June 26, 2009 by: Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman Liberty Counsel

As we have been reporting to you, yesterday President Obama dispatched his top legal officer -- Attorney General Eric Holder -- to a Senate hearing on the anti-faith Hate Crimes bill.

If passed, this expansive bill would give "actual or perceived" "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" the same federal protection as race.

Holder made his "party line" case -- that the federal government needs more sweeping prosecutorial powers to protect citizens from so-called Hate Crimes.

But the evidence just doesn't support the Attorney General's conclusion! In fact, many of those speaking at the hearing strongly rejected Holder's claims. For example:

Senator Jeff Sessions called the bill a "double standard of justice" while Sen. Orrin Hatch added there is "little evidence" of any need for the bill.

In addition, an official with the U.S. Civil Rights Commission delivered a penetrating analysis of why this bill is bad for our Nation's legal system, strongly urging it be rejected.

+ + Over 100,000 Liberty Counsel petitions delivered!

Just as important, I'm thrilled to report that Liberty Counsel team members delivered more than 100,000 petitions to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee while the hearings were getting under way.

Go here to see photos of YOUR Liberty Counsel petitions being delivered:

http://www.libertyaction.org/r.asp?U=20047&CID=292&RID=17737314

This was in addition to tens of thousands of faxes and phone calls from Liberty Counsel team members over the past several weeks! I am convinced that our efforts and those of other concerned citizens have done much to expose the dangers of this bill.

+ + Vote now expected in mid-July

Now, as the bill moves closer to the newly projected final vote in mid July, I believe our prospects for defeating it have never been better! If the congressional leadership and the president had their way, the Hate Crimes law would have been "smuggled" through the Senate, under the radar, attached to some other bill.

But -- thanks to thousands of enlightened and courageous Americans like you -- the political heat and exposure the bill faced stopped them! It is still an uphill fight, but the truth is getting out!

That is why we are now preparing to redouble our efforts as the timing of the final vote is confirmed.

For now, please accept my sincere thanks for all you have done to help me expose the dangers of this anti-faith Hate Crimes bill.

Sincerely,

Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman Liberty Counsel