Senate votes to give DC citizens vote in Congress

Associate Press ^ | February 26, 2009 | JIM ABRAMS

[stevie_d_64]

District of Columbia when it became the nation's capital two centuries ago would be granted under legislation the Senate passed Thursday.

Congress is "moving to right a centuries-old wrong," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shortly before the 61-37 vote.

The House is expected to pass the measure with a strong majority next week and President Barack Obama, a co-sponsor when the bill failed to clear the Senate two years ago, has promised to sign it.

The measure is likely to face a court challenge immediately after becoming law; opponents argue that it is unconstitutional because D.C. is not a state and does not qualify for representation.

[JillValentine]

Good for Byrd! He did it purely on constitutional grounds; he’s a big stickler for that.

You're kidding, right?

I must have missed the part of the Constitution that said, "Taxpayer money shall be used to build a Robert Byrd Memorial Concrete Slab in every county in West Virginia."

I think he's gone senile and doesn't know what he's voting for or against anymore.

[Moose Burger]

“...opponents argue that it is unconstitutional because D.C. is not a state...”

Translation: opponents use common sense. Expect senate to pass a bill forbidding use of common sense.

I’m afraid one day I will not be able to remember how my life was before it became a strip of Dilbert.

[buccaneer81]

Ok, maybe he did it to poke the Congressional Black Racist Caucus. (Works for me either way.)

[unixfox]

Might as well vote for Martial Law and close the borders to travel while they are at it.!

I am so sick of these bastards I could soit!!

[pie_eater]

You know the Senate is a joke when Byrd is the Democratic voice of reason.

[EGPWS]

51 Stars for the 51 States

Just try designing a uniform American flag with 51 stars..

[Girlene]

This is a meltdown.

Yes, it is.

[Churchillspirit]

SCOTUS does not care about Barry's eligibility to be POTUS. Why should they care about this?

[EGPWS]

You know the Senate is a joke when Byrd is the Democratic voice of reason.

Pretty...pretty...pretty...

[americanophile]

OMG!!!!!This is flatly unconstitutional. It's not “moving to right a centuries-old wrong,” it's moving to give DC unconstitutional representatinon in Congress despite not being a state in order to placate the racists, and give the Dems a permanent and vote-diluting extra seat(s). Some governor better file a constitutional challenge TODAY! The Court better grant cert. too!! This is an outrage!

[exit82]

This is blatantly unconstitutional.Just remember, all the members of Congress just took an oath to uphold the Constitution.

The brain dead House will pass this, and Obama will sign it.

Then it has to be brought to Federal court to overturn—it is illegal.

Notice the camel in the tent approach.

1. Give DC a non voting rep in Congress.

2. Give DC an unconstitutional voting rep in Congress.

3. As a sop to Republicans, give Utah a second rep in Congress—also unconstitutional without clear proof from the Census.

4. DC will wail—we don’t have representation in the Senate now. They will get two Senators.

5. Utah already has two Senators. Sorry, GOP losers!

6. Dems get an additional two permanent Senate votes. Mission accomplished!!!

[americanophile]

Hatch has lost his mind.

[exit82]

He's conditioning us. Daily outrage. Eventually we'll get used to it?

Cloward-Piven strategy--working like a charm.

[GodBlessAmericaKD]

Shame on Hatch.

[EGPWS]

This is a meltdown.

This is a SWIFT meltdown of Constitutional directive.

CONSTITUTION

[trumandogz]

Just try designing a uniform American flag with 51 stars..

[Rosemont]

Great. Maybe Marion Berry will run for a seat.

[americanophile]

I really am getting to the point, where I feel like marching out and torching something.

[angelcindy]

These goofs in the senate all have to go...

[Girlene]

Republican Voting Yea:

Collins (R-ME)
Hatch (R-UT)
Lugar (R-IN)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Voinovich (R-OH)

Democrats Voting Nay

Baucus (D-MT)
Byrd (D-WV)