Democrats See Strength in Bucking Bush

[babylonsister]

I am only the messenger. ;-)

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/29/us/politics/29assess.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 — The Democratic vote in the Senate on Thursday against legislation governing the treatment of terrorism suspects showed that party leaders believe that President Bush’s power to wield national security as a political issue is seriously diminished.

The most vivid example of the Democratic assessment came from the party’s many presidential hopefuls in the Senate. All of them voted against the bill, apparently calculating that Mr. Bush’s handling of Iraq has undercut the traditional Republican strength on national security and will insulate them from what are certain to be strong attacks from Republicans not only this year but also in 2008.

Democratic opponents of the legislation said their political position was driven by a substantive determination that the bill, which creates rules for interrogating and trying terrorism suspects, is fundamentally flawed and a dangerous departure from founding American principles.

“The only reason to worry about the politics of it is if you don’t understand it and don’t have the guts to stand up and defend your vote,” said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, who is considering a presidential race.

Over all, 32 Democrats voted against the measure while 12, including some of those in the most difficult re-election fights, backed it. Among the latter was Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, whose perceived support for Mr. Bush has brought him political trouble at home.

It was a stark change from four years ago, when Mr. Bush cornered Democrats into another defining pre-election vote on security issues — that one to give the president the authority to launch an attack against Iraq. At the time, many Democrats felt they had little choice politically but to side with Mr. Bush, and a majority of Senate Democrats backed him.

more...

[Botany]

1. Compare those who voted for Torture & those not blocking Alito

* means yes on torture and no on Filibuster of Alito shame


Carper (D-DE) *

Johnson (D-SD) *

Landrieu (D-LA) *
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Lieberman (D-CT) *


Menendez (D-NJ)

Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE) *
Pryor (D-AR)

Rockefeller (D-WV) *
Salazar (D-CO) *

Stabenow (D-MI)


AR Blanche Lincoln
355 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington Dc 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2004.

• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

AR Mark Pryor
257 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 2002
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008

CO Ken Salazar
702 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 2004
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

CT Joe Lieberman
706 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1988; re-elected: 1994, 2000
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

DE Tom Carper
513 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 2000
elected Governor: 1992; re-elected: 1996]
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

FL Bill Nelson
716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 2000

• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

HI Daniel Akaka
141 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• Appointed by Governor John Waihee (Democrat) 16 May 1990, to fill vacancy caused by the death of Senator Spark M. Matsunaga (Democrat): 15 April 1990; elected to finish out the term in a Special Election: 1990; elected to full term: 1994; re-elected 2000

• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

HI Daniel Inouye
722 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1962; re-elected: 1968, 1974, 1980, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2004.

• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

LA Mary Landrieu
724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1996; re-elected: 2002
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008

MT Max Baucus
511 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1978; re-elected: 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008

ND Byron Dorgan
322 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1992; was induced to take the oath of office: 5 December 1992 when the seat became vacant upon outgoing Senator Kent Conrad (Democrat) having taken the oath of office for the "Class 1" seat from the state; re-elected: 1998, 2004.
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

ND Kent Conrad
530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected to the "Class 3" seat from the state: 1986; was not a candidate for re-election in the 3 November 1992 General Election; Elected to finish out the "Class 1" term in a Special Election: 4 December 1992 ; elected to a full term: 1994, 2000
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

NE Ben Nelson
720 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 2000
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

NM Jeff Bingaman
703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1982; re-elected: 1988, 1994, 2000
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

SD Tim Johnson
136 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1996; re-elected: 2002
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008

WA Maria Cantwell
717 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 2000
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

WI Herb Kohl
330 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1988; re-elected: 1994, 2000
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

WV Jay Rockefeller
531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996, 2002
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008

WV Robert Byrd
311 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
FAX: [phone]
• First elected: 1958; re-elected: 1964, 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000
• Seat up for election: Tuesday 7 November 2006

BTW Chafee (R-RI) :applause:

[dipsydoodle]

2. "founding American principles"

which have now foundered - I guess for all time. x(

[cal04]

3. Congressman Conyers mentions this on his blog

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000558.htm#comments
:hi:

[babylonsister]

4. That's where I found it!

:hi:

[shawcomm]

5. Backing? More like bending over.

Worse, they bent us all over.

I hope the boy king at least kissed them. I hope at least somebody besides him got something out of the destruction of the United States.