Senator Vinick Delivers
Remarks to the Press on Church and State
Senator Vinick: Yes, we have reached an
agreement on the debt ceiling bill. We will pass it within the hour and
send it to the President for his signature before midnight.
<crosstalk>
Reporter: What about the minimum
wage amendment?
Senator Vinick: We've agreed to have
a separate vote on the minimum wage increase tomorrow.
Reporter: Is it going to pass?
Senator Vinick: Yes, it will. I'll
vote for it. And I guarantee there will be more than enough bipartisan
support to pass it.
Reporter: Senator, are you going to
reconsider Reverend Butler's invitation to his church this weekend?
Senator Vinick: I fully respect
Reverend Butler's position. I mean, I appreciate his invitation, and,
uh....Look, I respect Reverend Butler. And I respect his church too much
to use it for my own political purposes. And that's exactly what I'd be
doing if I went down there this Sunday, because the truth is it would
just be an act of political phoniness. I may be wrong, but I -- I
suspect our churches already have enough political phonies in them.
<crosstalk>
Reporter: Senator, do you or do you
not --
Senator Vinick: I don't see how we
can have a separation of Church and State in this government if you have
to pass a religious test to get in this government. And I want to warn
everyone in the press and all the voters out there: If you demand
expressions of religious faith from politicians, you are just begging to
be lied to. They won't all lie to you, but a lot of them will, and it
will be the easiest lie they ever had to tell to get your votes. So
every day until the end of this campaign, I'll answer any question
anyone has on government. But if you have a -- if you have a question on
religion, please, go to church.
