A victory.:
The narrow defeat of a proposal to ban flag desecration marks the second time in a month Senate Republicans have lost bids to amend the Constitution in ways designed to inspire social conservatives to vote in the midterm elections.
A proposed amendment earlier this month to ban gay marriage suffered a more decisive defeat, killed on a test vote.
Winning isn't the only goal for those measures or other social policy proposals congressional Republicans will bring up this year in an effort to energize their base of voters.
House Republicans intend to hold votes this summer and fall touching on abortion, guns, religion and other priority issues for social conservatives, part of an attempt to improve the party's prospects in the midterm elections.
Two things about this: first, of course, we still have some freedom of speech. Sure, the flag-burning amendment is another cheap-votes ploy that comes up every two years. There's quite a list of those at this point. But, by one vote, we still have a First Amendment.
Second is the open assumption that Congress is doing this as an election-year gimmick. It's no secret. And we don't even blink.
Some bald-faced hypocrisy:
"The American Values Agenda will defend America's founding principles," Speaker J. Dennis Hastert said. "Through this agenda, we will work to protect the faith of our people, the sanctity of life and freedoms outlined by our founding fathers."
Y'know, Denny, we already have a Bill of Rights. I don't see you trying to expand on that.
And think about this: to rally the conservative base, Congressional Republicans introduce legislation that erodes civil rights. Tell you something? (See this post by Matthew Yglesias about democracy and the right.)
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