If Ted Kennedy gets there and the bill fails to get 60, whichever Dems. voted "no" should feel awful

[jenmito]

How in the world could they watch him making such an effort to get them to 60 and they continue to obstruct the bill? This would become a human interest story and those who tried to get the bill passed (ESPECIALLY Ted) would be seen sympathetically while the rest would look terrible.

[Sebass1271]

1. Call Diane Finestein.. she is one of those...

California should rethink and reconsider. DEM party should run another candidate against her.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

19. Why does California have Feinstein still in office? Which groups vote for her? nt

[damonm]

28. She's already gotten an earful from me...

Told her people in no uncertain terms that, should she vote against or delay this package, it WILL be remembered.

[99th_Monkey]

2. From your lips to Lieberman's ears. ~nt~

[jenmito]

3. He's FOR it, isn't he?

[99th_Monkey]

8. I'm haven't heard, i just know he can be a weasle GOP ass-licker when the chips are down. ~nt~

[jenmito]

11. I watched him speaking on the Senate floor today. He's FOR it. n/t

[99th_Monkey]

44. So woopie, Joe goes wherever the winds blow, I'll give him that.

... never-the-less, I'm grateful for his support on this one.

[quiller4]

34. Yes. He said he supported the stimulus bill n/t

[sandnsea]

4. They should all vote no

This bill is not going to work. They've taken too much money out of it.

[jenmito]

6. They will have a separate bill for those things.

[Mass]

10. Sure. Because the GOP will not filibuster it.

I can probably sell you a bridge in England if you believe that.

[jenmito]

12. They claim they're for those things but they shouldn't be in a "stimulus package" and some Dems.

in the Senate obviously agree.

[Mass]

13. Sure, because I believe them.

[jenmito]

14. Unlike THIS bill, I bet every Dem. will vote for a bill for those things...

and at least 2 Repubs. would join them.

[sandnsea]

17. They'll call every bill "spending" and "pork"

And the same chicken-shit blue dog Dems will join them. We better wake up and fight in a hurry or nothing is going to change.

[jenmito]

18. You don't know that...

and neither do I, but from what some conservative Dems. and moderate Repubs. have said in the past week is just what I said.

[sandnsea]

20. Have you been paying attention since FDR?

Of course it is what they'll do. It's what they always do. What makes you think they're suddenly going to discover the benefit of government funded social services?

[jenmito]

21. Nope. But I believe Obama could get a bill with things taken out of THIS one through.

[sandnsea]

22. wow. unbelievable.

Here's how Republicans think.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjcyODIyZGM2MGU1ZDdkNDgxZDc3OTNjYjM4ZDY1ODI=

They're just a bunch of crazy-ass conservatives and they are not going to change. They are not going to suddenly agree to these programs just because they're in another bill. They oppose government. Oppose It. They only believe in the Private Economy. All government is supposed to do is make the world safe for the Private Economy. That's ALL. That's who they are and they are not going to change.

http://www.obama-mamas.com/blog/?p=173

[jenmito]

23. Right now we have 58 Dems. Franken will probably get in for 59. All we'd need

is ONE Repub. and there are a FEW moderate Repubs. who will join them.

[sandnsea]

25. Nelson? Landrieu? Pryor? Lincoln?

Who the hell knows what they'll do. They can be just as bad as the conservative Republicans.

We need to organize to push back or we aren't even going to make as much progress as we did in the 90s. This is ridiculous. There is NO REASON to even be listening to the same damn group of people who brought us all these stupid-ass tax cuts in the first place.

[Thrill]

27. The House can fix some of that. Only need 50 votes coming out of Conference

[sandnsea]

29. Ah, okay, yes, good

So that is where we should gear up for the fight. Some of this stuff has to be restored. It is idiotic to not repair our schools, or green federal buildings, or weatherize homes, just idiotic.

[Mass]

5. With the food stamps out of the bill, Dems should vote NO.

[quiller4]

35. No. They just need to increase food stamps thru normal

appropriations process and it will pass agains just like the last increase did.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. Do they need 60 with the Franken seat empty? Or is it 59?

[jenmito]

9. 60.

[glowing]

15. We need 51. The ass that filibusters should be sent to Gitmo for being

a terrorist and holding this country hostage.. 51 is the vote count needed for the passage of a bill. 60 is fillibuster proof.

[jenmito]

16. I know. But the Dems. won't do it, sadly. n/t

[Muttocracy]

24. if TK can make it there, the GOPers sure as hell need to be forced to vote or filibuster - no breaks

[jenmito]

26. I agree. But if it's true that they won't vote on it tonight, why is Kennedy going there NOW?

[Better Believe It]

30. Once again .... the bill only requires 51 votes to pass

60 votes are required to end debate if the Republicans launch a filibuster.

[jenmito]

31. Those are the rules. The Dems. are taking the Repubs.' THREAT of a filibuster as

a filibuster. So in THEIR minds, they need 60, sadly.

[Imagevision]

32. The names of Dem's voting against Obama should be made public...

[TeamJordan23]

33. they will. nm

[AZ Criminal JD]

36. Any Senate vote is public

Always has been.

[Phx_Dem]

37. I was thinking exactly the same thing. n/t

[jenmito]

38. GMTA!

:hi:

[Phx_Dem]

39. GMTA? Whaaa

Seriously, what does that mean? I'm clueless.

[jenmito]

40. It means..

Great minds think alike. :hi:

[Phx_Dem]

42. Indeed they do!

:fistbump:

[Laura PourMeADrink]

41. I have never understood why there isn't some system whereby a senator

can vote absentee or by proxy.

[Muttocracy]

43. I just saw Robert Byrd looking really uncomfortable. Poor guy. nt