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Allen avoids 'the' question
Allen tackles issues in Culpeper
Date published: 3/22/2006
By EDIE GROSS
Normally seated behind the dais, Culpeper County Supervisor Sue Hansohn joined more than 100 people last night in the audience of the county board's meeting room for one of U.S. Sen. George Allen's town hall-style gatherings.
After allowing Allen some time to lay out his priorities in Washington, Hansohn shouted out the question undoubtedly on the minds of many in the room.
"Are you running for president in 2008?" she asked, eliciting applause from the crowd.
Allen, at ease in a faux-suede jacket and black cowboy boots--purchased that very day at Boot'Vil in Ruckersville, Va.--flashed a conciliatory smile before answering her.
"No comment," he said, grinning.
Allen, whose first term in the U.S. Senate is up this year, is among a half dozen or so Republicans considered presidential contenders in 2008.
And even though he won't say it aloud, his actions are the hallmark of a national candidate, appearing at Republican fundraising events in Iowa last weekend and at New Hampshire's annual GOP meeting this coming weekend.
In Culpeper yesterday, the former Virginia governor emphasized that he was there to hear from constituents.
And they obliged, passing on concerns on everything from the war in Iraq to roadside mowing.
Gardiner Mulford, a longtime Republican and Culpeper real estate broker, told Allen he was frustrated with Republicans in Washington.
"There's really no excuse why we haven't gotten the line item veto, a better immigration policy. We've controlled the White House, the Senate and Congress for six years now, and we're still not getting those things accomplished," said Mulford, who also said he didn't support the war in Iraq.
"I hope they [Republicans] can soon self-correct," he said.
Allen, who earlier stated that he supported giving the president line-item veto power and securing the country's borders, said he, too, would like lawmakers to accomplish more.
"I can understand people's frustrations," he said after the meeting. "I didn't go to the Senate to sit and wait for consensus and talk endlessly about things. I went to take action. And there's insufficient action in the Senate."
Tully Satre, 16, urged Allen to support a federal hate crimes bill that protects people on the basis of their sexual orientation in addition to race, religion and gender.
"I've had several letters in the past few weeks, threatening my family and my life because I'm an openly gay Virginian," he said.
Allen said he didn't support protecting sexual orientation as a civil right. He said he knew of several instances where anti-gay protestors were arrested for quoting Scripture at gay pride parades and charged with hate crimes under state laws.
"I just cannot in good conscience be on the side of passing a law that would limit people's first amendment rights, particularly religious expression," he said.
One of the most moving appeals came from Joanne Carroll, a Culpeper resident with high blood pressure and no health insurance.
Read more stories about Culpeper
Date published: 3/22/2006
Most recent reader comments:
3 comments have been posted.
Unclean fish not allowed to be eaten (not having fins and scales; like the catfish). (Leviticus 11:10-12)
Don’t use mixed fibers in your clothing. (Leviticus 19:19)
Hate crimes in no way impinge on citizens' freedom of speech. Allen's response to Tully Satre was disgustingly misinforming and evasive. There is no way people have been jailed for religious speech, hate crimes is completely about violent crime. This suggests that Allen is actually dishonest, and against civil rights.
I don't think that the exchange between Tully Satre and Senator Allen was captured fairly. See Tully Satre's blog for a full account.
A question for the Senator. Does the Bible contain any "hateful" passages?
Leviticus 20:13 – "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them shall be put to death..."
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Allens picks and chooses which parts of the Bible to follow and include in law
(posted by
TEXAN
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
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