Elevated/edited from the diaries by DemFromCT. This is GOP Rep. Hostettler (IN-8). Apparently, so is this:
Congressman Hostettler faces a charge that could put him behind bars.
Indiana's 8th district representative is in trouble after being detained at the Louisville airport for carrying a loaded gun in his briefcase.
The crime is a misdemeanor but it carries a sentence of up to a year in jail and a $500 fine.
The following is the content of up2date's diary; the Hoestettler quote is from the Palm Beach Post:
Wingnuttery. I could think of no better word for this, nor could I possibly hope to give this an introduction. So here's the money quote (though there were several to choose from):
"When the courts make unconstitutional decisions, we should not enforce them. Federal courts have no army or navy... The court can opine, decide, talk about, sing, whatever it wants to do. We're not saying they can't do that. At the end of the day, we're saying the court can't enforce its opinions."
Wow. You might think those words came from a random supporter probably not well versed in government. But you would be wrong. These words were spoken by a
U.S. Congressman, Republican Rep. John Hostettler of Indiana at a Christian Coalition meeting.
I am speechless. Does wingnuttery have no bounds? This is part of a larger campaign by Hostettler and others to circumvent the courts. They want to pass legislation which is unconstitutional, and their ingenious solution is to find ways to operate outside the courts. Statements such as this demonstrate the lengths the Religious Right will go to achieve their goals. I've seen some debate over how much control the Religious Right has over the Republican party. Some (mostly Republicans) like to downplay their influence. But whatever their numbers and mandate really are, they have people like Hostettler in elected office wielding power and influence. There is no mistaking the fact that they will use this influence to try to force an unwanted Religious Right agenda on unsuspecting America. We must make sure middle America understands just what they voted for.
I found the quote here, and I've done a bit of googling to see if I could find an actual transcript of his speech. If anyone knows where I can find one, let me know.