To what end(a)?

ENDA passes the House

Forgive me Mr. Thayer....

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout;
But there is no joy for Trannies, mighty Barney left us out.

After debate, discussion, periodic diatribe and drivel, a few
parliamentary pranks, the consideration of three amendments
(but votes on only two) that lasted nearly 5 1/2 hours, the
US House passed the "historic" Employment Non-Discrimination
Act today on a vote of 235-184. 

Truly historic in that the bill's passage is the first and
only time that employment protections have been approved at
the Federal level for gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

Historic also in that the bill was approved without the support
of dozens upon dozens of LGB and T organizations.  Historic
also in that a bill designed to achieve success in a minority
population has served to drive a deep wedge into that very
constituency.

There is no companion bill being considered in the Senate
at this point.  The best anyone can guess is that maybe...MAYBE...
the Senate might have something to consider in the spring or
summer.  Fat chance.  With Hillary and Barack as the main
Democratic candidates for the Presidency, there is no way
this will see the Senate floor prior to the election. 

And even then, President Bush will veto it and today's vote
is a good 50 or so short of an override.

It was painful to watch Florida Congresswoman Kathy Campos (D),
who helped shepherd the early part of the process, persistently
use the word "all" when describing the bill's "inclusiveness". 
Sadder still in that Ms. Campos's district is directly adjacent
to Largo, Florida, the city that summarily dismissed its
respected city manager, Susan (nee Steven) Stanton upon
her transition.

It was painful to watch Washington Congressman Doc Hastings (R)
disingenuously argue for holding a vote on the Baldwin Amendment
- the salve tossed to Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin who was most
insistent on transgender inclusion.  In a piece of parliamentary
pablum, she was allowed to offer the amendment, then withdraw it,
with no vote ever taken.  Ol' Doc, as perhaps he's known in
Kennewick or Yakima or Moses Lake, came to the floor pushing
for a vote on the amendment.  Now, not even a politically
averse loon like me figured him as my Knight in Shining Armor.
Nah...Ol' Doc just wanted to cause the reportedly nervous-kneed
freshman Democrats in the house - those more concerned with
keeping their jobs than helping transgenders keep theirs -
dyspepsia by putting their votes to the public eye.

It was painful to watch Congressman Frank speak of the
political realities of including transgenders, when he must
know...he MUST know...the overall political reality of his
bill - inclusive or not - is Dead on Arrival.  At least until
a supportive President is elected (and please don't dare ask
me who that might be!).

It was painful to watch so-called "Christian" members argue
FOR discrimination, argue FOR hate, argue FOR exclusion. 
Where in the ministry of Jesus did they learn that?

I am overdrawn with Political Reality.