Dusty Johnson: “I find it simply astonishing that with the very limited time we have remaining in this congressional session this Senate…”

“I find it simply astonishing that with the very limited time we have remaining in this congressional session this Senate finds itself failing to spend its time debating education, affordable health care, veterans, gas and energy prices, job creation, or the exploding Federal budget deficit and instead, as part of what can only be viewed as an extraordinarily cynical political charade, we will devote our time to debate the marriage protection amendment, an amendment to our national Constitution that has been overwhelmingly defeated in the past and which continues to be opposed from groups ranging from liberal to the far right libertarian, as well as by religious organizations, including my own ELCA Lutheran Church. Could it be that there are those who do not want to talk about the real issues facing American families because their inaction has resulted in collapsing poll numbers and declining public support and they now feel a desperate need to change the subject? The lengths that some people will go to pander on this issue is, frankly, shameful. There are ads currently running in my State claiming that I must not care about children having a mother and a father. How foolish. How sad. My wife Barbara, a social worker, and I will celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary tomorrow. We have three wonderful children and three beloved young grandchildren.…”