SHAME on these Democratic Senators! The first nail on Roe v Wade is placed

[Bluebear]

Senators Baucus, Breaux, Bingaman, Cantwell, Clinton, Daschle, Dayton, Dorgan, Feinstein, Harkin, Inouye, Johnson, Landrieu, Lieberman, Lincoln, Mikulski, Miller, Murray, Nelson(FL), Pryor, Reid, Schumer, and Wyden, your Thanksgiving plans won't be spoiled now! Get out to the airport, now, your job is done! Nothing will interrupt your stuffing your face now that your spending bill went through. Oh, and don't worry about that little Weldon abortion rider. Senator Frist PROMISED Senator Boxer that the Senate will set aside AT LEAST four hours by next April to 'review' that little matter. Happy holidays!

[eleny]

1. Doesn't it make you sick?

[Bluebear]

2. Absolutely nauseated. nt

[LiviaOlivia]

54. More nausea from the WP

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A402-2004Nov20.html

Congress Agrees on Tight Budget for U.S.
$388 Billion Spending Bill Bars Officials From Requiring Abortion Services

By Dan Morgan and Helen Dewar
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, November 21, 2004

Congress reached final agreement last night on a $388 billion spending bill funding 13 government departments and dozens of domestic agencies in 2005, after last-minute objections from abortion rights advocates threatened to delay or derail the entire measure. House passage came on a vote of 344 to 51. Later in the evening, the Senate gave its approval, 65 to 30.

<snip>

The abortion language remained in the spending bill, but late yesterday, Senate opponents agreed not to block its consideration after Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) promised to schedule a vote in the near future on a bill drafted by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to repeal the provision. Adding to the chaotic finale of the proceedings on the giant bill was a last-minute fracas over another provision, apparently slipped into the bill at the last minute by a House staff aide, that would allow agents designated by the chairman of the House or Senate Appropriations Committee to look at tax returns Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) described the provision as a "terrible, egregious abuse of power," and GOP senators joined in denouncing it. To snuff out what appeared to be an incipient rebellion, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) took the floor to apologize for the provision and to promise that it would be corrected.

<snip>

Under an agreement between GOP and Democratic leaders, the Senate later approved language dropping the controversial(tax return) provision and delayed sending the bill to the president until the House follows suit next week. With spending authority for most federal agencies running out at midnight, Congress also approved stopgap legislation to keep the government running until the spending package becomes law.

<snip>

But across much of the rest of the domestic budget, the tight spending ceiling was apparent. Subsidies in the main Small Business Administration loan program were jettisoned, and the administration's request for funds to prepare a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, was slashed by $303 million. The Environmental Protection Agency suffered a cutback of $612 million and, within its accounts, federal aid to rural communities and Indian tribes for water and sewer improvements -- favorite vehicles for congressional earmarks and patronage -- was slashed by $518 million. Rep. David R. Obey (Wis.), ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, cited provisions limiting review of timber sales in Alaska, removing wilderness designations in various parts of Georgia, and extending grazing permits without requiring environmental reviews.

<snip>

---------------------------------------------------------------------


I heard overtime pay got the final nail in the coffin in this bill also. Anyone know for sure? Heaven forbid the Dems all vote no and shut the government down.

[tx_dem41]

3. You beat me to it with this post.

How do I get my duplicate post deleted?

[Bluebear]

5. You can change the title to "dupe".....

but don't bother. These names should be broadcast near and far. The list includes names I respected so much too. :(

[tx_dem41]

8. I agree! SHAME on these Democrats!

[Vickers]

4. Pardon me one moment...

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:
:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[Solitaire]

6. oh, and lets not forget the little surprise they had tucked away...

Now, they can get ANY IRS filing and publish it.

McKain had a sh*t fit about it and did not vote for the bill. McKain also noted that we are donating to a bunch of ridiculous charities, while we have no money.

Some of the charities he noted: The Norwegian something or other, A Maharachi Club (sp?), The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the list went on.

Isn't it better to spend money on those things, rather than health care?

And the donations were all upward of 500,000 (that's dollars, folks)

Feintsein was GREAT in her speech. So was the Senator from N. Dakota (forget his name).

I'm going to write to Shumer and tell him what I think, since he's my Senator and I voted for him.

:argh:

[JohnnyCougar]

22. The IRS provision will be written out

that's gone.

The best we could hope for is a seperate vote on the abortion measure. I think this was as much of a success as we can hope for.

