Senators Norm Coleman, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, John Sununu, Chuck Hagel, Gordon Smith and John Warner all broke with their party and supported cloture on Sen. Webb’s amendment ‘to specify minimum periods between deployment of units and members of the Armed Forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.’ Nevertheless, the amendment failed to cut off debate, 56-41. I’m not sure who failed to vote (beside the disgraced Sen. Vitter), although it should be posted soon. Naturally, Sen. Lieberman voted against cloture, as did Pajamas Pete Domenici. Lieberman has brought forward an amendment of his own, which has something to do with Iran.
Once again the Republicans have held firm.
Lieberman is speaking now about how evil Iran is.
Did Hillary and Barack fail to show?
no, they both voted with Webb.
Because success of this legislation would only show Americans to be weak in the Global War On Terrah. Only frail, snivelling wussies would require time away.
Big bad fighter jocks from the TANG wouldn’t need no time off…
Bob Casey is speaking now. I think he might be speaking in favor of Lieberman’s amendment.
It’s interesting to see Casey and Lieberman’s progressive rating for this Congress.
Actually Casey is reading the name of every soldier from Pennsylvania that has died. It is a very long list.
Just got off the phone with that shitbag, scumfuck Specter: he voted no on Webb.
What else would we expect from Ira Einhorn’s attorney? I hope his cancer comes back.
call him back and ask them why the shitbag is running interference for Sara Taylor rather than telling her to f’ing spill the beans.
will do…
I called Mr. Spcter’s office, and then had them transfer me to the judiciary. In both offices, i made sure to walk them through the details (or have them walk me through, confirming everything).
“This is about the attorney scandal, right?” Check.
“So, Specter’s aides Brett Tolman and Mike O’Neill put in the offending language, and Specter was out of the loop, right?” Check.
“So, Specter had nothing to do with this right, that’s why he helped repeal the language, right?” Check.
“And so far the AG has lied a number of times to Congress, including Specter and made him look like a fool? And so did Sampson? And Griffin? So why is he running interference for Taylor, who’s up to her eyes in this? Why’s he impeding an investigation into something done in his name, without his permission, and which makes the Senator look like a fool?”
Interesting conversation with uninteresting people.
you’re the best.
I trust you didn’t say that thing about the cancer?
no, of course not. But I was thinking it really hard.
good. that would have been wrong.
Even had I said that, my words would have been nowhere near as wrong as Specter’s actions.
Senator Jim Webb of Virginia proposed an amendment to the military financing bill that would give our soldiers adequate rest time between assignments to Iraq – 1 year off for 1 year on; for reserves 3years off for 1 year on). This was supported by most of the military and was a sure sign that our Congress could be seen as troop supporters,
But the Republicans, under the leadership of Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell, filibustered the amendment (ie: kept it from the 60 votes necessary to pass), and showed their utter contempt for the men and women our country sends to die in Iraq.
It is clear, now, that Republicans only lie about seeking bi-partisan troop support. They lie about wanting the best for our soldiers. And they clearly show that they are no more than tools of the Bush Administration.
We are now endangering our soldiers’ ability to respond to attack. We are tiring them out, extending their Iraq stays to 15 months, keeping their families split up for longer and longer times, decreasing morale in the service. They are also preventing re-enlistments and discouraging new enlistments in the process.
If you thought it was the Republicans who were the pro-war,pro-troops party, there is now no question as to where they really stand.
Under The LobsterScope
This is basically the same comment I posted elsewhere. Maybe somebody here has an answer:
Why are the Dems so afraid of a GOP filibuster on this? Why isn’t the spectacle of the Republicans standing before an empty Senate day after day in order to protect the president instead of protecting the troops not the mother of all GOP-destroying events? Why wouldn’t Dems want the media to cover day 1, then day 2, then day 3…. of the filibuster and be obligated to ask the Dems for commentary? Why wouldn’t they want the opportunity to say, day after day, “Well, the Republicans in Congress are more concerned with protecting Bush politically than they are about supporting the troops. They are determined to bring the business of government to a halt in order to deny our troops the safety and readiness they so desperately need. You’d have to ask them why that is.”
I just don’t get it. I can’t think of a better way to brand the GOP as the exclusive owners and abettors of the Iraq disaster. Why aren’t the Dems grabbing it with both hands?
They’re keeping their powder dry.
I don’t know. Harry Reid’s response was great: “If the Republicans oppose troop readiness, they’re entitled to vote against it,” he said. “But to block this amendment, to not even give it an up or down vote, shows that some of my Republican colleagues would rather protect the president than protect the troops.”
So why aren’t they grabbing the spotlight that a GOP filibuster will provide to ram that message home every day the filibuster lasts? Maybe I’ll call Durbin’s office and see if I can get some staffer to explain what their problem is.
This is the problem.
If the problem is fear of voter impatience over getting little done, a filibuster would seem the perfect opportunity to brand the delays with the GOP logo. “We have important legislation awaiting votes on health care, national defense, energy independence, and the budget. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans are tying up the Senate by filibustering to deny our troops the support they deserve”.
How hard is that?
The Talking Filibuster seen in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was eliminated by a Senate Reform some time ago. I believe it was in response to Strom Thurmond blocking civil rights legislation.
So what you are talking about is not possible.
All the Democrats can do is schedule cloture votes.
So please move on from this line of attack I see so often.
I think you are mistaken. I’m sure there were real filibusters going on after the Civil Rights Act.
.
U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes
On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Webb Amdt. No. 2012)
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."