Jim Bunning Amendment fails

By GottaLaff

On CSPAN2, I just popped in to see the vote on Jim Bunning's amendment to H.R. 4213, the Extending Tax Breaks, Jobless Benefits, Highway Funds Bill:

Bunning (R-KY) Amendment: Requires use of unspent econmic stimulus funds to pay for provisions in the bill.

56 yeas, 41 nays, meaning the motion is tabled.

BunningFail.

Sanders Amendment to help seniors, vets, disabled fails

By GottaLaff

Watching CSPAN2 now. I missed a lot of who voted aye or nay, seems I came in on the L's. They're voting on:

Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Amendment to the Tax Extenders Bill: Provides over 55 million seniors, veterans and disabled with a one time $250 emergency relief payment.

Levin just voted no, as did Lieberman, Landrieu, Shaheen.

The amendment just failed, 47-50.

John McCain To Propose Amendment Prohibiting Changes To Medicare Using Reconciliation

By GottaLaff

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

J Sid and his little dog Lindsey are doing their song and dance routine again. Okay, I mixed metaphors there, but still, aren't they just precious?

During yesterday’s appearance McCain announced that he will introduce legislation preventing the Democrats from using reconciliation to change Medicare spending:

[...] Lindsay Graham and I will be introducing legislation. Entitlements should not be part of a reconciliation process, i.e., 51 votes. It’s too important.

More from Think Progress:

[T]he McCain/Graham amendment is another political ploy that’s designed to communicate a message rather than stop the reconciliation process. After all, Congress has already approved the Medicare changes in the Senate health care bill and the reconciliation package of fixes will only include a change to the payroll tax (used to fund the Medicare program). A McCain/Grahm amendment that prohibits reconciliation changes to the Medicare trust fund could complicate the package, but it won’t derail the entire effort.

But on the whole, this is really a cynical move (and highly unlikely, since any rule change would require 67 votes).

"How come my uterus doesn't get as much protection as your gun?"

By GottaLaff

Mcjoan over at Kos wrote up a very short post that you should read. Link.

The blog title I posted is actually her tweet. Her piece starts out with:

Is there anything our political "leaders" won't do for the NRA? Check out this, from the new manager's amendment [pdf].

AUDIO- Sen. Nelson: Health care bill 'isn't sufficient'. Psst! Neither is Sen. Nelson

By GottaLaff

Who's impeding the Senate bill? Senator Ben is impeding the Senate bill! Who's our little impeder? Who's our snooky wookums who's doing his bestest to stwip wepwoductive rights fwom women? Attaboy!

Looky there how BenBen continues to let Americans die by being an obstructionist and potentially encourages the deaths of distraught women who must make heartbreaking decisions!

Who's Big Insurance's wittle man? Who's Big Pharma's Big Boy?

Oh Ben? No cookie for you:

Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson told a Nebraska radio station Thursday that he will not vote for the Senate health care bill as it stands because of concerns over insurance coverage for abortions and other unresolved issues. [...]

"If it is not at the point that I think it needs to be with the improvements that I'm pushing, and they've made a lot of them, then I will not vote on cloture on the motion to end debate," Nelson told KLIN on Thursday.

Al Franken’s amendment on rape included in appropriations bill

By GottaLaff

Thank you Senator Al Franken:

An amendment offered by Sen. Al Franken that would withhold defense contracts from contractors if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court has been included in the final Defense Department appropriations bill, which is scheduled for a floor vote in the House today. [...]

[Laffy Note: It just passed in the House 395-30]

If the Defense appropriations bill is approved as expected, the inclusion would be a major win for Franken, given the political firestorm that erupted shortly after the amendment passed in the Senate.

Yes, the Rushpublics erupted, because they were caught with their pants down. Okay, bad analogy, but here is the post that explains what happened.

Here is my original post in which I was bursting with pride over our new senator's proposed amendment.

And here is the video:

GOP senator freezes health care debate

By GottaLaff

Update

| 2:58 p.m. In a counter-maneuver to thwart an effort by Senate Republicans to stall the health care debate, Senator Bernard Sanders, independent of Vermont, has withdrawn his amendment that would create a fully government-run health care system.

