I would love arguing with my late grandfather. He taught me the “greatness” of the Republican Party.

English: Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth Presid...
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. Hero of the Republican Party 

“This is the party of Lincoln, son. The party that did great things. Ronald Reagan is the greatest president of all time. You should always consider yourself a Republican.”

I always considered myself a moderate though I have voted in more Republican primaries than Democratic in my voting career.

I’ve tried understanding the right and left. I’ve tolerated excuses from both sides , my gLibs and my Tea Partiers.

But today crossed a line.

A line that makes me look at why I said in an earlier editorial why the Republican party will make themselves obsolete because of their fear created by the Tea Party.

Today 39 Republicans said no to a treaty negotiated by George W. Bush. A treaty encouraged by such great Republicans as John McCain and Bob Dole.

Today fear won as Republicans fought against the UN Disability Treaty. A treaty that was created based on our Americans with Disabilities Act.

Republican Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), John Barrasso (Wyo.), Scott Brown (Mass.), Susan Collins (Maine), Dick Lugar (Ind.), John McCain (Ariz.), Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) voted with Democrats in favor of the treaty.

But 39 said no as Bob Dole looked on, stuck in his wheelchair as his former friends used excuses and lies to vote down something that extended disabled rights around the world.

No, said former presidential candidate Rick Santorium who tweeted after it had been not ratified :

 “We did it, #CRPD was defeated today. @Patriot_voices will cont to have an impact on important issues. Pls join us.”

No sir, I won’t.

Bella Santorium should be ashamed of you. She would want the same rights that she has here in America around the world. But she won’t.

Not now.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities would simply require the rest of the world to meet the standards that Americans already enjoy under the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act.

But Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), arguing that it could allow the U.N. to impose its will on issues such as abortion and home-schooling of children with disabilities.

Bob Dole, portrait
Bob Dole

Show me in the treaty where it says that Senator.You can’t.

You just took a man who served with honor, a veteran and embarassed him.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), in May endorsed the treaty — saying, in a news release, that it advanced “fundamental values by standing up for the rights of those with disabilities, including our nation’s veterans and service members.”

But by Tuesday he had changed his mind. “Genuine concerns raised by the language of this treaty … have made it clear that foreign officials should not be put in a position to interfere with U.S. policymaking,” his statement said.

Bob Dole may have been a buffoon, during his turn at the Presidential lottery known as our political process, but he was a man of honor.

He will pass soon and I want every one of the 39 who embarassed him today to get up after he passes and talk about how he supported disabled peoples rights and how they had a chance to make a vote that made a difference to him. But they said no.

Enjoy this victory tonight Senators, drink your beverages of choice and enjoy a moment. Members of the party of Lincoln should walk by his monument and remember this one moment.

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