This post illustrates one of my favorite truisms about Republicans which is that they can't put themselves in someone elses shoes.
The only reason Sarah Palin cares at all about the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) is because she has a son with Down Syndrome. While it is human nature to have a higher interest in something when you have a personal experience with it Republicans are the only ones that completely modify their political beliefs because of this association.
The ADA was a Democrat led effort and had 100% Yea votes by Senate Democrats while only 87% of Senate Republicans voted for it. Put that into today's toxic obstructionist Senate and this bill would have needed a sweetheart deal to Ben Nelson and a back rub for Olympia Snowe to get passed.
Even some of the Yea votes from republicans were only done after they tried to water down the bill to exclude certain businesses because they felt this was unfair and damaging to business. While there seems to be no lasting affects to business from this legislation, that doesn't stop current Republicans from using this same argument to shoot down funding and legislation for the less fortunate.
So while I'm not surprised that Sarah Palin would support the ADA any more than I am that Dick Cheney is OK with gay marriage I certainly wish they had compassion for these minority groups without needing the personal example to understand their plight.
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