By Janet Patton
HERALD-LEADER WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - Proponents of a constitutional ban on flag-burning threw two baseball heroes, one Miss America, dozens of veterans and the Senate leadership at Sen. Mitch McConnell yesterday in an effort to give them the one vote they might need for victory.
At a Flag Day press conference outside Senate offices, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said that his Senate Joint Resolution 12 stands a good chance of being the first flag-burning ban to pass the Senate. A year ago, the House of Representatives easily passed similar legislation.
"We have the votes, if some of these people do not pull back," Hatch said.
"This amendment is supported by Democrats, Republicans, Independents and people of all faiths," Hatch said. The legislation would put on the ballot nationwide a constitutional amendment that would authorize Congress to prohibit "the physical desecration" of the U.S. flag. Thirty-eight states would have to ratify the amendment before it could become law.
Later in the morning, a group of veterans opposed to the amendment protested, according to a release from the Veterans Defending the Bill of Rights. They were joined by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., according to the release.
"Amending the Constitution to limit Americans' freedom of speech is a misguided and dangerous use of the time and resources of Congress," Keith Kreul, past national commander of the American Legion, said in the release. "Members of the Senate should be fighting for real veterans' issues, not symbolic attacks on the Constitution."
The Senate is expected to consider action on the flag amendment in the next few weeks.
To demonstrate the kind of desecration the bill would address, baseball Hall of Famer Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., introduced Rick Monday, who as a Chicago Cubs outfielder snatched a flag from two protesters who were about to burn it in the Dodger Stadium outfield.
Yesterday, Monday displayed that faded but unmarred flag.
"Rick snatched the flag right from under their noses to thunderous applause. The crowd burst into God Bless America. It was arguably one of the greatest moments in the game," Bunning said.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said, "We're stepping in on Flag Day to say 'no more.'"
Frist said Senate leadership would work to finally get the bill out of the Senate.
McConnell, the Senate majority whip, did not attend the press conference. He has said that, on free-speech grounds, he will not support a constitutional amendment to ban flag-burning. McConnell's office did not return calls for comment yesterday morning.
Miss America 2000 Heather French Henry, who has made veterans' affairs her platform, particularly implored McConnell "to help protect our flag."
With widespread support nationally and in Kentucky for such an amendment, Henry said, "we're asking the senator to just go another step."
Henry was accompanied by her husband, Dr. Steve Henry, Kentucky's lieutenant governor under Paul Patton. Steve Henry is widely expected to run as a Democrat for governor in 2007.
Steve Henry said later that McConnell "believes in protecting the flag," but that he wants to do so statutorily, which could be overturned.
"We want to lean on Senator McConnell," Steve Henry said. "He could be a deciding vote on whether or not this passes."
TKPN
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