Dubious Rubio's Frivolous Reason For Being Against ENDA

Sen. Marco Rubio has a new reason for not supporting ENDA. Rubio's spokeswoman Brooke Sammon told The Buzz against so-called "frivolous lawsuits."

"He believes people’s qualifications, performance and honesty are the most important qualities by which they should be judged in the workplace. If you’re a good worker, that’s all that should matter," spokeswoman Brooke Sammon said. "This legislation goes far beyond protecting workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation, and he is currently studying what kinds of burdens it could impose on small businesses, frivolous lawsuits that could result, and ensuring that religious freedoms under the First Amendment are protected."

Rubio is claiming that discriminating against gays is a First Amendment right. Rubio should brush up on the equal protection clause in the Constitution. I don't believe for a second that Rubio would support a private business or government organization that fired straight people on religious grounds. Rubio can't come out and say that he doesn't support worker protection for gay and transgender people. Except that is exactly what Rubio told Think Progress.

RUBIO: I haven’t read the legislation. By and large I think all Americans should be protected but I’m not for any special protections based on orientation.

There you have it.

The courts will likely rule in favor of religious organizations having anti-gay policies. I'm agnostic but I don't think the courts should meddle with religious institutions. No matter how disgusting I may find some of these organizations to be.

Bill Nelson Becomes ENDA Co-Sponsor

Equality Florida did a Twitter campaign to make Sen. Bill Nelson become a co-sponsor of ENDA (the Employment Nondiscrimination Act). The Twitter campaign worked. ENDA now has 56 co-sponsors.

"I am pleased to have Senator Nelson’s support on thisbill. Momentumisbuilding to end LGBT discrimination in the workplace," said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), thebill's sponsor. "This is anissue of fundamental fairness.”

ENDA will have 57 co-sponsors when Cory Booker is sworn into the Senate. This is why elections matter. We wouldn't be talking about the potential passage of ENDA if there were 50 tea party Republicans in the Senate.

Jim Defede Interviews Ileana Ros-Lehtinen On DOMA & Voting Rights

Jim Defede interviews Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on the Supreme Court's decisions on the Defense of Marriage Act and the Voting Rights Act. Ros-Lehtinen is one of the few elected Republicans that strongly backs gay rights. Ros-Lehtinen wants Congress to pass ENDA. There is little chance that Ros-Lehtinen can get anything done on ENDA in the dysfunctional House of Representatives.

Ros-Lehtinen told Defede that Congress should have hearings on a possible new Voting Rights Act. Ros-Lehtinen admits that racism still exists in pockets of America. However, I don't see her having the same passion for a voting rights hearings that she has demonstrated with gay rights.

Equality Florida On Dubious Rubio Not Backing ENDA

Nadine Smith of Equality Florida sent out this press release. Equality Florida takes exception with Sen. Marco Rubio not supporting ENDA. Rubio made this statement about ENDA to Think Progress.

RUBIO: I haven’t read the legislation. By and large I think all Americans should be protected but I’m not for any special protections based on orientation.

The Equality Florida press release.

Senator Rubio's statements are indefensible and heartless. I challenge Sen. Marco Rubio to meet with families torn apart by current laws. Let him sit with couples who have been forced apart and children who are denied access to both parents because the law does not recognize their family.

Thankfully the Senator does not reflect the majority of Americans or Floridians who, by an overwhelming margin of 67%, believe “it is important that the US immigration system keeps families together regardless of sexual orientation.”1 Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic voters support the inclusion of same-sex bi-national couples in immigration reform, and 70% of Hispanic Catholics support these provisions. Rubio's recent rhetoric about pulling his support for immigration reform if same-sex couples are included is a slap in the face to his constituency and the families directly harmed by the current laws. The Senator’s opposition to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is also out of sync with the country and Florida voters who believe people should not be fired based on prejudice.

Nearly three-quarters of voters (73%) support protecting gay and transgender people from workplace discrimination. This support cuts across political party affiliation, with 81% of Democrats, 74% of independents and 66% of Republicans supporting workplace nondiscrimination laws for LGBT people. - See more at: http://www.freedomtowork.org/?page_id=39#sthash.yJOZfeOx.dpuf

1 April 2013 poll conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP), one of the most accurate polling companies in the country. http://bit.ly/13FDHRq

Dubious Rubio Runs From Questions on ENDA

Via Towerroad: why conservatives should worry about Rubio is that he chokes under pressure . Rubio ran into the rain to avoid Marc Caputo's questions about David Rivera's legal problems. Rubio's State of the Union response was an epic choke. Rubio's latest misstep is him running dodging Think Progress reporter Scott Keyes.

KEYES: The Senate this summer is going to be taking up the Employment Non-Discrimination Act which makes it illegal to fire someone for being gay. Do you know if you’ll be supporting that?

RUBIO: I haven’t read the legislation. By and large I think all Americans should be protected but I’m not for any special protections based on orientation.

KEYES: What about on race or gender?

RUBIO: Well that’s established law.

KEYES: But not for sexual orientation?

Walking away from a reporter as he is asking a question is a sign of political cowardness.

Schultz & Ros-Lehtinen on ENDA

Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Ileanna Ros-Lehtinen are 2010 "Voice For Equality" honorees. Equality Florida noted Schultz's and Ros-Lehtinen work as co-sponsors of Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA).They told Equality Florida they support ending DADT and Florida's gay adoption ban.

Tammy Baldwin Interview

Pam Spaulding has an exclusive interview with Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. She is the only gay woman serving in the House of Representatives. Baldwin explains how Republicans are attempting to kill.

The lack of success passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is something Baldwin is attempting to rectify. Republicans have used the bogus argument that Christian book stores would have to hire Atheists. The First Amendment specificly states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." It's doubtful Atheists and Muslims would suddenly flock to Christian bookstores to work as clerks. What Conservatives fear is not being able to hide behind religion to practice bigotry.

Bob Jones University lost their tax exempt status for a racist admission policy.

The Court found that the IRS was correct in its decision to revoke the tax-exempt status of Bob Jones University and the Goldsboro Christian School. These institutions did not meet the requirement by providing "beneficial and stabilizing influences in community life" to be supported by taxpayers with a special tax status. The schools could not meet this requirement due to their discriminatory policies. The Court declared that racial discrimination in education violated a "fundamental national public policy." The government may justify a limitation on religious liberties by showing it is necessary to accomplish an "overriding governmental interest." Prohibiting racial discrimination was such a governmental interest. Hence, the Court found that "not all burdens on religion are unconstitutional."

I love nothing more than scam artists losing their tax exempt status.