Comments on: Auto Bill Fails In Senate, 52-35 — Say Good Night, Gracie

By: EndTheEcho

EndTheEcho — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:34:53 +0000

I went looking at the Senate Roll Call Vote, before reading this article. I see the failed vote for cloture from yesterday, same one that is linked here as 52-35.

When I go to that, and it is the only Senate vote listed from yesterday or today, it is specifically for the relief of the Alternative Minimum Tax. Looking at the text of the legislation in Thomas, the bill is super short, and there is nothing I see about auto industry in there.

So either Senate Roll Call links/cites the wrong legislation voted upon, or the vote isn’t up yet. From what I can see this isn’t the vote.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am going to take this Roll Call Vote to point out that Senator (hopefully not for long) Norm Coleman just voted for a huge tax increase. That is the logic that Republicans use all the time, and it is time we turned it around on them.

By: Jane Hamsher

Jane Hamsher — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:32:18 +0000

Reid’s “nay” vote was something he has to do so he can bring it up again, a formality.

By: Jane Hamsher

Jane Hamsher — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:31:28 +0000

He did force them to filibuster, Hugh.

That thing where they make them stand on the floor and talk all night — doesn’t happen any more. Rules changed decades ago.

By: Primrose

Primrose — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:09:42 +0000

Interesting: When I followed the “52-35″ link above it shows that Harry Reid voted against it!

Reid (D-NV), Nay – #53
Kennedy – didn’t vote – #54
Biden – didn’t vote – #55
John Kerry – didn’t vote – #56
Chuch Hagel – didn’t vote – #57
Wyden – didn’t vote – #58

Two more votes (Baucus and Lincoln) or from the non-voters or a little arm-twisting by BushCo and it might have been a done-deal.

By: kyeo

kyeo — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:12:12 +0000

I don’t get the cloture thing. Doesn’t Reid have to call for a physical filibuster from the Republicans to keep this from being a dead bill?

By: Smokey

Smokey — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 06:34:14 +0000

WTF is up with Tester?

By: gtomkins

gtomkins — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:08:48 +0000

Why didn’t the 52 yea votes go nuclear?

It takes 60 votes to override a filibuster, but only 51 to get rid of the filibuster, either for one particular measure, or in general.

Why are we going to let 35 idiots bring down the economy? So we will be able to look down from the moral high ground, and blame them later for the disaster that ensues? Wouldn’t it be a lot better, and, you know, what the electorate entrusted the Dems with the majority for in 2006, to actually use the power so entrusted to prevent the bad things from happening, traditions of the Senate be damned?

By: Hugh

Hugh — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:08:04 +0000

I’m sorry, Jane, but that all seems like kabuki to me. If unionized workers can only expect what non-unionized workers have, what is the point of having a union? The difference between Republicans and Democrats seems primarily how quickly that was to happen. That doesn’t look like standing up for unions as far as I can see. And look to at Harry Reid. This is not the first time he has given a speech decrying something he essentially let the Republicans get away with. Why didn’t he force the Republicans right now to begin a filibuster and promise them they would have to continue until hell froze over or they saw reason? Because it was kabuki. And more, I think it is the very opposite of leadership that he is willing to let the country slide into depression just to show the Republicans how shortsighted they were.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:01:06 +0000

fuck the economy

i wanna see headlines like the old ‘ford to nyc: drop dead’ but with ‘rep senators to economy: drop dead’

By: CWake

CWake — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:58:07 +0000

I guess the salary of a Senator, and the perks, is enough protective insulation for what is now going to become a full blown economic depression.