A little Dan Burton rant - it's good to know your enemy

[Metatron]

For the last three weeks I have noticed a number of DUers who claim to live in Indiana and consistently refer to Burton's district as part of southern Indiana filled with ignorant rednecks. I despise the man but feel obligated to explain that he is in the 5th district which does not include southern Indiana. His district is composed of a high proportion of highly educated, wealthy, politically active Hoosiers.

There is little doubt in my mind that most Hoosier DU members are fully aware of this, but every time I see one of those "red states suck" threads it inevitably includes some inaccurate reference to Burton and his constituency. I felt compelled to set the record straight.

[thinkingwoman]

1. thank you!

We southern Indiana rednecks continue to elect our own morons like Hostettler and Buyer. We don't need the Dan Burton albatross around our necks as well!

[Metatron]

2. I feel so bad for your Dems in southern Indiana :)

I honestly don't know who is worse out of that group - Watermelon Dan or Hostettler & Buyer. And, while I do see my share of rednecks through out the state, I don't think they are the majority of GOP voters. Many Hoosiers are very religious and vote Republican because of that. (Of course, many Hoosier Dems are also religious!) This is why I don't think an Evan Bayh presidential run in 08 could turn Indiana blue - the Republicans would just play to the fears of the typical GOP voters about the "baby-eating liberals in Washington."

[DrGonzoLives]

3. Hostettler is a million times worse

He's the guy, after all, who wrote the Federal Protection of Marriage Act. Need I say more?

[Hoosiergal]

4. Agreed! Hostettler is the biggest moron....

....did you hear that he is taking up the cause some 'moral values' voters to change the name I-69 to something less provacative! It's hilarious, I read it yesterday on Michael Moore's website....he makes fun of these 'values voters' for knowing what '69' means!!

ya know, it really sucks to be a hoosier these days.....:cry:

[Hoosiergal]

5. here's the link to the 'I-69' controversy....

check it out, it is funny! The only thing I like about the I-69 extension is the name!!!


http://www.hoosiergazette.com/News/Nov2004/news003.htm

[thinkingwoman]

6. yeah, that's hilarious

he is such a loser. What's he gonna do...change the name of the interstate nationwide?

You'd think he wouldn't have time for such silliness what with all the energy he spends telling women with breast cancer that they brought it on themselves by having abortions and explaining why he tried to bring a loaded handgun onto an airplane.

I was so glad to hear that he was no longer my rep, and then I found out that I had Buyer instead. Some difference.

[DrGonzoLives]

8. That's satire, not news

Not a real story, though I expect Hostettler at some point to pick up on it and do it.

[Metatron]

7. I know. But, Burton is evil!

For 8 long years, almost every Sunday morning you would find Burton on the talk shows describing investigation after investigation into the Clintons (Foster's death, Hubbell, illegal Chinese contributios to the Clinton-Gore campaigns, the Travel Office, Waco and Reno, among many others). Burton's obsession with the Clintons was a major factor in the eventual appointment of Kenneth Starr, which started as an investigation into Whitewater and ended up reading like soft-core porn.

I can easily admit that I have such strong personal feelings against Burton, that I am unable to step back and be objective about the other Indiana Congressional Republicans. :)

[VTHoosierPatriot]

9. Please

don't get my southern bible beaters confused with Burton's money grubbing corporate whores.
Hostettler's constitutional interpretations really piss me off. He makes the classic distinction that the establishment clause only prevents the state from establishing its own religion but allows the government to have religious affiliations. I wish I could subscribe to these Bork notions because it makes Constitutional interpretation much easier as a lawyer if you do not rely on petty things such as precedent, legislative history, or policy consequences. Hostettler does cite an 1854 Senate committe report:
What is an establishment of religion? It must have a creed, defining what a man must believe; it must have rites and ordinances, which believers must observe...
First, a committee report, authored one hundred years after the Constitution was formed, written by a committee in the golden era of Dredd Scott and the Freedom of Contract (no labor regulations, miners forced to live in work in company owned villages, etc.) really shouldn't inspire contemporary jurisprudence from my perspective. Second, what is regulating abortion, marriage, or giving money to faith-based organizations but establishing a government religion? Hostettler never makes a mention of the concept of "Tyranny of the Majority" in his writings but his view of complete judicial restraint and a weak Bill of Rights approves of such a condition. T his credit, I haven't heard Hostettler himself say this, but Freepers always bring up the "Tyranny of the Minority" (or special interests) imposing its will on the people. To this I always reply, "You mean like 39 dead, male, caucasian, land-owners being the final authority on all societal questions for eternity?" To which, I never get a response.

[Metatron]

10. Welcome to DU, VTHoosierPatriot!

Hostettler appears to me to be clinically insane with some of his constitutional perspectives and political arguments. Your comment, "I wish I could subscribe to these Bork notions because it makes Constitutional interpretation much easier as a lawyer if you do not rely on petty things such as precedent, legislative history, or policy consequences" made me laugh out loud. :)

[VTHoosierPatriot]

11. Dedicated to Our Man Dan

http://www.tylwythteg.com/enemies/burton.html

[Metatron]

12. Thanks

He is even worse than I thought.

[VTHoosierPatriot]

13. I don't know how legitimate the sources are,

but I really don't care after what happened to Clinton. I also can confirm he still has an inclination towards attractive, young female staffers from personal obsevations of his office and these links (http://www.house.gov/burton/photos.htm June 24, 2004 - July 7).
I wouldn't even mind it if he wasn't beating moral values 24/7, a theology school dropout, and a hypocritical shill.