[Ducks In A Row]

49. I don't believe the rethugs promise to do those 2 things

1) write out the IRS provision
2) separate vote on the abortion thing

Rethugs never keep their promises. I mean they're first order of business this week was to lower their ethical standards.

I know the Dems thought they were doing a good thing, all they did was play into the rethugs hands.

And believe me I will be telling Wyden that, and when the promise is broken, I will remind him and demand no more believing those liars.

We have got to stop acting as if the rethugs have ethics and morals and values.

They have none.

[Pirate Smile]

I feel so confident that the "review" will be extremely productive. I

trust the Republicans. They always play fair. <sarcasm off>

[CAcyclist]

7. Arrgggghhhh!Feinstein is practically a Republican!

How dare she?

[madfloridian]

9. Ben or Bill Nelson?

Do you know? Hope it was not Florida's Bill Nelson.

[tx_dem41]

11. Sorry to tell you...

It was Bill Nelson (D-FL)

[madfloridian]

12. Guess he has to be more conservative now with Jeb looming.

He was already pro-war. Gave in on a lot of issues. But now that it is rumored that Jeb will be running against him in 06...betcha he turns all warm and cuddly right wing now.

[AuntPatsy]

10. Don't trust McCains vote, he knew it would pass and he decidely

has his eye out for president yet, we could all be being conjoled into believing in McCain's fairness once again. Voting no on this bill had not regained my trust in him. Sorry Rove, try another tactic if he is your man to gather the rest of us up in your hungry little clutches.....

I am going to be taking a little more interest in how such laws are passed and begin demanding an accounting from those who pretend to call themselves Democrats and yet leave me with nothing more than a definate doubting Thomas syndrom....

So hard to tell these days just who is playing both sides to their own personal benefits...

[Solitaire]

15. I only vote Democrats, so it doesn't matter.

I actually used to vote for who I -thought- was the best person. Bush has cured me of that nonsense!!

I see the error of my ways. We cannot falter! We must stand together and stand firm.

:)

[tx_dem41]

16. We can do that by holding the Dems feet to the fire!

[still_one]

20. mccain is a whore, but he won't run for president,

because of his health problems

[gulfcoastliberal]

13. Mark my words. This was Reid's doing.

Can we pander any harder to the right? This is a disgrace.

[Bluebear]

14. Absolutely. He was working his "cloak room" magic

"Reaching out".

[ohioan]

17. And you know this how?

[gulfcoastliberal]

24. Reid is minority leader. Supoosedly & Durbin could have them all vote

no.

Reid is on record as being anti-choice, so the Weldon rider didn't faze him. Plus he is on record as wanting to "reach out" to the repugs and "work with them". Which is obviously impossible unless you're a sellout. Amazing how brazen the repugs are with their corruption, and amazing how we consistently fail to oppose it.

[Bluebear]

25. Reid is anti-choice, he could care less about abortion riders

And he is our "leader" now.

[ohioan]

27. So, these Senators voted this way because Reid made them?

How did the other Democratic Senators manage to escape the evil clutches of the all-powerful Harry Reid?

[tx_dem41]

30. If I'm not mistaken...

Reid is not Minority Leader until January. Am I correct?

[ohioan]

32. Correct

[gulfcoastliberal]

34. Well, he was the whip in this case

Same deal. You think it was Daschle or Reid? Either way it demonstrates quite clearly the integrity of the democratic senate leadership. The DINOS are in charge! They gave every progressive out there the big FU with this vote.

[Leilani]

36. I don't think they whipped this vote

Because votes were all over the place.

[ohioan]

46. Omnibus bills are usually not whipped. . .

They are way to complicated and difficult, containing measures that have so many different impacts upon each member, depending upon their situation at home, that Leadership rarely forces members to vote any particular way on it, letting them each do what they think they need to do.

Did it ever occur to you that these members voted the way they did BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO?

[tx_dem41]

62. Of course. That is what I believe to be true.

And that is why I am angry as hell about it.

[Yupster]

47. Is Reid the only pro-life Democratic senator?

Only one I can think of -- maybe Mary Landreiux?

Anyway, odd choice for Democratic leader.

[arcos]

59. Landrieu is pro-choice... Breaux is anti-choice...

Landrieu did vote for the partial birth abortion ban, though (IIRC)

[tx_dem41]

63. Landrieu is from Louisiana

a state with a large Catholic population. She walks a tight rope on this issue and I think has been fairly up front about it.

[CityDem]

51. I already miss Sen Daschle

He would have put up a better fight than Reid -- and that is not saying much.

