Man, the Senate must be lost in the Quorum Triangle.

[Skidmore]

There better be some heavy duty slugfest going on the cloakroom over this tax cut monstrosity that they want to extend. Nothing but the rustling of paper by clerks in an empty chamber.

[debbierlus]

1. Why - what's going on?

[Skidmore]

2. Deafening silence.

Item on the table is extension of *'s tax cuts.

[bluedog]

3. last I seen

Harry Reid was speaking and talking about another bush request asking for more money for the War In Iraq.........Reid said something to the effect.thats why the American people don't know how much is being spent....bush budget is up now......and then He (reid) finds out from a news reporter that bush is asking for more money after they pass this .......he was totally disgusted and called for the Quorum


This is what was pissing Reid off................

Bush to request $70B more for war funding

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The White House has told Congress to expect requests for about $70 billion in additional funding for the ongoing budget year for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and $18 billion more for hurricane relief, a Senate GOP aide says.

The details of the requests are not finalized but President Bush's budget for 2007, to be submitted next week, will reflect the totals for planning purposes, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Another $2.3 billion to combat avian flu is also expected.

[debbierlus]

6. What is a quorom? What happens?

[Skidmore]

7. It is a little break that they take so they can go back to

negotiate or beat each other up in the cloakrooms. This one has been going on for a while.

[debbierlus]

8. So, it is a behind the scenes conference type deal?

[Skidmore]

10. Yeah, it usually occurs when there are not enough votes to

pass something or when one party has the goods on another. Gives them time to figure out how everyone can come out smelling less like doodoo and more like roses.

[LittleClarkie]

16. Well, actually, it's what the Senate does between speeches

It's their default setting, as it were.

[dogday]

4. But yet they were rushing Alito's nomination

so they could get back to all this business of the Senate? At least that is what Frist was saying about 100 times.....

[Skidmore]

5. That's over with. Right now they are huddled in a back room

trying to get this extension put forward. Why is it not a slam dunk? They have the majority? Or do they? Something is happening.

[joanski0]

11. As near as I can figure out, the Dems

are trying to get at least 21 amendments added. Frist doesn't want them to. One of the amendments they want to stonewall is Hillary's amendment asking for an Independent Commission to investigate Katrina. The Repukes definitely don't want that. So the Repukes are going to try to have amendments of their own which cuts all sorts of taxes out of sight. The debt will spiral beyond belief. Both Bacus, who is the manager of the fill, and Harry Reid and totally disgusted. So is Kent Conrad. Bacus wants to compromise on only 3 Repuke amendments and 3 Dem amendments. Harry Reid is so provoked that he just said let's vote on them all.

The only solution I see if for the Dems to walk out and SHUT IT DOWN. Although, that's not really a solution.

[Sapphire Blue]

9. Voinovich says extending Bush tax cuts ’immoral’

A defector?

Voinovich says extending Bush tax cuts ’immoral’
By Jack Torry
The Columbus Dispatch
Thursday, February 2, 2006 2:07 AM

WASHINGTON -- Extending tax cuts that President Bush wants to make permanent would place an immoral burden on future generations of Americans, a defiant Sen. George V. Voinovich of Ohio warned yesterday.

"It's time to put the tax-cut medicine back on the shelf," he said, pointing out that the federal government is spending billions to stabilize Iraq, protect the country against terrorism and rebuild the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast.

(snip)

Senate Republican leaders want to move the bill into a conference committee, where it could be combined in some fashion with a House version approved last year. The White House and conservative Republicans back the House bill because it would extend through 2010 lower federal taxes on corporate dividends and capital gains, the latter being the profit from the sale of stock and real estate.

(snip)

After supporting Bush's tax cuts in the president's first term, Voinovich in the past year expressed deep misgivings about the growing federal deficit. Critics suggested that Voinovich's shift occurred after the 2004 elections when the Republicans increased their Senate majority to 55 and no longer needed Voinovich's vote to pass future tax cuts.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=163571

[joanski0]

12. They were supposed to start the voting

on the amendments at 2:15 today. It's after 4:00 now. They are really having a battle. What a freaking mess!

[Skidmore]

13. Still nothing happening.

[bluedog]

14. wonder if something big is about to happen

hope they shut the damn place down....or don't vote at all on any of this shit

[joanski0]

15. There were a number of Senators gathering

on the floor a bit ago, but it looks like they moved away now. I saw Sen. Kennedy earlier.

Please shut it down, Please shut it down. Earlier, Harry Reid said he hoped that the American people were watching this to see what the Repugs are doing to the American economy. He also said that if the Repugs get their way on this, then they can do anything they want.