Comedy Central gets in on the Dole/Helms act

Sen. Elizabeth Dole's (R-NC) decision to try to rename the Lantos/Hyde PEPFAR HIV/AIDS bill after homophobe Jesse Helms, first report here, is so crazy that even Comedy Central is giving it play.

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Olbermann cites Dole in "Worst Person" category

Elizabeth Dole's attempt to include the name of Jesse Helms in the title of the Lantos/Hyde HIV/AIDS bill, first reported here, has earned her MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann's scorn. Olbermann gave her a bottom-three mention in his regular Worst Person in the World hall of shame:

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Senate passes HIV/AIDS bill

Details at Reuters. Every one of the "no" votes was a Republican. See the roll call.

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Democrats kill GOP attempt to cut AIDS bill

Now that Democrats have stopped the Republican filibuster of the HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis bill, Republicans are trying Plan B, which is to scuttle the bill with all manner of Christmas tree amendments.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) proposed substantially limiting the bill's geographic reach. His amendment was slapped down, 70-24.

Of the 48 Democrats who voted, 48 (100%) voted "yes" on the motion to table this pernicious amendment. Of the 46 Republicans who voted, 22 (48%) voted "yes".

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Obscene: Dole tries to name AIDS bill after Helms

Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) yesterday introduced an amendment that would have added the name of Jesse Helms to the title of the HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria bill that is before the Senate. Helms, who died eleven days ago, was the nation's most vociferous foe of federal funding for HIV/AIDS programs from the epidemic's beginning until he left the Senate.

The name of the Act proposed in S. 2731 is "Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008". The Act would be named after former Reps. Tom Lantos (D-CA-12) and Henry Hyde (R-IL-06), who worked together in their last years in Congress to achieve bipartisan support for federal funding for the fight against these diseases. Sen. Dole apparently thought the title was missing something. From the Congressional Record:

SA 5074. Mrs. DOLE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 2731, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 1, line 5, strike "and Henry J. Hyde" and insert ", Henry J. Hyde, and Jesse Helms".

Recall that Helms said that gays caused the AIDS epidemic and victimized Ryan White, threaten the survival of the American family, are in a battle against American values, and have the ultimate aim of having the American people accept "their perverted lifestyle". Find more Helms-isms here and here.

Dole can be given feedback about her amendment here. She is in a tough race for re-election against Democrat Kay Hagan.

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