None of Four Dem Candidates who are senators voted against Mukasey!

[emlev]

None of them voted.
Not Clinton.
Not Obama.
Not Dodd.
Not Biden.

If Kucinich were a senator, do you have *any* question about whether or not he would have voted, and how he would have voted?

It's not just Congress that needs a spine. It's voters, too!

[emlev]

1. The rollcall vote is listed in this post:

Mukasey Confirmed...

[Behind the Aegis]

2. None of Four Dem Candidates who are senators voted for Mukasey!

[99th_Monkey]

3. True, they just didn't vote at all.. Which is worse?

Voting for NeoTortureBoy Mukasey, or just failing to vote at all?

Neither seems very becoming of a presidential candidate who wants us to believe they will act on their "convictions" as to how to best represent the people's interests.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Which is worse? IMO, voting FOR "NeoTortureBoy."

It is your opinion that neither is "becoming" of a presidential candidate, however, other factors may have played in including the vote being moved up and inadequate time to get back to DC to place a vote. To me, this "outrage" is 'much ado, about nothing."

[John Q. Citizen]

23. If any had shown up to vote against, the next question form thinking Americans would be,

so why not filibuster against torture? That would have provided the 41st vote against "torture Mukasey."

That's why I believe none showed up.

Kabuki at it's finest!

[99th_Monkey]

32. This may help answer your very good question "Why not filibuster?"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2251074&mesg_id=2251386

[denem]

5. OBAMA- Once again shows the way.

If the measure is controversial, don't bother to vote at all. I'm glad to see the other candidates have got with the pogram. A new gernation of "I wouldn't like to Say". No divsion here! Unite in cowardice. Now, if we could just an abortion vote. (Although I may be highlighting Obama here for this tactic of not showing on crucial votes, each and every candidate are equally culpable).

[MonkeyFunk]

6. Neither Clinton

nor Dodd nor Biden did, either. Shameful for all of them.

[gateley]

7. Unforgivable.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. meh

it's forgiveable.

[dysfunctional press]

15. how so...?

harry reid scheduled the vote, giving them 3 hours to get from their iowa campaigns to the senate chamber in DC...HOW is that- a.unforgivable? and b. their fault???

[gateley]

24. I was being facetious. Boy, I'm funny. :-)

I said that because both Monkey Funk and I had been through some threads on this subject and posted a lot, and by this time I was just too weary of the subject to bother going into what I now believe is the explanation you cite.

I think Monkey Funk agrees this is probably the reason they were absent - as a matter of fact his level of pissed off diminished before mine did.

:hI:

[earthlover]

12. Why single out Obama? The others didn't vote either...

....hmmm.....do you think it was because they were campaigning?

This is the sort of stuff that was hurled against Kerry in 04.

It is not at all unusual for candidates who are in Congress to miss votes, a lot of them, when they are out on the campaign trail.

You can argue that this is the wrong set of priorities. But to single out one candidate who doesn't vote is not fair.

[maddiejoan]

20. Obama announced ahead of time

that he wasn't voting.

The others --I don't know --Reid moved the vote up ahead of schedule at the last minute--it's quite possible there was no way they could get there in time.

[earthlover]

27. They all missed it....and if they were in Washington, they could have done so

even at the "last minute" like the rest of the senators did....

Come on now....why even bother making excuses?

Why single out one?

[maddiejoan]

28. Because

we only know of one that never intended to show up.

[bklyncowgirl]

9. Hey, candidates, a word of advice--don't quit your day jobs.

I realize, of course, that the die was cast but somehow that doesn't make it better.

[Caretha]

10. The sin of omission

*a mistake resulting from neglect

*Omission is, in Catholic teaching, the failure to do something one can and ought to do. If this happens advertently and freely a sin is committed.

*In the criminal law, an omission or failure to act will constitute an actus reus (Latin for "guilty act") and give rise to liability only when the law imposes a duty to act and the defendant is in breach of that duty.

