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____________________________________ CHUCK MUTH�S NEWS & VIEWS March 4, 2004 To view the HTML version of today�s News & Views, just go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsandviews/nv.cfm To subscribe, just go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/newsletter/ To reach our 7-day News & Views archive, go to www.citizenoutreach.com _____________________________________ MR. MUTH GOES TO WASHINGTON At 10 a.m. this morning (Wednesday), I�m scheduled to be one of seven witnesses testifying on the federal marriage amendment (four in favor, three opposed) before the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Property Rights. Text of my testimony is now posted at www.lawfullywedded.com for anyone interested in this issue. ESCAPE HATCH FOR THE RATIONAL RIGHT �Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, said today he will introduce a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that would explicitly give individual states the ability to decide whether to recognize gay marriages. Unlike resolutions already pending in the House and Senate, Hatch's resolution would not propose writing a definition of marriage into the Constitution. Hatch's approach, which he said would be cosponsored by Jim Talent, R-Mo., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore., differs from a resolution (S J Res 26) by Wayne Allard, R-Colo., that would explicitly define marriage as �the union of a man and a woman.� " - Congressional Quarterly, 3/2/04 TERMINATOR NAILS IT ON GAY MARRIAGE... �(California) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, wading even deeper into the debate over gay and lesbian unions, said he would be �fine' with same-sex marriage if California voters approved it and proclaimed he had no use for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Schwarzenegger made the comments Monday on the �Tonight Show with Jay Leno,� two days before President Bush is scheduled to arrive in California, putting the Republican governor in direct opposition to the Republican president on a divisive issue in an election year. . . . The governor said he opposes San Francisco issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples because �we have a law on the books here. I think they should abide by the law.� � - San Francisco Chronicle, 3/2/04 ..BUT DR. NO TOPS THE TERMINATOR �(M)any Americans understandably fear that if gay marriage is legalized in one state, all other states will be forced to accept such marriages. They argue that the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution essentially federalizes the issue; hence a constitutional amendment is necessary. �But the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996, explicitly authorizes states to refuse to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. Furthermore, the Supreme Court repeatedly has interpreted the Full Faith and Credit clause to allow Congress to limit the effect of state laws on other states. In fact, federal courts almost universally apply the clause only to state court judgments, not statutes. So a constitutional amendment is not necessary to address the issue of gay marriage, and will only drive yet another nail into the coffin of federalism. If we turn regulation of even domestic family relations over to the federal government, presumably anything can be federalized. �The choices are not limited to either banning gay marriage at the federal level, or giving up and accepting it as inevitable. A far better approach, rarely discussed, is for Congress to exercise its existing constitutional power to limit the jurisdiction of federal courts. Congress could statutorily remove whole issues like gay marriage from the federal judiciary, striking a blow against judicial tyranny and restoring some degree of states� rights. We seem to have forgotten that the Supreme Court is supreme only over lower federal courts; it is not supreme over the other branches of government. The judiciary is co-equal under our federal system, but too often it serves as an unelected, unaccountable legislature. �...Social problems cannot be solved by constitutional amendments or government edicts. Nationalizing marriage laws will only grant more power over our lives to the federal government, even if for supposedly conservative ends. Throughout the 20th century, the relentless federalization of state law served the interests of the cultural left, and we should not kid ourselves that the same practice now can save freedom and morality. True conservatives and libertarians should understand that the solution to our moral and cultural decline does not lie in a strong centralized government.� - Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Republican THE (CAMPAIGN) DOCTOR IS IN! You can�t change public policy if you don�t change public officials. So Citizen Outreach has established a separate website project dedicated to helping under-funded, underdog campaigns...especially at the state and local levels. Visit today...and make sure you sign up for FREE email �hot tips� on how to get more votes, more money and more volunteers for your campaign or grassroots organization. Go to: www.campaigndoctor.com TELLING THE U.N. WHERE TO GO �Now we have U.S. Marines on the ground in Haiti.� To be perfectly blunt, I don't believe that Haiti is worth the life of one single American Marine.� That dog-squeeze of a country needs to be colonized.