Only two out of 100 Senators did not show up to vote on FISA...

[rateyes]

(And, BTW, why didn't Dodd filibuster this?)

Anyone know who the two who didn't show were? One was Senator Clinton. I guess she didn't think the issue was important enough for her to be present to vote.

Who was the other one? In effect, those who didn't show ended up helping immunity pass.

Every Democrat who voted for telecom immunity should be ashamed of him/herself. Every one of them.

[Lucinda]

1. They lost by 36 votes. It was not going to pass regardless.

[DUyellow]

3. i do not agree with that, leaders should be there.

[lapfog_1]

11. Not voting is BETTER than voting "present"????

Because it was going to pass anyway?

Pardon me while I :puke:

[Windy]

12. Jesus Christ, she's running for president! she made a point of flying in for Kyl/Lieberman to vote

to HELP bush!!! She made it a point to vote FOR the IWR...

Seems she can't show up to vote to protect our constitutional rights!

She has no business being the democratic nominee!

[Yael]

47. That pretty much summed up my reaction too

:grr:

[cottonseed]

19. If she's that quick to blow off a losing proposition -

- you can kiss her campaign goodbye. I just don't see how you can't make this vote if you give a flying pecan about progressives.

[AngryOldDem]

25. So what?

That's akin to saying, "Well, so-and-so is going to win the election, so I just won't bother to vote."

You vote. Regardless.

Doubly true of an elected official who is aspiring to be president. Her silence on this vote -- I don't give a fuck what her reasons for missing it are -- is telling.

Why should HRC get a pass here? Would any other Dem, if they had missed the vote?

ON EDIT: Whether this vote failed by 9 votes or 90, her "nay" would have been added as one more Democrat on the record as opposing this legislation. No small signficance in that, either.

[Mass]

They lost by 9 votes. All they had to do was to get less that 60 votes YES to the cloture motion.

They got 69.

Democrats votin AYE
Grouped By Vote Position
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Conrad (D-ND)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)

[OzarkDem]

34. Don't confuse them with facts

They're not accustomed to rational thinking. :eyes:

[lame54]

2. It's wrong if she didn't show up but...

It's worse for any Dem who did & voted FOR it
What the hell is wrong with these people?

[Hobarticus]

4. Was hers the vote that lost it?

[atreides1]

7. That's not the Point

The point is that she wasn't interested enough to show up and vote!

[Hobarticus]

13. Kinda like Obama didn't vote for CHIP?

Everyone's got priorities, I guess.

[shaniqua6392]

8. Not even close.

It would be a losing bill anyway. It was lost by a wide margin and a lot of Dems voted NO on it. We should spend more time getting to the reasons why they voted NO rather than bash Clinton for a missed vote.

[Hobarticus]

15. Zactly. Crisis over, thanks. eom

[papau]

5. Obama was in DC for the DC primary - an easy cab ride

[babylonsister]

10. But he was 'there' and 'voted'. What's your point? Your candidate shirked

her responsibility. Not cool.

[Hobarticus]

24. Obama missed four votes this fall for families, including 2 for CHIP

Please, spare us.

11/07/2007 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies NV
11/01/2007 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) NV
10/23/2007 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies NV
09/27/2007 State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization NV

[babylonsister]

27. He's missed votes that pissed me off, make no mistake there. But

he was there today, she wasn't and I can't think of one good reason why.

[Hobarticus]

38. If Obama had done the same, can't say I'd blame him

The bill failed by 30-some votes. She likely knew that and stayed on the road.

[Cant trust em]

6. The other one was our good friend

Lindsay Graham. :sarcasm:

[rateyes]

23. Thanks for the info. nt

[TexasObserver]

9. Maybe Blackwater's check cleared.

I can't imagine any other reason a senator would fail to show up.

[Windy]

14. Also shows bad campaign strategy on Clinton's part! This will be discussed on progressive talk radio

and in the media!

Her poor judgment knows no bounds!!!!!

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

20. Exactly.

With all the focus the presidential candidates are getting right now, I don't understand why she would miss this vote? At best it makes her look disinterested, and at worst it looks like she's a sellout to the telecom industry.

Frankly I'm more shocked by this huge campaign faux pas than anything else.

[davidwparker]

16. This is what we get when we decided I'm voting for 'A' because 'B' isn't

electable. My primary vote today for Obama is because I don't want the NAFTA-signer back in the WH. After that, I'm done until the GE.

Both should have been there. Dodd should have filibustered. We have sellouts in the Democratic party and they must be purged.

But, wait, the sellouts are the only ones who are deemed electable. I guess we get what we pay for.

