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GOP Bid to Block Amendments on Surveillance Bill Fails
The fight goes on.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) cloture vote failed 48-45 just now, well short of the 60 votes necessary.
In the end, four Dems crossed over to vote with the Republicans: Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA). Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) was the lone Republican to vote with the Dems.
Now we're on to the question of whether an extension will be passed. We'll have more on that in a moment.
Update: Here's the official tally.
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Josh
Zachary
Hey, Specter actually came through.
Good for him.
And now that he's demonstrated his backbone, we can probably expect a return to the talking one way and voting another way behavior we've grown to know and loathe over the eyars....
January 28, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Beside McCain, who else failed to vote at all?
January 28, 2008 5:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did it seem to you that Landrieu initially voted 'no' then changed to 'aye'?
January 28, 2008 5:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow! Obama finally showed up for an important vote and actually voted something other than "present."
Good for him.
Now, where's that consensus bipartisan legislation to bring the troops home that he has emphatically stated he can produce due to his belief in hope, desire for change, and ability to forge a consensus with anyone at anytime on any issue?
January 28, 2008 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're right Bruce- I think she switched her vote. At least thats what I saw...
January 28, 2008 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes I heard Landrieu change her vote.
January 28, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, Landrieu did flip her vote after it was clear that the republicans weren't going to get their 60 votes.
January 28, 2008 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm surprised and pleased that Salazar did the right thing here.
January 28, 2008 5:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone got a link to the actual roll call on this one?
Want to see how Gordon Smith voted.
January 28, 2008 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
YAY! Good news on Monday is always welcome, no matter how small it is.
January 28, 2008 5:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm with CT Voter, but since Arlen's one of my senators, maybe all those emails helped keep him honest this time.
Where are you watching this? Just went to C-Span's website and they're running Davos stuff and other filler on the channel that's supposed to be the Senate.
January 28, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ya'll really ought to provide the yeas and nays for all those voting on these kinds of stories. It would really be nice.
January 28, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
So the extension cloture vote also failed... now what?
The current (i.e. "new") FISA law will expire Friday and revert to the old FISA law.
Does that hand the GOP their talking point?
January 28, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/a_three_sections_with_teasers/votes.htm
January 28, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
The current (i.e. "new") FISA law will expire Friday and revert to the old FISA law.
You mean the perfectly acceptable, constitutional, and legal means to get a warrant after the fact that has pretty much never been denied?
How does this hurt our security?
Oh, there's oversight... I see.
January 28, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
On the theory that it is just as important to reward good behavior as to punish bad, I would encourage the readers here to contact Sen. Specter and thank him for breaking ranks with his party to do the right thing.
January 28, 2008 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is good news - and except for the few DINO's the Dems made a good show of solidarity.
January 28, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now we're on to the question of whether an extension will be passed. We'll have more on that in a moment.
Can you explain the following comment on Glenn Greenwald's site?
The vote on the Motion for Cloture on the 30-day extension (i.e., to proceed to a vote on it) just failed... Thus, at least as of today, there will be no 30-day extension of the PAA and it will expire on Friday.
Reid, however, indicated that it was certain that the House will vote in favor of an extension tomorrow,
Does Glenn have some information you guys don't and the Senate has indeed passed up on the chance for an extension? Or did he just get confused watching CSPAN?
January 28, 2008 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
...uh... paragraphs one, three, and four in that last post were meant to have been quotes, but apparently I fail at HTML.
January 28, 2008 6:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Spector voted 'nay' not in objection to the bill but because the fellow RePubs would not allow his and Whitehouse's amendment to be voted on AND becuase the 'powers that be' ruled it as 'not germane',which it obviously was.
January 28, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
re: Specter Vote
Yeah but he so seldom does the right thing, that even for the wrong reason it's an improvemnet.
January 28, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fine, pass the extension, let jr veto it, and then let it lie, never to see the light of day again. As a campaign issue, the Democrats were willing to continue the abuse of the Fourth Amendment; but Bush and the Republicans refused.
Who are the heroes?
January 28, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Way to go everyone on getting out and calling senators! I called mine twice and he....
didn't vote. Way to go Bill Nelson.
January 28, 2008 6:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice work Demos. That strange lump you may suddenly feel between your legs is called "balls".
January 28, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's About Time they grew some BALLS!
Now lets get to Work & Use Your Newly Found BALLS!
January 29, 2008 9:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
When I read Specter's name I fell off my chair. That has to be the first time in recent memory that he's actually backed up his rhetoric with a vote!!
January 29, 2008 10:21 AM | Reply | Permalink