McCain Amendment defeated in Senate 32-63

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00074 ^

[whatisthetruth]

Why does McCain offer an Amendment that he knows will go down to defeat, is he grandstanding?

[edge10]

Be darned if that makes any sense. McCaskill Yes, Bond no???

[Diogenesis]

Collins, Snowe and Spectre must have thought it was Fri the 13th again.

[Norman Bates]

How DARE John McCain try to remove those 8500 earmarks! /soapbox

[demsux]

Saw that too...wtf

[Norman Bates]

That is surprising. Maybe Bayh saw some internals.

[cc2k]

Abathar wrote:

Bayh voted for i t??

My jaw just hit the space bar...

Yes, he did.

I guess I should also have pointed out the Dems that should be praised on this one:

• Bayh (D-IN)
• McCaskill (D-MO)

Well, that was a short list. But if you live in these states, your really need to send a "thank you for the correct vote on this important ammendment" note to these two. They need to know that their votes are noticed, and they need positive feedback when they vote for conservative principles like fiscal responsibility.

BTW, What's up in Missouri? That just doesn't look right at all. Bond on the wrong side, McCaskill on the correct side. Go figure.

4rcane wrote:

All those Republicans listed needs to go. They’re either too socialist, or too power hungry and playing politics. Either way, we don’t want them around

Maybe eventually.

Right now, they need to hear from their constituents at home that 1) we are watching and we know how you voted and 2) you shouldn't vote against the conservative principles of your constituents. Finally, all Republicans, plus the two Democrats that voted "yea" that they should not vote for cloture until a spending freeze is substituted for the pork and spending increases.

Everyone hit the phones and fax machines. Maybe this can be turned around.

You folks in Missouri will have to be careful to send the right message to the right Senator. It looks backwards from what it should be.

TomasUSMC wrote:

So this amendment would have frozen spending at 2008 levels?

Correct. This would have held FY 2009 spending to FY 2008 levels, through September 30, 2009.

whatisthetruth wrote:

Why does McCain offer an Amendment that he knows will go down to defeat, is he grandstanding?

Not exactly. If this amendment had gotten to 40 or 41 votes, it would have been big trouble for the Dems. They haven't voted for cloture on this yet. If 40+ Senators voted for a spending freeze, a filibuster to force that issue could result.

If this had gotten all Republicans plus Bayh and McCaskill, it would have had many more Dems cross over IMO. The Dem Leadership (especially the White House) wants to look forward to 2010. This 2009 Omnibus bill is a distraction. They want it to pass and go away. The Republicans have (had?) a real opportunity for this amendment to pass.

[Non-Sequitur]

And Bond voted against it. Hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys anymore.

[vox_freedom]

32 to 63. wow, really close...
Shows how far the politics of appeasement gets ya, eh?

[LearsFool]

No offense, but we’re fools if we trust anyone in power in Washington. If people in power could be trusted, the founding fathers wouldn’t have bothered with the restraints of the Constitution.

Think of Washington as being filled with Roman generals after the death of the reigning emperor - everybody making alliances, cutting deals, posturing and grandstanding, bluffing and backstabbing, looking out for (not you!) their own personal/clique’s/faction’s advancement and power. The Constitution’s main goal was to limit the damage done by these power-struggles.

[MindBender26]

Translation please. Waht was this about in plain English?

[hocndoc]

What is Shelby doing voting against this amendment?

[KansasGirl]

WTH is wrong with these Republicans?

Snowe, Collins, Specter. Big freakin’ surprise. NEWSFLASH: They are going to vote with the Rats on EVERYTHING—they are Rats. The Rats have a filibuster proof majority. We are so screwed.

[BlueNgold]

At first I was shocked by Senator Shelby’s vote.
Then I went to his website and looked up news releases:
http://shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases

The good Senator, who happens to sit on the Senate Appropriations (A-Pork-Creations ??) Committee, is bringing home the aforementioned bacon.
02/27/09
Shelby Announces $502,679 for the University of Alabama at Birmingham
02/27/09
Shelby Announces $385,020 for Alabama Department of Public Health
02/27/09
Shelby Announces $695,272 for Jack Edwards Airport
02/27/09
Shelby Announces $26,125 for Taylor Volunteer Fire Department
02/27/09
Shelby Announces $64,600 to Rehobeth Fire Department
02/24/09
Shelby Announces $1.9 Million for Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
02/23/09
Shelby Announces $193,365 for the University of South Alabama
02/20/09
Shelby Announces $373,535 for the University of Alabama
02/20/09
Shelby Announces $197,375 for Shelby County Airport
02/20/09
Shelby Announces $205,928 for Russellville Municipal Airport
02/20/09
Shelby Announces $48,693 for Guntersville Municipal Airport
02/20/09
Shelby Announces $128,124 for Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
02/20/09
Shelby Announces $272,419 for Madison County Executive Airport
02/20/09
Shelby Announces $80,154 for Wetumpka Municipal Airport
.
.
.
*** Rough calculation - around $5MM and this is just a partial list.

[river rat]

Once again, McCain demonstrates his impotence and in doing so highlights the impotence and inconsequential state of the Republicans in both houses of Congress....

He KNEW there was no hope for this amendment.
He KNEW is would cast the GOP as the weak sister they have become...

Since there is NOTHING the GOP can accomplish in the Senate or the House without the APPROVAL of Obama and the new Thugocracy -— they should show their contempt for the contempt being heaped upon them and GO HOME...

STOP showing up...
STOP voting....
Deny the Thugocracy the “appearance” of being a Congress of the People and for the people.....
Don’t give the Thugs the ability of claiming Bipartisan support of their Kleptocracy....

[metmom]

We don’t have Republican anything to speak of.

[rfp1234]

Senate Appropriations (A-Pork-Creations ??) Committee

Awesome neologism. I propose including it in the next update of the FReeper Glossary.

[Ultra Sonic 007]

Alabama:
Sessions (R-AL), Not Voting
Shelby (R-AL), Nay

Wonder where Sessions was today.

And why’d Shelby vote NO?

Alabama ping!

[Rappini]

That was a real shocker for me too.