� Here's an idea: Let's tell the United Nations that their lease on the East River property is up...and that their new home is Haiti.� The Roman Catholic Church has the Vatican, it's own sovereign nation.� Let's give the UN Haiti.� It's all theirs. Have a blast.� - Talk-show host Neal Boortz THIS MONTH�S PORKER IS ANOTHER ELEPHANT �Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today named Representative James T. Walsh (R-N.Y.) its Porker of the Month for February 2004 for spending taxpayer money to fund building renovations at his alma mater. Rep. Walsh used his power as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs/Housing and Urban Development to secure a $4.5 million grant to renovate a building at St. Bonaventure University. The amount is 50 percent greater than the largest single, private gift to the university, $3 million for a recreation facility. While most private schools rely on alumni philanthropists for large donations, St. Bonaventure has the benefit of having a �Cardinal� on the House Appropriations Committee who can donate tax dollars.� - Citizens Against Government Waste (http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=news_porkerofthemonth_Feb04) CASH & KERRY �Sen. John Kerry was asked yesterday to make public all documents involving the emergency $6.4 million bank loan he secured on his Boston town house late last year to finance his then-sagging presidential campaign. At issue is the Mellon Bank's $12.8 million appraisal of Mr. Kerry's house on Boston's Beacon Hill � substantially higher than the city's $6.95 million property-value assessment. That has raised questions from the Massachusetts Democrat's critics about whether he has loaned far more to his campaign than his assets justified and thus violated, or at least stretched, campaign-finance laws.� - Washington Times, 3/2/04 BAND-AID PURPLE HEARTS �Will (John Kerry) release his medical records for that period of time he served in Vietnam?� Answer:� No, he won't.� And why not?� We don't know ... but I have a hunch. Kerry has been making a mega-huge deal out of his service in Vietnam, and his three Purple Hearts. If you are adept at cruising the Internet you will find no dearth of articles about Kerry's Vietnam service and those three wounds.� Some call Kerry's commendations �Band-Aid Purple Hearts.�� The definition is clear.� Get a slight scratch -- apply a Band-aid -- receive your purple heart. Is it possible that Kerry is afraid for the public to find out that he was receiving Purple Hearts for wounds that most Vietnam GIs wouldn't have even reported to their superiors? Just speculation ... until we see the records.� - Talk-show host Neal Boortz THIS JUST IN � �This Just In� (is) the title of a new animated comedy series that will debut Sunday, March 14 on Spike TV. Believe it or not, the thing leans to the right. The show is the creation of producer and standup comedian Steve Marmel and Spike exec Kevin Kay. The series follows a journalist and his friends as they explore news, politics and pop culture from a distinctly conservative perspective. Guess there are some conservative professionals brave enough to invade the enemy territory of Tinseltown after all. To drive this point home, the lead character of the show, reporter Brian Newport, is so enamored with the Bush administration he sees Condoleezza Rice as a sex symbol.� - Left Coast Report, 3/2/04 TECHNICAL UPGRADE As I�ll be in Washington all day Wednesday, we�re taking that day to do a little system upgrade to our newsletter and have it moved to a new server which HOPEFULLY will resolve some of the problems we�ve had with delivery over recent months. So we *might* not have a Thursday News & Views. Just a head�s up. __________________________________________ WINNING �HOW TO� CAMPAIGN REPORTS Quick, down-and-dirty "how to" reports on specific aspects of political campaigns and grassroots organizations.� Written primarily for beginners with little or no experience, but certainly chocked full of tidbits and hot tips to benefit even the most seasoned political pro.� Generally 8-16 pages of A-Z, step-by-step instructions to gain more votes, more money and more volunteers for your political activities and/or campaign. � Don't expect fancy packaging with a lot of bells and whistles.� Just solid, up-to-date how-to information you can put to use IMMEDIATELY.� Nobody provides better, more useful, practical information as quickly and inexpensively as these babies.� Stock up.� Build a library.� Heck, become a bona fide political guru yourself!� Go to http://chuckmuth.com/specialreports.htm to check out our ever-growing library of winning publications! __________________________________________ Chuck Muth�s News & Views is published by Citizen Outreach, a non-partisan, 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. The opinions and views expressed in Chuck Muth's News & Views reflect those of the writers, editors and columnists therein and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Citizen Outreach, its officers, directors or employees. Published by: Citizen Outreach Chuck Muth Editor/Publisher 611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, #439 Washington, DC 20003-4303 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To be REMOVED, go to: http://www.chuckmuth.com/remove/default.cfm Or send your request to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To make a secure PayPal contribution to Citizen Outreach, click HERE: http://www.campaignsitebuilder.com/sitebuilder/templates/displayfiles/tmpl26.asp?SiteID=114&PageID=1737&Trial=false
