President Bush has (sort of) announced an intent to veto the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act that is coming up for a final vote today in Congress. According to the wire services:

"The White House, in a statement, said state and local criminal laws already provide penalties for the crimes defined by the bill and 'there has been no persuasive demonstration of any need to federalize such a potentially large range of violent crime enforcement.' It also questioned the constitutionality of federalizing the acts of violence barred by the bill and said that if it reaches the president's desk 'his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill.'"

The bill would allow federal resources to assist local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes based on sexual orientation. Similar assistance is already in place for religious and race based hate crimes.

The veto threat follows a month long high dollar, high pressure campaign against the bill by Religious Right groups like Voices of Concerned Women and the Traditional Values Coalition (who have blatantly lied about the effect of the Bill, insinuating it criminalizes speech condemning homosexuality and distributing posters of Jesus on a "Wanted Poster," arguing it would make Jesus a criminal. (um...what?))

This would be only the third veto of Bush's presidency, the other two having been expanding stem cell research and this week's veto of the war funding bill with timetables for withdrawal.

So Bush's vetoes are limited to bills to shorten war, fund stem cells, and protect sexual minorities. It's not hard to see who is pulling the strings in this White House.

Him. Fork. Poke. Done.
I can't believe how badly I want to turn 45...because it will mean this cretin is no longer the President.