[tx_dem41]

64. Well, then don't miss him for that reason

He is still Minority Leader (until January) and was the leader yesterday on the floor. Oh, and he voted for the abortion restrictions.

[tx_dem41]

18. Seven of these Senators are WOMEN!

[tx_dem41]

21. Only TWO female DEM Senators voted against the restrictions.

[ticapnews]

19. The roll call

:(
Grouped By Vote Position YEAs ---65
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Breaux (D-LA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Chafee (R-RI)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
Daschle (D-SD)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
McConnell (R-KY)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Miller (D-GA)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nickles (R-OK)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---30
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Carper (D-DE)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Edwards (D-NC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (D-FL)
Hagel (R-NE)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
McCain (R-AZ)
Nelson (D-NE)
Reed (D-RI)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stabenow (D-MI)

Not Voting - 5
Biden (D-DE)
Campbell (R-CO)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hollings (D-SC)
Lugar (R-IN)

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=2&vote=00215

We should give some credit to the few Republicans that crossed the aisle and voted against this boondoggle.
McCain, Inhofe, Sessions, Kyl, Hagel and Ensigns.
I was very disappointed in some of the other GOP senators, especially Snowe and Collins, who both signed the letter against the anti-abortion language.

And we will have to look through the 3300 page bill to see what else the GOP snuck in there when no one was looking.

[Solitaire]

23. see my post above...

They can now get your IRS filing or any corporations and publicly display it without any repercussions!

Think about this. Now they can go after anyone who donates to the Democratic party.

I'll be writing to Clinton and Schumer. I didn't know that Clinton voted for it.

What a disaster. :(

[ticapnews]

26. Political donations aren't tax deductable, are they?

So they wouldn't be on your IRS return. They can get that from the FEC. I know I am listed on there as a donor to the Democratic party.

But they will be able to track what charities you give to, how much you give and every other piece of personal info about you and post it on a website (or, more likely, add it to that database the GOP used this election to identify likely voters the way a telemarketer targets likely customers)

And God only knows what else is buried in here.

[Solitaire]

28. right :(

Writing to Schumer and Clinton, right now.

grrrrrr

[gulfcoastliberal]

31. Wow. Even disgusting Sessions had more integrity than our party leaders

That's pathetic. Things are going to go from bad to worse fast.

[fujiyama]

57. I really have to say this

but I really like my senators. Both voted against it!

[okieinpain]

29. your womb belong to christ n/t

[madrchsod]

33. well isn`t it nice to know

that the democratic party stands for nothing at all. thank god at least my senator-durbin- has the guts to vote no. the fuck`n democrats won`t let him run the party, what bunch of fuck`n losers

[JohnnyCougar]

38. There's going to be a seperate vote on that issue in April.

It's not over yet. So don't "fuck" the Democrats yet.

[Spazito]

39. Ummm, given that the repubs own the Senate as well as the House...

do you really think this will be overturned? I don't.

[JohnnyCougar]

42. Do you really think it would have been written out of this bill then?

If it's not going to pass in April, why would there be support for striking the language now? At least with a seperate vote in April, we can pin Republican moderates with being anti-choice.

[tx_dem41]

65. I see your point, BUT....

it still doesn't provide a good reason for voting for this bill TODAY. We are the opposition, who did an excellent job yesterday discovering a truly hideous provision that had been placed in the bill by the Republicans (the IRS provision). PLUS, the abortion restrictions....so WHY vote for this bill NOW?

[Spazito]

68. No, it would not have been written out of this bill...

and pinning Republican moderates with being anti-choice means squat. It has no effect and they know it. The only reason this little faux arrangement was agreed to was to make the passage more palatable for those who voted for it, imo.

[Bluebear]

40. I believe the April vote is to 'repeal' the abortion rider

As if that will go anywhere.

[JohnnyCougar]

43. It's better than nothing

And until we get more of our people into office, that's the way it's going to be.

[Leilani]

35. What is really obscene about this bill

the Senators don't know what the hell is in it.

The bill was finished in the middle of the night.

I heard someone say they didn't get a hard copy till noon.

So there's LOTS of hidden goodies for special interests, & plenty more poison provisions.

And the House Dems folded quicker & more easily.

At least some in the Senate are fighting.

[Spazito]

37. They also voted to buy the boy king his own little yacht...

according to Reuters.


