Is Sen. Kerry speaking today

[TayTay]

on the Iraq Resolution? Anyone know? they have 3 Resolutions scheduled for votes starting at 3:45 pm. The debate, such as it is, is going on now. Anyone know if Sen. Kerry is scheduled to speak before the vote?

[TayTay]

1. Sen. Feingold kicking butt now

He is calling out Repub Senators on their votes to end funding for the Somalia engagement in 1993. Great speech.

Sen. Gregg voted to cut off funding and to do so safely and with all due respect to the troops.

[beachmom]

2. Liveblogging going on here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/15/134326/317 (please recommend -- too much Edwards loving on the Rec List for my taste)

Liveblog #1 here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/15/103257/737

[beachmom]

3. Somebody on the live blog said they vote at 3:45

on the following resolutions:

Order of the votes: Reid, Gregg, then the Murray resolution

I guess Biden is speaking now. Not sure if Kerry will or not.

[TayTay]

4. Biden and Feingold were the best speakers so far

This has been a rather passionless affair. So much hoopla and so much hype about a debate and we get a fairly non-debate debate and a lot of quorum calls. Sigh!

[beachmom]

5. God, I wish Kerry would show up and be the last speaker before

the vote. Remember Leahy before the Military Tribunal Bill vote -- he was THE guy to lead the opposition on that issue. And Kerry is THE lead guy on this issue.

But Biden keeps talking so my vision may not come true.

[TayTay]

6. No going to happen, I guess

Biden, then ten minutes for the opposition, then the Minority and Majority leaders. (Hope I'm wrong.)

[Mass]

7. I guess he was busy somewhere else because all the major players in this bill

(Levin, Biden, Reed, Feingold) spoke today, with the exception of Kerry, which is actually the chairman of the subcommittee in charge for Iraq). The only logical explaination was that he was busy with something else.

Any chance that somebody know what the Murray bill (one of the 3 bills part of the series of votes) is about.

[TayTay]

8. Kerry did speak the other day

It is also possible that Sen. Kerry did not want to speak again, prefering to hear other Dems talk in favor of what is, essentially, his plan from Oct 05 and June 06. There might be some satisfaction in that as well. It is also good politics to have as many Dems as possible speak on this.

Murray Resolution is a Dem substitute to vote for instead of the Gregg Amendment. All the taste, none of the gooey kisses for Bush on the war. (supports the funding for the safety and well-being of the troops and states that we must fund veterans services.)

[beachmom]

9. The Murray bill sounds like the Murtha plan in the House

It's about making sure the troops are properly equipped and have what they need.

[beachmom]

10. Nope, no Kerry. Minority leader now and then the Majority leader

and then the vote. Admittedly, I'm with Mass -- Kerry speaks so clearly and eloquently about why this bill is the right direction, I wish he were here. Now when the news covers it, they'll probably only cover who spoke today. Oh well -- I am sure there is a good reason why the schedule is what it is.

[Mass]

11. Kerry just voted - Hage voted NO: so much for the anti-war candidate.

[beachmom]

12. He's a blowhard, BUT he does affect public opinion when

a "Republican" criticizes the president. Other than that he's useless.

[Mass]

13. Lieberman NO - Smith YES (If I understood correctly).

[Mass]

14. 48 YES - 50 NO.

Pryor and Nelson (NE) voting NO.

[beachmom]

15. I know Johnson is missing but who is the other missing senator?

Also, I've been told Webb voted aye. Is that correct?

[Inuca]

The other one missing

McCain. In Iowa.

[Mass]

16. The great, the courageous, .....

John McCain

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00075

[whometense]

17. Wow.

That's really special. :sarcasm:

[TayTay]

18. Did anyone else watch the votes today?

Sen. Kerry was working the floor and he was, at times, talking intently with Sens. Webb, Obama, Clinton and a lot of others. What was up with that? This seemingly had to do with that last non-binding resolution from Sen. Gregg of NH. It culminated with a quorum call right before the vote on the Gregg Res and with Harry Reid stating that the Dem Caucus had no position on the Gregg bill and that Dems were free to vote their consciences. Then the vote happened and most of the Dems voted for the Gregg bill. (Which of little concern, as it is non-binding and about the same thing as the Murray bill that passed 96-2.)

What was up with that? That was a lot of activity for something that was sort of not very important.