A Stitch in Haste

"I felt betrayed -- like I had been kicked in the stomach."
--A gay Democratic activist

An Indiana Democrat "explains" his vote against the bill that would have added sexual orientation to list of federal hate crimes:

I took many factors into consideration before ultimately deciding to vote against H.R. 1592. Not least of those factors was the input I received from my constituents. All told, I received nearly five times as many calls, emails and letters from opponents of the bill as I did from its supporters.

If only all politicians were so willing to admit so openly that they are soulless automatons.

Meanwhile, one commenter rightly notes:

Did you confirm that the feedback you received against the bill [was] from actual constituents in your district? And not generic emails sent from all over the country from organizations like AFA, Focus on the Family, etc.[?]

Indeed. Somehow I suspect that the fine, but ordinary, people of Indiana -- hardly a state notorious for its bigotry -- have better things to do than call their Congressman about a bill that is really only of major interest to the more politically motivated on both sides of the issue.

Meanwhile, another Democrat flat-out broke an explicit campaign promise to vote for the bill:

This was overarching legislation that created too many classes of people, and Congressman [Chris] Carney could not support it.

This was a difficult decision and some of our supporters will disagree. As always, Congressman Carney voted with what he saw to be the best interests of Pennsylvania's 10th District.

Since when is breaking campaign promises in the best interests of your constituents?

Finally, explain to me again why judges should defer to moral defectives like this?

(Via InterstateQ.)