Burr, Tillis havin’ a gay old time in DC
Flintstones. Meet the Flintstones.
They’re the modern stone age family.
From the town of Bedrock,
They’re a page right out of history.
Let’s ride with the family down the street.
Through the courtesy of Fred’s two feet.
When you’re with the Flintstones
Have a yabba dabba doo time.
A dabba doo time.
We’ll have a gay old time.
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Well, we had 11 Republicans — count ’em, ELEVEN — side with Democrats on allowing “gay couples” to receive the same social security and veterans benefits treatement awarded married male-female couples. Of course, our crew — Richard Burr and Thom Tillis — had to throw in with the chamber’s minority on this one. *Because THAT is what we all sent them to Washington to do, you know.* :
The Senate endorsed Social Security and veterans benefits for married gay couples Thursday night in a 57-43 vote, with 11 Republicans joining every Democrat.
The amendment slowed down the vote-a-rama, with a group of Republicans huddled in the well and at times talking to sponsor Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.
The nonbinding amendment to the budget resolution still falls short of the 60 votes needed to beat back filibusters in the chamber.
Among those voting late after a lengthy delay against providing equal benefits to married gay couples were Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa.
The Republicans backing equal benefits for gay couples were:
Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Richard M. Burr of North Carolina, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine, Bob Corker of Tennessee, Dean Heller of Nevada, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mark S. Kirk of Illinois, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Tillis struck some in the gallery as a surprise. Johnson’s fellow Wisconsin senator, Tammy Baldwin, is the first openly lesbian member of the Senate; he faces a tough re-election fight next year, as does Kirk, Portman, Burr and Ayotte.
Portman notably previously came out in support of gay marriage after making public his son is gay.
“Gay couples legally married in any state should be entitled to veterans and Social Security benefits identical to any other married couples,” Schatz said in a statement. “Tonight, eleven Republicans joined Democrats in recognizing that gay couples deserve equal treatment, regardless of where they live. We still have work to do to, but this is progress and a win for equal rights. I thank Senator Murray and Senator Shaheen for their leadership on this important issue.”
Burr’s lavender outlook has been well-known. He voted with Kay Hagan to throw the door wide open to gays serving openly in the military. Never mind that he’s got an approval rating in the 30s, and that NOBODY in his party’s base was asking for that.
Tillis is a different story. He got the credit / blame for the marriage amendment to the state constitution in 2012. Tillis distanced himself from the referendum while prepping for his Senate run with the drivebys. He played up his involvement with the amendment while campaigning for the Senate in front of the rubes — um, er, “primary voters” and “party base.”
The folks at Triad Conservative started to smell a rat when they noticed candidate Tillis declined to answer whether he would approve making gays a protected class under the law. This vote in the Senate was one more chance for the Mecklenburg country-clubber to thumb his nose at the folks who held their nose and voted for him as a way to fire Kay Hagan and send a message to Obama. (What message you ask? *Oh, we’re going to replace his big-spending, DC establishment pawn, gay-rights FEMALE senator with a MALE one!*)
Let’s see. We’ve got Republican majorities in DC and Raleigh running away from fiscal restraint, tax-cutting, ending and reducing abortions, family values, and protecting our borders. At this rate, you have to ask: What’s the point in voting Republican any more?
This is yet one more reason that conservatives need a top notch primary challenger against Richard ”Tricky DIck” Burr in 2016. His record is a target rich environment for a conservative challenger.
This vote can be couple with Burr’s strong endorsement and support of the judge who rammed homosexual marriage down NC’s throat.
Well, this would be a chance for Mark Harris to redeem himself after he derailed a Constitutional candidate’s chance to win the 2014 primary, but somehow I don’t see him stepping up here.
I got really upset with him during the last reelection when he chose to ignore the paperwork that I printed for him with my concerns about the United Nations Agenda 21 projections. He doesn’t care about his constituents. He only cares about the wealth he has accrued by the large corporations.
Dr. Brannon is the answer. He needs to get in now!
Recruit Heather Grant for Senate to keep everyone honest.
Burr & Tillis votes were gratuitous pandering to the Georgetown wing of the GOP Establishment.
When we finally get back in the driver seat, we need to burn DC to the ground (as you would any terminally vermin-infected structure … and re-establish our capital on a five-year rotating basis at some random spot out here in America; some place like Moline, KS, for starters.
That and establish a six-year term limit for both the House and Senate. All those ‘free’ perks in Georgetown are just too overwhelming for folks like Burr to pass up. Maybe service in Moline would help to keep their eye on the whole reason they are in office.
I was impressed with Heather Grant in the last election, and she would be light years better in the Senate than either of the two we have. However, the Senate Conservatives Fund, is searching for a candidate against Burr and their vetting is pretty tough. I don’t think her single digits before would pass it. I would rather have a candidate who can run with the muscle of SCF and Club for Growth behind them. I hope they can find a candidate they can back because Burr is a ripe melon ready to be burst open in the primary.
At that level ‘muscle’ means you’ve been bought. See also the ‘muscle’ that bought Renee Ellmers by the Chamber of Commerce. The muscle needs to come from the grassroots. Convince us, and we’ll make it rain for the right candidate.
You do not seem to understand either of these organizations, which are grassroots taxpayer-oriented conservative groups. Their muscle they provide comes from their networks of conservative members. Using already established conservative networks like theirs is a lot easier than starting one from scratch. Both groups go toe to toe with the leadership, and, in fact, actively supported the conservative primary challenge against Mitch McConnell last year.