The Senate just voted 60-34 36 to table (kill) the Judiciary Committee’s version of the FISA bill which did not include telcom immunity. So, how did the New Democratic Coalition vote?
Members of the Senate New Democratic Coalition
* Sen. Max Baucus of Montana- NO
* Sen. Thomas R. Carper of Delaware- YES
* Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota- NO
* Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota- YES
* Sen. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin- NO
* Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana- YES
* Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut- YES
* Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas- NO
* Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida- YES
* Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska- YES
* Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas- YES
* Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado- YES
* Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan-NOAnd of course the DLC’s Chair of the ‘American Dream Initiative’, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York- Not present
So only 38.5% of our newbies listened to us.
We keep using the phrase “call our Senators to effect change.” I do not think that phrase means what we thought.
And of course Salazar was too cowardly to come clean on how he planned to vote. The hell that Colorado is crashing the gates. I haven’t heard a stupider example ever.
Salazar is a lost cause. And was from day one. But he’s a Democrat. Whoopee!
BTW:
Of course, the current chair is the dishonorable Harold Ford, Jr., nearly the junior senator from Tennessee.
I know all the reasoning for candidates not making a special trip, canceling appearances, etc., for this one thing for which their votes may not help decide the outcome.
But here’s the thing. If Hillary had made the trip, it would prove she cares about more than her own damn self (and would refute calls that she’s a knee-padded whore of the telecoms).
If Barack had made the trip, maybe that type of leadership may have convinced a few other senators to go his way. Possibly those like McCaskill may have been persuaded since she endorsed him.
It’s the so-called little stuff like this that really turn off those of us that are already doubtful that a different name on the executive stationary will make any difference.
Even if Obama wins the nomination, there’s no guarantee that he’ll win the general election without being able to unite the people that are members of his own party (which I don’t feel he cares much about, frankly).
He better start telling us how he’s going to restore constitutional protections insteal of all that happy, furry puppy let’s all get along now shit.
The motion to table passed 60-34. Obama and Clinton would not have changed that outcome.
Claire McCaskill voted yes. I simply cannot believe that. All it took to kill this table motion was one vote, and she provided to vote to table. I’ve already called and told her that I would make sure that people remember this vote.
I did the same thing (emailed and called) when she authorized it in the first place, wanna guess whether I got any response?
but that may just be me.
Claire is gonna regret this. This vote was a major error.
Why would you not believe it?
She crossed over and voted with the Republicans last August to give them the exact number needed to pass those amendments last year. If she hadn’t done that, the vote would have failed and they wouldn’t have become law. And then she had no coherent reason for doing so.
Her office was tired of hearing from me about it. Because there really is no response when one of your supporters tells you that she didn’t work her ass off to get you in the Senate and get a Democratic majority in the Senate only to have you cross over and vote with Republicans.
But she did stop sending me requests for money when I said she was never getting another dime from me based on her FISA vote and I was encouraging all my friends to do the same.
Of course,I am also appalled at Durbin.
What the FUCK are these people doing?
I think Durbin changed or clarified his vote.
I have so many family members who voted for her, donated money, volunteered for her campaign…imagine their shock when she voted with the GOP last summer. Talk about anger. She’s become another “dead to me” Democrat in my family. My cousin said that everyone had called/emailed/wrote to tell her to vote no and her office’s response was “Thank you.”.
Yep. She doesn’t care. She and her office made it very clear that she wasn’t sorry for it and she had no real excuse. I mean she didn’t even claim that she read the bill and thought it was a good bill. One of the other Dems who was voting on it asked her to vote yes and she respected his opinion and so she did. That’s pretty much what she said.
No one can really figure out why she did it or why she continues on this path. It’s not because Missouri is a red state. She broke with her own party last summer – she wouldn’t have lost support for sticking with her own party. And if she did get some grief – she was in the first year of a six year term. That’s the time to take risks. (Not that I think voting with your party is actually a risk.)
Claire was never this conservative when she was in state government. No one can figure it out. But her poll numbers among Democrats are great so I guess no one cares about FISA in Missouri except a few of us.
I don’t regret working for her last year because I’d rather have a Democratic majority than not. And Jim Talent would have voted the same. I won’t support her again though. I had no illusions she would ever be a leader for progressive causes. But I am baffled by this.
So, say Nixon wins the governorship to replace the Boy Wonder, would he challenge her in a primary next time?
I don’t think so. He’d probably rather run for a second term as governor.
He already ran a Senate campaign against Bond and lost.
I doubt anyone would primary her who could win. But she could be challenged and beat by a Republican. Which, if we could somehow get a Democrat to replace Bond in 2010 (Robin Carnahan?) wouldn’t bother me in the least. It would serve her right.
This guy.
I went here. In box number 2, I chose “change of Party” and in box number 9, I entered “unaffiliated.” I would have done it online, but I want to send a photocopy to Harry Reid.
I just can’t take it anymore.
with any luck Dodd can stretch this out and let the law sunset and go back to the old FISA system until we have a new president.
can we defeat cluture?
uh, no. We just watched them get 60 votes without McCain even being there. What was it? 12 Democrats that sold us out?
Unbelievable. This is throwing me into a rage!
Not only will I encourage liberals to leave the Democratic party but I will dedicate myself to defeating these turncoat Democrats.
hell, maybe those letters I sent to Bob Casey did count for something…
So what happens now?
Wasn’t this some weird parlimentary setup where they could have all the debate, rhetoric and even some votes on this Judiciary Committee version, and then simply swap it out for the other one with the immunity right at the end?
Are we better served by at least having the the version that will be the final version the one actually on the floor?
And finally, the house version does not have immunity, so how does that get reconciled? I seem to recall so many times when things went to conference under GOP leadership, and items of Democratic concern – even items we traded-off for – got stripped out and then the two houses simply affirmed the conference version. Can’t we do the same thing?
The House previously was pretty solid on NOT allowing immunity.
However, the Bush administration is now stating that they’ll give access to the warrantless wiretap docs they’ve been refusing to the House so all bets are off.
via http://holdfastblog.com/2008/01/24/bush-wiretapping-ring-tone/
More from CREDO Action at Myxer
Hhhm?
No mention of BO not voting on the front page???
Hmmmmm….
What we need is a leader for the Democrats. Someone who’ll stand up for Democratic principles. Someone who’ll lead the Democrats in opposition of Dick and W and his enablers in the Democratic leadershp.
JE??? Bwahahahahahahahaha.
Nope: We need Dennis!
What we’re going to get (and have right now) is what we deserve.