GOP senators face questions for vote against rape bill

As one of his first acts in the Senate, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) offered a measure designed to fight rape and sexual assault among defense contractors.

Franken's measure would withhold defense contracts from companies "if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court." This amendment passed the Senate 68 to 30. All 30 opponents were Republicans. In fact, a vast majority of Senate Republicans voted no.

The Republicans' idiotic excuse for voting no was that the bill interfered with private business. Um, no. The bill deals with defense contractors - who are hired to perform public business. The Republicans apparently wanted companies to use taxpayer dollars to deny rape victims basic legal rights.

And now the Republicans are facing some tough questions for their stance.

Right-wing Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) blames the entire controversy on everyone except the Republicans. He says Obama opposed the bill too. But that is an outright lie.

This story has been repeated countless times now: Republicans take a position they can't defend, blame everyone else when it backfires, and make up stuff out of thin air to justify it. No wonder they're the party of background noise now.

(Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29439.html)