Did any of the 14 DEMS that voted NAY on todays spending bill do so in protest?

[RiverStone]

Suggesting that the bill did not go far enough to limit Shrub's execution of this failed war? See Out of Iraq Caucus...

The House of Representatives voted 218-212 today approving a spending bill that includes a deadline of 8/31/08 for combat troops to leave Iraq. 14 DEMS sided with the NAYS - 2 rethugs sided with the YEAS. Here is a link to the actual Roll Call of the vote:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll186.xml

Out of the 14 DEMS that sided with the minority; can someone do a quick read and determine how many DEMS were voting NAY in protest, per the Out of Iraq caucus goals to end the war ASAP -vs- those wimpy Blue Dog DINOs that are trying to appeal to a conservative base?

Thanks in advance oh wise DUer's! :)

[robinlynne]

1. good question.

[SteppingRazor]

2. Just from a quick glance at the names, I'd say the majority were in protest...

most of those names are of congressmen that are in the Progressive Caucus -- Kucinich, for example.

[karlrschneider]

3. I think you are right, and also that it was a tough choice.

...

[sandnsea]

7. But Taylor isn't

Some of these others I'm not familiar with, Barrow, Boren, Michaud, Matheson. I'm guessing I don't know them because they're conservative.

[SteppingRazor]

9. Very true. Matheson's also a likely pro-GOP vote...

he's the lone Dem. out of Utah. I mean, it's fairly shocking that he can even get elected in Utah, but what the hey.

[sandnsea]

11. Well, we now have a list

Hehe. I will take some time later today to go through that list and cut out the GOP supporting Dems. Then we're going to go after these districts and turn them around. We just haven't found the right way to skin this cat is all.

[sandnsea]

4. Looks like a combination

Off the top of my head, Kucinich, Waters, Lee and Woolsey would definitely be protest votes.

Taylor of MS, probably voted against the timeline, with Republicans in other words.

Some of the others, I'm not 100% sure on.

[mmonk]

5. Just them nasty ol progressive "purists"

I learned I'm one of those today.

[Kelly Rupert]

12. If you're against this bill, then you're either a purist or a Republican

And frankly, there's not much of a difference in practice.

[mmonk]

16. By your bully tactics and name calling, you're closer to the republicans.

[Kelly Rupert]

17. Not the first time I've been called a Republican on DU,

and probably not the last.

[mmonk]

20. alrighty then

I'm out. Take care. And by the way I didn't call you one. I said you're closer to them with your words.

[rodeodance]

Why don't you ask them??

[helderheid]

6. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x484353

[RiverStone]

15. Umm. We got something - but not much...

For us progressives it feels like a victory; though a shallow one. At least this holds Shrub on the record to a deadline - though the loopholes seem to grant him continued executive authority to make decisions (something he has shown woefully incapable of doing regarding Iraq).

And sadly, even this war funding bill will probably be canned by the war mongers that walk in lock-step with the village idiot from Texas.


Thanks helderheid :)

[The Magistrate]

8. It Does Not Matter Why They Did It, Sir: It Was A Stupid Damn Thing To Do

Stupidity pushed to the point where it is indistinguishable from criminal conduct.

[SteppingRazor]

10. I dunno, Mag...

you and me have agreed on most stuff in the past, but on this one I think we gotta part ways.

It was a vote of conscience on the part of a lot of these guys, and the bill passed anyway — if it looked as if the Dems didn't have the numbers, and people like Kucinich still voted against it, then I would have a problem.

[The Magistrate]

13. We Are Not Required To Agree, My Friend

In my view, it was, and remains, of utmost importance to pass these measures with the largest possible number of votes that can be cast for them, and to achieve this, people are gong to have to sink differences and vote together in a solid bloc. People who are not up to this cannot claim status as professionals, and ought to get out of the way so the business can be propely handled.

[Old and In the Way]

19. It's not how or why they voted that bothers me...it's that their vote

will be used by the Republican corporate media as proof that the Democrats are in disarray, that their "no" means they support the Republican position when, in fact, nothing can be further from the truth. The uninformed will assume they are either Bluedogs or RINO's. It would have been nice to have 100% Democrats + 2 Republicans on the Yes side just to further contrast the difference between the sides. It passed, no one is probably excited, but I hope we can get it through the Senate so Bush is forced to veto and explain why he doesn't support the troop.

[RiverStone]

21. A tough call...

I understand the DEMS that voted in protest, for the finished product that passed on the floor was a result of way too much capitulation to the BushCo war machine. In the end (even if this were veto proof), there are loopholes which allow Shrub to fling about his executive authority at will.

Far from the result we had hoped for from the Hill when we voted last November.

On the flip side, this at least IS progress - albeit limited. We are slowly moving in the right direction. Given that the rethug war mongers would reject this bill even if we had 100% unity from DEMS; making that (unified) statement would have also drawn an obvious line in the sand between parties for the American people to see.

I'd never come close to your characterization of "criminal" Mag for those DEMS that voted their conscience. I'd suggest that your strong critical language is just as counter-productive for our party as those who you rail against for not voting your way.

[rinsd]

14. Agreed.

"It was a vote of conscience on the part of a lot of these guys, and the bill passed anyway — if it looked as if the Dems didn't have the numbers, and people like Kucinich still voted against it, then I would have a problem."

Several Democrats who lent their support to the bill in the run up to the vote in the name of party unity cast conscience votes.

That's how its supposed to work.

[Warren Stupidity]

18. Yes I agree voting for more war was criminal conduct.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. John Lewis, Dennis Kucinich, Maxine Waters, etc, stupid? Criminal?

Only to those believe that funding a war in order to stop it is somehow sensible rather than Orwellian.

[mmonk]

23. Voting for more war funding is voting for more war funding

for some, so they voted no. Any other description of dems that want to stop funding the war and thus voted no is intellectually dishonest (even with a timetable bush is unlikely to agree to).