Posted on 06/27/2007 1:11:30 PM PDT by The Blitherer
3:59pm update. Vote is underway on tabling a Dodd amendment. Meantime, Noam Askew hears that Domenici will vote against cloture tomorrow. Theres buzz that Nelson and Bond are also likely nos.
they’re down to 61. I’m feeling good about this.
All right!!! Little Pete is going to vote the right way.
We have got to stop this ROGUE institution. The Senate has become a rogue institution that is out of touch with the USA.
Ah speculation! We’ll know the facts when the “Fat Lady Sings”.
Keep up the pressure.
Was he crying?
Webb told the LA Times that he would only vote for the final bill if his amendment was adopted. Of course it was just defeated, he got only 18 votes.
I am cautiously optimistic that he will vote NO on cloture tomorrow, but we’ll have to see.
Also hoping some people wont vote.
“We have got to stop this ROGUE institution. The Senate has become a rogue institution that is out of touch with the USA.”
Agreed. The US senate is arguably the most ridiculous legislative body in the history of western civilization, largely thanks to the 17th ammendment!
Not sure if you all saw this, but thought you should. Guess we will have to wait and see what Pete does.
Right. The 17th Amendment has been a total failure. It created this body of patrician jerks!!
Those bolded have committed or tentatively committed to voting "No" tomorrow.
Those in italics are wavering.
Grouped By Vote Position YEAs 64
Akaka (D-HI)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Brownback (R-KS)
Burr (R-NC)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Ensign (R-NV)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
That would put the yeas down to 59 if yesterday’s nays all hold, and I don’t need to tell you that’s it’s a good thing.
wow, Michelle is a Heroe!
It’s a sham. The script has been set, everybody (quisling Repubs) gets a chance to vote NO at some point for political cover. But the bill will pass. The will of the Senate says “F” all of you.
This will go down a the spectacular suicide of a once considered conservative party. From here on out, the Republican Party has cast itself as the permanent minority party indistinguishable from the Democratic Party.
Rolling updates on Senate floor activity
4:16pm update. Behind the scenes, the vote-trading deals are ongoing. A source tells me that some senators who were promised that their amendments would be included in the Reid amendment package are now being leaned on by Kennedy and the Grand Schemers to guarantee cloture votes in return. John Ensign is one of those senators.
John Ensign (R., Nev.)
h. 202-224-6244 Fax 202-228-2193
Alternate phones:
(702) 388-6605
(775) 686-5770
(775) 885-9111
Rob Bluey finds more buyoffs embedded in the shamnesty bill in the form of pork-flavored earmark.
4:07pm update. Dodd amendment is tabled, 56-41. Reid refuses to yield for a parliamentary inquiry from Vitter.
An unnamed amendment has been withdrawn without unanimous consent. Reid says unanimous consent is not needed. Menendez-Obama-Feingold amendment to amend the point system and move it back to favoring family reunification is apparently up next. Menendez speaks about his amendment. Vitter is trying to get recognized for a parliamentary inquiry. Vitter: Will the majority leader yield? Menendez keeps speaking over themengaging in debate despite the rules laid down by Reid that have prohibited GOP opponents from debating.
Reid responds to Menendez. Moves to vote on tabling the amendment.
That won't be good because I heard her sing the national anthem and she sucked!
...and we believe him??? There are probably several caveats after this statements which didn't make the news.
The National Archives - 17th Amendment --
AMENDMENT XVII
Passed by Congress May 13, 1912. Ratified April 8, 1913.
Note: Article I, section 3, of the Constitution was modified by the 17th amendment.
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
And we see this note from the U.S. Constitution website --
17th Amendment
One of the most common critiques of the Framers is that the government that they created was, in many ways, undemocratic. There is little doubt of this, and it is so by design. The Electoral College, by which we choose our President, is one example. The appointment of judges is another. And the selection of Senators not by the people but by the state legislatures, is yet another. The Senatorial selection system eventually became fraught with problems, with consecutive state legislatures sending different Senators to Congress, forcing the Senate to work out who was the qualified candidate, or with the selection system being corrupted by bribery and corruption. In several states, the selection of Senators was left up to the people in referenda, where the legislature approved the people's choice and sent him or her to the Senate. Articles written by early 20th-century muckrakers also provided grist for the popular-election mill.
The 17th Amendment did away with all the ambiguity with a simple premise - the Senators would be chosen by the people, just as Representatives are. Of course, since the candidates now had to cater to hundreds of thousands, or millions, of people instead of just a few hundred, other issues, such as campaign finances, were introduced. The 17th is not a panacea, but it brings government closer to the people. The Amendment was passed by Congress on May 13, 1912, and was ratified on April 8, 1913 (330 days).
Again, it was approved in near record time, which somewhat indicates the problems that were there before and how the people wanted this 17th Amendment to the Constitution approved...
Also, see the Government Printing Office's (GPO) section on the 17th Amendment. There were problems in even getting the state legislatures to even get Senators approved and sent to Congress, leaving the states without representation for long periods of time. And also, because of corruption and bribery, the process was hampered. So, it appeared to the people that the original process was a very flawed process. It would seem that you would want to go back to a very flawed process that the people basically repealed back then.
Regards
Star Traveler
This certainly is worthy of becoming a thread! Where did you compile this list from?!
My sense from today’s Union Leader was that Gregg was leaning against voting for the bill.
My sense from today’s Union Leader was that Gregg was leaning against voting for the bill. Maybe no on cloture tomorrow?
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