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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt">GOP Congressman Calls
Democrats Anti-Christian</SPAN></B><BR><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Remarks in
Floor Debate Stir Protest</SPAN></B><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">By Mike Allen<BR>Washington Post
Staff Writer<BR>Tuesday, June 21, 2005; A04<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><NITF><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Business on the floor of the
House was halted for 45 minutes yesterday after Rep. John N. Hostettler (R-Ind.)
accused Democrats of "denigrating and demonizing Christians," prompting a
furious protest from across the aisle.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The House was debating a Democratic
amendment to the annual defense appropriations bill that would have required the
Air Force Academy to develop a plan for preventing "coercive and abusive
religious proselytizing."<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Hostettler, speaking against the
amendment, asserted that "the long war on Christianity in <?xml:namespace prefix
= st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>
continues today on the floor of the House of Representatives" and "continues
unabated with aid and comfort to those who would eradicate any vestige of our
Christian heritage being supplied by the usual suspects, the
Democrats."<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">"Like a moth to a flame, Democrats
can't help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians,"
he said.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Rep. David R. Obey (<st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Wis.</st1:place></st1:State>), ranking Democrat
on the Appropriations Committee, protested the statement, saying: "I move that
the gentleman's words be taken down."<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The incident followed dust-ups
between the two parties over the conduct of the war on terrorism. Over the
weekend, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) called on Sen. Richard J.
Durbin (D-Ill.) to apologize and withdraw his comments made on the Senate floor
comparing <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> soldiers'
handling of prisoners at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Guantanamo
Bay</st1:City>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Cuba</st1:country-region></st1:place>, to the actions taken years ago
by "Nazis and Soviets in their gulags."<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">House Democratic leader Nancy
Pelosi (<st1:State w:st="on">Calif.</st1:State>) repeated an assertion yesterday
that had drawn heavy Republican criticism, calling the war in
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> "a grotesque
mistake."<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Yesterday, Hostettler had a choice:
to agree to withdraw his words, or to stick by them and face a ruling from the
chair that he had violated rules against disparaging another member on the
floor. If the member's words are taken down, it is considered a serious offense
and the lawmaker would not be able to speak for the rest of the
day.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Eventually, Hostettler rose and
read a sentence that had been written out for him in large block letters by a
young Republican floor aide: "Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw
the last sentence I spoke."<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Later, the Democratic amendment was
defeated, 210 to 198, and on a voice vote the Air Force was required to say how
it is promoting religious tolerance before the overall appropriations bill
passed, 398 to 19.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Hostettler was in the news last
year when he took a registered Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun to <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Louisville</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">International</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Airport</st1:PlaceType> as he was preparing to board a flight to
<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:State>.
The congressman, who said he had forgotten he had placed the gun in the
briefcase, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and received a suspended
sentence<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
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