*An omission is the failure to do one's individual and public duty by completing a particular act

*Neglecting to perform an act required by law or by professional duty.

[LWolf]

11. Voters need a spine, too.

That's the foundation. If voters don't have the courage to elect someone with courage, this is what we get.

No, I have no question about how Dennis Kucinich would have voted. His record of courageous opposition stands alone.

Why do voters seem so desperately determined to believe that candidates' behavior in office will somehow be different than their record?

I have the courage to cast my vote for him this primary.

[dysfunctional press]

13. NOT THEIR FAULT! They couldn't get from iowa to DC in the 3 hours allowed by harry reid.

you might want to check the FACTS before you go off all half-cocked, and end up looking totally stupid. :shrug:

[maine_raptor]

16. Facts???? You're just gonna let "FACTS" get in the way?

Why ruin a perfectly good Talking Point designed to foster disunity among Dems with facts?

:sarcasm:

[EFerrari]

19. Who didn't know this vote was coming this week? If I knew

am I to believe the "top tier" didn't?

[dysfunctional press]

21. "this week" is a pretty broad stretch of time for people who are campaigning.

and to be honest- their votes would NOT have changed the outcome.

[EFerrari]

26. Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but isn't it a circle argument

to say the votes didn't count because we didn't have the votes?

It's hard not to feel that if the Democrats really wanted to stop this nomination that Reid would have planned this with those four votes in mind and / or the campaigners would have made stand by plans. :shrug:

[dysfunctional press]

29. blame reid, not the candidates...

HE'S the one that changed the scheduled vote.

[EFerrari]

31. I'm really not into blaming anyone. It just looks like one or more

people didn't take this vote seriously.

[deacon]

14. Inexcusable. Everyone of those candidates is permanently off my list.

[mmonk]

17. The last week has determined my choice for president.

They can make fun of him calling him an elf and talk about the UFO thing all they want.

[EFerrari]

18. No kidding. And it's hard for me to buy the speeches

full of outrage when their own candidates can't be bothered to show up.

[jgraz]

22. This is Harry Reid's doing

He moved up the vote to prevent any possible rallying of progressive opposition. Does anyone think the candidates would be so stupid as to miss this vote on purpose?

[emlev]

25. Question: Did any of the candidates make statements about Mukasey?

If they'd come out strongly against his appointment and then weren't able to make it back for the vote, I'd understand.

[book_worm]

30. they all want Holy Joe's endorsement?

[Norwood]

33. They had 3 hours to get there

Nothing they really could have done.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

34. We are OK

Just ask MF. All of you always overreacting. What a bunch of jerks. :eyes:

[WilliamPitt]

35. Dumb post.

[deacon]

36. It's like we haven't seen enough empty rhetoric already. They should have followed up and voted

period.

[KharmaTrain]

37. The Votes Wouldn't Have Mattered

Yes, I am upset that my Junior Senator, Obama, again, failed to show for an important vote. He claims he didn't know the vote would be taking place on Thursday night...that's bullshit...everyone following the story knew the vote would either go on Thursday or Friday...isn't this what we're paying him to do?

No aboslution for the other candidates either...ironic for Dodd who came out against Mukasey first, but then when it came to cast the vote, he was MIA as well.

But then the "logic" was with Feinstein and Schummer caving in, that would be more than enough votes to confirm so the candidates didn't need to be there. I don't buy that crap...sorry. If you want to be President, please, do it on your own time, not when there's serious business going that you're being paid to do.

[Naturyl]

38. I don't get these Democrats

Did Reid move the vote up to prevent them from voting them and damage their chances? These days, who knows. Anything is possible with this bunch.

Either way, what a rip-off. It's just more evidence of why people need to get on board the Kucinich ship, whether they want to or not. It might be a UFO, but at least it's from the Planet Democrat. What planet these others are from is becoming a major mystery.