans and service members from usurious lending practices. Senator Durbin's amendment would have done four things:

1. Prevent unscrupulous payday lenders from using bankruptcy courts to fleece military members, veterans, and spouses of service members who die in military service. Any claims based on debt they owe that require payment of interest, fees, or other charges in excess of 36 percent would not be collectible in bankruptcy proceedings.

2. Exempt members of the armed services, veterans, and spouses of service members who die while in military service from means test provisions. This allows the bankruptcy judge--not an arbitrary and inflexible formula--to determine whether a military member, a veteran, or a surviving spouse of a service member who dies while serving America deserves the protection of Chapter 7.

3. Establish a basic homestead exemption of $75,000 for service members, who cannot choose where they live.

4. Establish a federal personal property exemption, to override the varying exemptions from state to state because service members constantly relocate.

Barbara Ann promises Texans that she will fight to see that the promises we have made to our veterans and service members are honored in word and in deed.

Barbara Ann Radnofsky for US Senate Committee, Inc.
http://www.radnofsky.com/
P O. Box 550377
Houston, TX
77055-0377

[Lord_StarFyre]

1. No surprise there

There's only 2 things old Whores like Kay are good for, rubberstamping for her pimp is one...

[fob]

2. Hey Barbara Ann hit her hard on the "NO HIGHER PRIORITY

facing the Senate" part of her statement too.

1. Probable TRAITOR in bush*s admin
2. Airplane cargo security
3. bush*s attempt to kill SS
4. fill in any number of things - the SC can and has operated with fewer judges just fucking fine before, NO HIGHER PRIORITY my CHENEY!

[johncoby2]

3. We need a WATCH Dog, not a LAP Dog in the Senate. eom

[cosmik debris]

4. 6 or 8 paragraphs on veterans issues

but only 2 on the supreme court nominee. And those two are not much more than a grandstanding diatribe. All over America people are gagging over this nominee and she wants to talk about the constitutional obligations of a Senator and veterans issues.

I hate to be the devil's advocate, but it seems to me that she should have been a little more "on message" today.