Senator Frist Gets Testy on CNN

I woke up early yet again...a trend that I do not like at all, but one over which I seem to have little influence. As a result, I was tuned in to CNN in time to hear an interview by Miles O'Brien of Republican Senator and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee. During this interview, Senator Frist got testy, judging by his tone of voice. No one had even mentioned ethics scandals!

Instead, the question, more or less, posed to Senator Frist was this: After the debates on gay-marriage, flag-burning and estate tax reform, and given that polls of Americans show that there are so many other, more important issues that face Americans (such as the Iraq War, healthcare, etc.), is the political agenda of the Republican leadership off track?

In the course of the apparent rant that Senator Frist then spouted, he said among other things, that the agenda of protecting the symbols of America and "getting sexual perverts off the streets" is important to Americans. He then went on to blame the media for biasing the news and not getting the word out that the Republicans are doing a fantastic job in America's interests.

I didn't happen to hear any reference to "sexual perverts" in the questioning of the esteemed Senator and former medical professional who provided a second-opinion on Terri Schiavo's status from the Senate floor. Instead, I heard him use the term "sexual perverts" after a reference to gay marriage. Did he really mean to call LGBTQ people "sexual perverts" on national television. I wonder. Maybe he was referencing some other legislation about which I am unaware. I can not imagine any political leader standing up today and using the term "sexual perversion" in reference to an identity that the American Psychiatric Association removed from its list of disorders decades ago. I would not expect this from anyone except the most rabid homophobe, especially not from a medical professional.

It is obvious and apparent that the Republicans are pandering to their conservative base in the months leading up to the mid-term election. It is a smoke-screen that hides the fact that they have not furthered their own agenda and that they are desperate for better poll numbers. I think this is wrong when their rhetoric wrongly affects the lives of millions of Americans on a daily basis.

Then again, Senator Frist was wrong about Terri Schiavo. Bandstanding on the Senate floor, he and his colleagues inserted themselves into the private issue of one family, and proved themselves to be the most insidious of hypocrites by overriding the wishes of one man and one woman made in the bonds of holy matrimony. Having been proven wrong by autopsy reports about the health status of Ms. Schiavo, I think he is wrong again on what Americans hope to see us legislate. It will soon be time to remove him completely from influence by voting in November, 2006, when, with all hope, there will be a new Democratic Senate Majority leader.

Categories: politics Senator+Bill+Frist flag+burning gay+marriage estate+tax+reform Republican agenda election+2006