Does anybody know what they are just voting

[Mass]

Collins amendment on the creation of an Independent Office of Public Integrity.

The vote is totally across party line with Boxer, Harkin, Pryor, Feinstein, Clinton, Schumer, and many GOPers voting NO, and Obama, Kerry, Kennedy, Sarbanes, Reed, and many other GOPers voting YES.

I cant make any sense of how the vote is split? Anybody has any clue on that?

Difficult to follow the votes as people change their votes all the time.

It would seem to me a good idea to create an independent office and I cant figure out why Boxer would vote NO.

[JohnKleeb]

1. That is hard to tell

Perhaps it is not a pure left or right issue. BEcuase you see party liberals like Boxer, Harkin, then some party moderates like Feinstein, Clinton, Schumer, nad party conservatives like Pryor who are opposed. You also have party liberals like KEnnedy, Reed(you mean Jack Reed right, not Harry Reid, asking because Jack Reed isnt that well known), Kerry, Obama, Sarbines, saying Yes. Question though do you know what side Durbin is on?

[Mass]

2. It is definitively not a left, right issue.

I meant Reed. I did not hear how Reid voted, nor did I hear Durbin.

Final vote:

YES 30 - BAY 67

No office of Public Integrity. I know many Democrats did not want the enforcement of ethics laws to be out of the Senate any more than the GOP, for whatever reason. Too bad because, without that, the reform is less important.

[JohnKleeb]

3. ok just checking

I thought you meant Jack Reed but I hardly ever hear him discussed, I like the guy from what I know. Thats too bad this failed that said.

[fedupinBushcountry]

4. Reid

voted No Durbin voted Yes.

The voting was crazy, Clinton voted for it before she voted against. LOL (I know that was a cheap shot, but I just couldn't hold back)

[Mass]

5. Rollcall.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00077

Same thing is happening for cloture.

It seems the Democrats are in a hurry to vote for cloture (with a few exceptions like Kerry, Obama, and Feingold), though many important amendments would be declared non germane (of course, most Republicans want to vote for cloture as well).

17 NO -

[TayTay]

6. That was strange.

I liked the IG amendment and it got shot down. I didn't want cloture, but it passed overwhelmingly.

These are starting to be real determining votes. What is Senator Clinton thinking, btw. How can she not vote for ethics reform? I don't get her. What the hell is she running on anyway?

[wisteria]

7. Money! She doesn't need direction or purpose. I think she and

the media feel that fund raising will get her in.

[TayTay]

8. This is a huge mistake.

This will get her frontrunner status. That puts a big target on her back. Personally, this all sounds too 'inside the beltway' to me. I have the oddest feeling that the '08 cycle is going to be one of big ups and downs and sudden occurences that change the race profoudly. I'm not so sure that frontrunner is the place to be.

And looming over everything is the war in Iraq. That will change things profoundly.

[second edition]

11. delete

[Mass]

9. Roll call for cloture

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00079

I am very PO at the Democratic Leadership on these two votes. Reid came on the floor to say that the bill was a good compromise and that it was time to go to the immigration Bill. It was obvious he wanted to get rid of this bill before it had any meaning (private planes is now out of the bill as are many important issues). What will be forbidden at the end? (meals and presents?).

I am happy that Kerry voted like he did on this.

In fact, this vote angers me a lot more than whatever is happening on censure.

[ProSense]

10. What I read earlier is

some members think this duplicates the efforts of the ethics committee, but others (Collins and those voting for her amendment) believe an independent body is needed. They don't believe the Senate can investigate itself. Given the climate in Washington, one would think they'd welcome independence. McCain voting for independent oversight is laughable, since he's mucking up ethics reform.



http://www.norwalkadvocate.com/news/local/state/hc-28194621.apds.m0752.bc-ct--congmar28,0,7230759.story?track=rss




Edited to add link.