[rateyes]

26. Good post.

[MethuenProgressive]

17. THIS IS HUGHER THEN THE KYL/LIEBERMANN VOTE!!!!1!!

That Obama skipped town on.

[rateyes]

29. He shouldn't have done that.

And, she shouldn't have voted for it.

[Benhurst]

18. I don't like it when they don't show up on such votes. But, to be fair,

it only really matters if it is reasonably close. This vote wasn't -- and why in the hell wasn't it?

So much for our having taken control of the House and Senate. How large do our majorities have to be for us to win and not have our positions undermined by people from our own party?

The wrong votes are far more discouraging for me than the no shows.

:argh:

[DUyellow]

21. but thats the problem, Clinton and Obama both said they would filibuster, they have all this medi..

They have all this media, they could have put pressure on other members of congress. The both didn't do that, this kind of bothers me, but not even showing up.... that's bad

[rateyes]

31. I agree.

I condemn all who did not vote to strip telecom immunity from the FISA bill. All of them.

[EffieBlack]

22. I don't want them to stop campaigning to rush back to cast a vote that won't make a difference to

the outcome. I want them out there working their tails off to ensure that next year, NO ONE has to cast these kinds of votes.

Big picture.

[Mass]

28. Dodd did filibuster - But the cloture motion passed

19 Democrats voted for it.

BTW, while Glinton should have shown up, her vote did have the same effect as a NO vote during the filibuster.

Those dems who are to blame are those who voted yes to the cloture motion.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00019

[Benhurst]

33. Exactly. And I would hope both Clinton and Obama would have joined in on

the filibuster had taken place. Wouldn't that have been a show!

[rateyes]

35. Dodd agreed to a Unanimous Consent request

that allowed the cloture vote to take place. He, in effect, traded his filibuster rights for a smaller vote to pass his amendment (that he knew wouldn't pass).

[Mass]

39. Well, he could have asked for a cloture to the motion to Proceed

that would have passed also, then to a motion to proceed that would have passed also.

However, if you are thinking of a Mr Smith Goes to Washington type of filibuster, it does not exist anymore.

[Mira]

30. I must reserve judgment for a ...hold my breath...minute

BECAUSE on the campaign trail there will be ample opportunity for her to EXPLAIN this one.

I cannot imagine that at this point she could be far enough away
or sick enough physically
or disinterested or
-dare I say it- dumb enough mentally
to not have shown up for this one.

I can't fathom the reason.
Did this really happen?

[kirby]

32. Lindsey Graham

Probably out campaigning for McCain.

[4themind]

43. Maybe in his place because...

even McCANT showed up

[mmonk]

49. No doubt.

[mckeown1128]

36. I am no fan of Hillary but I have to defend her on this...

Her vote wasn't going to make the difference in the results so it is ok that she missed it. If the vote were closer than it would be a big deal.

[Hutzpa]

37. She stills needs to be there...period

don't try and feed us this Bullshit as if you care.

I am no fan of Hillary but I have to defend her on this...

What a load of booloney.


:wtf:

[Hobarticus]

41. I'd like a helping of baloney, please...

Let's hear why Obama missed two votes on CHIP, this fall.

[nonconformist]

51. She should have voted.

And Obama should have voted in the SCHIP and K/L votes.

Nobody comes out smelling like roses on this one.

[sampsonblk]

44. She should have been in DC gathering votes to stop this madness

Hard to claim to be a great leader and let this responsibility slip by.

[Hobarticus]

45. You mean, like CHIP slipped by Obama?

[mmonk]

50. CHIP can be brought up again. Corporate help in breaking

the law in an government conspiracy against the people and going against the constitution can't.

[ieoeja]

46. Agreed. Her vote would not have meant anything anyway. Non-issue. n/t

[Hutzpa]

40. Heres the list of unfaithful Dems

surprise to see McCaskill and Webb on the list.


Jay Rockefeller (D-WV),
Evan Bayh (D-IN),
Daniel Inouye (D-HI),
Tim Johnson (D-SD),
Herb Kohl (D-WI),
Mary Landrieu (D-LA),
Claire McCaskill (D-MO),
Mark Pryor (D-AR),
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR),
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA),
Ken Salazar (D-CO),
Tom Carper (D-DE),
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD),
Jim Webb (D-VA),
Ben Nelson (D-NE),
Bill Nelson (D-FL),
Kent Conrad (D-ND),
and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

I'll get the full list later.

[Mira]

42. I am so throwing up - WHAT IN THE HELL is wrong with these people ?

[Hutzpa]

48. When are the fools up

for re-election? About time to start looking for replacements, cause these
ones are under performing.