Agendas

Imagine for a moment that you're Republican Bill Frist, the Senate's Majority Leader, and you have the power and awesome responsibility to control what issues the Senate considers and when it considers them. Knowing everything you do about the crises facing our nation and the things that most concern Americans, would your top priority be to:

A) Force the administration to change its failed strategy in Iraq;

B) Help consumers walloped by $3.00 a gallon gas and take steps to reduce our oil addiction;

C) Pass the first minimum wage increase in 10 years and develop plans to create good jobs in America;

D) Expand educational opportunities for college by providing relief from skyrocketing college tuition;

E) Ensure access to health care for every American;

F) Amend the Constitution to deprive gay people of equal rights under the law?

As someone who cares deeply about this nation, its problems and its future, you probably said A, B, C, D, or E. But Republican Majority Leader Frist chose F. Why?
Because it's an election year, and Republicans are in deep trouble. So they've decided that instead of addressing the things Americans really care about, they're trying to change the subject and using wedge issues in hopes of distracting from their failures and dividing Americans to win elections. It worked for them in 2004--this time the U.S. Constitution is their pawn.

Majority Leader Bill Frist plans to bring up the "Federal Marriage Amendment" as the first order of business when Congress reconvenes. And to drive the message home, President Bush will host a Rose Garden event that same day, to reiterate his support for this divisive, unnecessary and diversionary attack on LGBT Americans and on our Constitution. Even Vice President Cheney opposes the amendment and Laura Bush has opposed such tactics. Our soldiers are being killed at the rate of 2 per day in Iraq, and are snapping under the strain of doing an impossible job. Hurricane season is upon us again and still thousands are not able to return to their homes after Katrina. Global Warming is accelerating, drougts threaten farmers at home and around the world, and cures for diseases like Bird Flu and HIV/Aids still have not been found. Yet Republicans like Frist are only interested in issues that divide Americans, not phony campaigns that the people are not really concerned about.

Republicans have intentionally put divisive, anti-gay initiatives on the ballot in many states as well, and no doubt many nervous GOP Congressmen hope they can get reelected by scapegoating LGBT Americans instead of dealing with the challenges confronting our nation.
You can show Bill Frist just how wrong he is by signing this petition to stop this divisive amendment and tell him to put the Senate to work on the things that really matter to America and to Americans. Sign on here, and your message will be delivered the day the Senate begins debating the issue:

http://www.democrats.org/lgbtdiscrimination