"The Senate voted 65-30 for the legislation late on Saturday that sets aside funds for a range of priorities including a presidential yacht, foreign aid and energy. It is one of the final pieces of work for the 108th Congress and they may return to finish a spy agency overhaul before the end of the year."

Here's the link to the article:

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6875356

[usregimechange]

41. I am sorry, but what the hell are you talking about? What vote?

What are they doing? I've been out all day...

[Bluebear]

44. Yes, I realize now the OP wasn't specific....

Look at the "C-Span" threads for background, they approved an omnibus spending bill with all sorts of odious riders attached to it.

[zulchzulu]

45. Yay Hillary!!!!

Biotch.

[blueblitzkrieg]

48. Jeff Bingaman will be receiving a letter from this pissed off constituent.

:grr:

[angrydemocrat]

50. I watched the whole thing on............

........C-SPAN2 to and I have to admit I couldn't beleive that any demoocrat would have voted for this crap. Some of the things in the bill were.....

1)after school programs - cut
2)No child left behind teacher quality (upgrading) - cut
3)Vocational Education - cut
4)28% Education Technology - cut
5)Service Corps - cut
6)Bioterrism - cut
7)Funding for Headstsrt - cut
8)Funding for Special ed Education - cut
9)Provided funds for Rock-n-Roll hall of fame
10)Provided funds to research fertalizer
11)Provided funds to reseach for salmon in baby food

That is just part of it. I couldn't write it all down when I was watching and taking notes. Regardless I still cant beleive any democrat would vote for this crap! I can say this both Kerry and Edwards voted NO!

[LittleClarkie]

52. Them's our boyz

I'm sorry, but my opinion of Hillary just went down another notch.

[gulfcoastliberal]

61. Hillary is a big dissapointment

WTF was she thinking, voting yes on this pile of shit? She is big-time DLC, maybe she should just go ahead and switch partys. :wtf:

[judaspriestess]

53. aren't the dems going to filibuster?? or is it too late? n/t

[Bluebear]

55. Too late, the above voted yes on the bill, which passed. n/t

[Piperay]

56. Give em enough rope

and let them hang themselves. x(

[mtnester]

58. I watched in Horror...then went straight to bed to hide from the

futility of my vote, my constitution, and my country.

THAT sealed the deal for me on Hillary...she will NOT get my vote.

AND, all the other female senators who voted on it...thanks alot for screwing the rest of your gender.

Shame, shame, shame. Now the lawyers can argue to SCOTUS "look at all the female DEMOCRAT Senators who support overturning Roe v Wade...on November 20, they voted yeas to..."

[Solitaire]

60. we ALL need to write to our Senators...

I've written to Clinton and Schumber and I even wrote to Feinstein, because I saw her so eloquently speak out /against/ this bill and then she voted for it!

[WI_DEM]

66. in my view Hillary has been a disappointment in the Senate

too often she doesn't fight for the good cause but tries to find "concensus" sometimes you have to fight.

[FubarFly]

67. I agree.

I was very excited when Hillary was elected.

I can't believe the way she has been voting on some of these bills.

Progressive woman have always been among her strongest advocates.

I wonder if she realizes how much damage crap like this does to her reputation?

[The Straight Story]

69. I don't think she cares, and maybe she shouldn't

The problem with both parties - if Hillary ran in 2008 and was the nominee, people here would vote for her no matter what because she has a D after her name. During the months leading up to election we could not speak out about her because that would be attacking the party and hurting our chances. Right-wing does the same. We settle for whoever is not the other party's candidate and won't vote for a 3rd party out of fear.

She could sign legislation making abortion a crime and people would still get behind her and say, yeah but she's not x/y/z.

This is not to bitch about people here, it is more pointing out that we have become a 2 party system - partially because we (on both sides) fear losing. Both sides spread fear of what a loss means and so they put up with substandard candidates. I can envision 4 parties, the moderate wing of each and the more hard core wing of each side. Most likely over time the moderate wings from both would merge and win out, which would probably leave somewhat like we are now but with 3 parties.

Maybe most americans are moderates and don't like extremes one way or the other for fear of rocking the boat and too many changes at once. My guess is that whoever we run in 2008 will win as people see the extremism the right will move to - so it will be a good time for us to run a more progressive candidate, which I don't see hillary being myself.The people can be fickle, think about how things have been since 80 - reagan/bush, reagan/bush, bush, clinton, clinton, bush, bush, and in 2008 maybe another clinton? It is time to look to a new future with new people.

In 25 years we have had Bush's in the WH in some fashion for all but 8. time for a complete name change there.