House GOP Practices Art of One-Vote Victories

[kskiska]

Tuesday, October 14, 2003; Page A01

The recent House roll call on a bill to provide school vouchers to D.C. parents had lasted more than 30 minutes, but the Republican sponsors were still one vote shy of victory. At the back of the chamber, Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.), Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) and other GOP leaders surrounded Rep. Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.), who had opposed the measure the week before.

Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.) took to the microphone. "Is anyone from the office of the attending physician present?" he deadpanned. "I understand someone's arm is being broken."

Fletcher finally relented, giving his party's leaders the vote they needed for the contentious bill, even if it meant he later would have to explain why he switched positions. Dramatic as the scene was, it was hardly the first time that House leaders have pushed an important measure they knew would pass by a whisker -- if at all.

Bringing legislation to the floor with only the narrowest prospect for victory has become a hallmark of the leadership of Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.). Time and again, on high-profile bills involving Medicare, education and other programs, Hastert and his lieutenants have calibrated the likely yeas and nays to the thinnest margin possible, enabling them to push legislation as much to their liking as they can in a narrowly divided and bitterly partisan House.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21410-2003Oct13.html

[arcane1]

1. it's only a matter of time..

before our Congress becomes a mosh pit like we see in many other countries :grr:

[Code_Name_D]

2. I wish.

But the dems seem to like the abuse. The DLC dems any way.

[trogdor]

3. The 'leadership' of Speaker J. Dennis Hastert?

Come on now. We all know Tom DeLay runs the House of Representatives, and Denny Hastert is just a puppet.

Anyhoo, this is how moderate Republicans are done in the House. Ours is no different. They are allowed to vote against the party on stuff that will go the GOP way, so they can tell their constituents they vote their consciences, when smarter people know better.

I should take certain people fairly high on the local Dem. party food chain (or so they say) up on the offer on their endorsement of my running for Congress. It'd be fun, and kicking ASS is better than sitting on one.

[onehandle]

4. Thugs. nt

[Mel]

5. this is yet another example of why

I believe C-Spans House of Reps. ought to be required watching and free for all not just if you have cable, internet, or dish.
We have 24/7 cable news and they can't take a few minutes out of what happens on the floor? They know better and there corporate masters won't allow it.
If they did more people in this country would be livid and fight to get the thugs out of there!

Pukes would not retain their seats, I'd bet on it!
Come on Corporatist News Networks, I dare you to prove me wrong!!

[UpInArms]

6. this behavior is disgusting

and should be revealed so that it may be reviled.

:mad:

[chiburb]

7. They also do this...

If they have more than enough votes to pass whatever spew is on the table, some of the Pukes are "free" to break off and vote no. This way they can point to their "independence" when running for reelection. They can say, "see: I voted my conscience instead of the party". Of course the handlers know the truth, only the sheeple are fooled...

[alfredo]

8. Ernie Fletcher is running for Ky governor. Most likely they

tied support for his bid to his vote. Mitch McConnell has thrown a lot of money into Fletcher's campaign. No doubt they reminded him of the help the 'family' has given him.