Senate now in unusual Saturday session to vote on test tax cut votes. Reid speaking about DADT now.

[flpoljunkie]

C-Span2

[flpoljunkie]

1. Online link.

http://www.cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN2.aspx

[Change Happens]

2. What time is the vote? is it it one vote or more?

Will they vote on DADT too?

[flpoljunkie]

4. I think I read about 10:30AM.

[BzaDem]

3. What did he say about DADT? n/t

[flpoljunkie]

5. As John McCain has now threatened to block the entire defense appropriate bill if DADT is included,

Reid was speaking about the need to pass both the defense bill and DADT in the lame duck. Reid was almost finished when I changed the channel to C-Span2.

[babylonsister]

7. What a POS he really is. Ugh. nt

[Clio the Leo]

9. Good to hear coming from him...

.... as he appears to be the key in getting this thing to the floor.

[flpoljunkie]

6. Go, Bernie! Senator Sanders is a national treasure!

[flpoljunkie]

8. Now, the despicable Jon Kyl is trying to pit Dems against President Obama whom they met with to

'negotiate this in a bipartisan spirit.' The loathsome Kyl says the reason this can't get done is because of us--the base. 'The president asked us to discuss this in a bipartisan way. The Republicans have been willing to do that.'

It's clear we have to go through this 'political process' before we (the Congressional negotiators and President Obama's people) can sit down and negotiate and get this done.

[flpoljunkie]

10. Senator Schumer is now speaking. He's the author of the $1million threshold bill.

It will be interesting to see how many Dems vote for the $250K threshold and not the $1 million threshold. C-Span's Morning Journal reported today that President Obama did not support the #1 million threshold--altho he is reported to support a two-year extension in exchange for a one-year unemployment benefits extension and is hoping to extend the Make Work Pay Tax Credit among other items.

This might well be an acceptable deal, but I think it is important to put the Senate on record--both Republicans and so-called moderate Democrats. Some think both unemployment benefits and START could pass on their own-- a debatable prospect.

[flpoljunkie]

11. Now Grassley is trying to say it's not true when you increase taxes the deficit goes down!

Up is down for Republicans. To them, tax cuts don't have to be paid for, and don't add to the deficit. You see for these lackeys for millionaires and billionaires, deficits don't matter when it comes to tax cuts--only when it comes to unemployment benefits.

[flpoljunkie]

12. More on what's included in H.R. 4853, the House passed bill

The Democratic amendments (mounted on H.R. 4853, a shell bill as all spending must originate in the House) would make permanent the tax cuts on incomes up to $250,000 or those on incomes up to $1 million. They are also tied to an extension of unemployment benefits, alternative minimum tax relief, an estate tax fix, a repeal of the 1099 provision in the health care reform bill and other tax-related items.

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/12/03/sock-puppet-theater-act-ii/

[flpoljunkie]

13. Baucus just encouraged Senators to vote for cloture for both amendments.

[flpoljunkie]

14. Senators now voting on Baucus amendment--the $250,000 threshold for joint filers.

Nelson, Feingold and one other Dem voted no, that I heard, so far.

[a kennedy]

17. don't understand the no vote from feingold???

[flpoljunkie]

18. I think he might be for letting them all expire since we can't afford to add $4T to the deficit.

[flpoljunkie]

15. As, expected all Republicans voting no. Will be the same for the $1 mil threshold, I expect.

[flpoljunkie]

16. Lieberman votes no with the Republicans.

[flpoljunkie]

19. Blanche Lincoln votes yes.

[flpoljunkie]

20. Cloture fails by a vote of 53 Yeas and 36 Nos. Sixty votes are required.

Only 89 senators voting.

[flpoljunkie]

21. Senate now voting on Schumer's $1million threshold.

[flpoljunkie]

22. So far, Feingold and Rockefeller vote no on Schumer amendment.

Ben Nelson of Nebraska voted Aye.

[a kennedy]

23. Harkin of Iowa voted no......

[flpoljunkie]

25. Harkin thinks $250,000 ought to be the threshold.

[a kennedy]

31. thanks.

:blush: my mistake.

[flpoljunkie]

24. Cloture on Schumer amendment fails with 53 Ayes and 37 Nos.

[flpoljunkie]

26. McConnell now up beating the 'job creators' lie. More jobs created this year than entire Bush term!

You lie, Mitch McConnell!

[a kennedy]

27. I just can not stomach this POS now talking......mcconnell

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: edit to correct mistake of he won't be leader..... sorry.

[flpoljunkie]

30. He remains the minority leader, altho the R's are acting like they won the Senate already.

[a kennedy]

32. d*mn, I must not have had enough coffee this morning....

again, sorry for my mistake.

[flpoljunkie]

33. An understandable mistake as McConnell is acting like he's the Majority Leader

[flpoljunkie]

28. Mary Landrieu asks McConnell if he regrets saying his #1 goal is to defeat the president.

Way to go, Landrieu! She notes Mitch ran off the floor to avoid answering this question.

[Clio the Leo]

29. Landreau ripping McConnell a new one on the Senate floor...

"want to know if the Minority leader, after having been in days of good faith negotiations with the President, regrets saying, on NATIONAL TELEVISION, that his number one goal is to destroy him? But since he's LEFT the chamber, I dont suppose he's willing to give an answer!"

Sigh .... it's hard to stay mad at these Blue Dogs for long.

[a kennedy]

34. when watching the senate in action.....I always feel kinda sorry

for Al Franken, he is usually just walking around and looking almost lost.....not to many other senators talk to him.... then there's miss "senate fly" Ms. Klobuchar, she is almost like a busy body.... :rofl:

[flpoljunkie]

35. Link to roll call vote on $250,000 threshold.

Feingold, Lieberman, Manchin, Ben Nelson and Webb voted No.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00258

[flpoljunkie]

36. Roll call vote on Schumer's amendment with $1 million threshold

Voting No were Durbin, Feingold, Harkin, Lieberman and Rockefeller. Lieberman holding out for tax cut extension for millionaires and billionaires.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00259