This is no longer breaking news, but if you missed this despicable piece of information:

As Democrats scrambled to meet self-imposed deadlines, Senate Republicans froze the health care debate for at least a day Wednesday by insisting that a 767-page mega-amendment be read out loud in its entirety.

The move was poised take some 12 hours or more and grind Senate business to a halt for the day. It also threatened Democrats' ability to pass a health care bill before Christmas.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, set things in motion around lunchtime Wednesday. As the Senate moved to a sweeping single-payer amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, Coburn objected to the common Senate procedure that waives the actual out-loud reading of the proposal.

"I would ask that the amendment be considered as read," Sanders said on the floor.

"I object," Coburn instantly responded.

As we speak, Senator Sanders' Single Payer Amendment is being read aloud, but not by Coburn. He's having a clerk do that for him. Obstruction is hard work!

FYI: Readings are usually waived.

HuffPo has more (h/t: Windy City Watch):

Tom Coburn Demands 12-Hour Reading Of Single-Payer Amendment On Senate Floor

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), on Wednesday, did his part to help out those who can't read legislation themselves, and asked the Senate clerk to read a single-payer amendment from Sen. Bernie Sanders out loud on the Senate floor. The reading of the 767-page amendment is expected to take about 12 hours. [...]

By jamming up Senate business, Coburn's move prevents a vote on a funding bill for the Department of Defense. The current funding provision expires at midnight on Friday.

Coburn said he was doing Americans a favor.

Anyone out there in TPC Land thanking him?

Senate Democrats are powerless to prevent the full reading of the amendment due to parliamentary rules. And they don't appreciate the favor. "The only thing that Sen. Coburn's stunt achieves is to stop us from moving to the DoD appropriations bill that funds our troops -- not exactly the kind of Christmas gift that our troops were expecting from Dr. No," said Jim Manley, senior communications adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Coburn has a long and unapologetic career of standing in the way of Senate business.

Some favor. America owes him one. A big fat one.

Senate Says No To Importing Low-Price Drugs

By GottaLaff

We wouldn't want affordable meds, now would we? That might mean competition for Big Pharma, and like their brethren over at Big Insurance, they're doing all they can to prevent anything that would help Americans to stay, you know, alive:

The Senate voted 51-48 rejecting a plan to import low-price prescription drugs from Canada and other countries. The amendment was put forth by North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan (r).

Importing prescription drugs for personal use is a violation of federal law. Dorgan’s amendment would have lifted the ban, allowing access to low-cost medicines from developed countries where the government limits drug prices.

As a senator, President Barack Obama supported drug imports, but his administration now echoes the objections of the pharmaceutical industry that it would cause safety problems.

[...]

Both the pharmaceutical industry and the Obama administration were lobbying against the proposal, saying it would not protect people from potentially dangerous or ineffective drugs. Dorgan’s plan would cost drug makers billions of dollars and has bipartisan support.

You can pop over to Alan's place and read more.

McCain slapped with ethics complaint over robo-calls

By GottaLaff

UPDATE- Here is the audio:

Can't see the audio player? Click here.

H/t: Shaun Dakin, founder of the National Political Do Not Call Registry, who said he had never heard of a robocall quite like McCain's.

"I can't really remember a committee that had used the voice of a sitting representative in order to drive grassroots activism around a specific issue," he told Huff Post.

Original post:

He and his former running mate have a lot more in common than we thought: Ethics complaints. Couldn't happen to a crankier robo-caller:

A Washington political watchdog group has filed an ethics complaint with the Senate over robo-calls Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) made, urging voters to pressure their senators into supporting a McCain-led amendment to the Senate health care bill.

I do believe he's old enough to know better. Your thoughts?

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, filed the complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee on Wednesday, saying the Arizona senator and former presidential candidate violated Senate ethics rule 38, which prohibits senators from using political money to fund official Senate business.

CREW says when McCain used money from the National Republican Senatorial Committee to fund the robo-calls, he broke rule 38.

Goodness, I hope he can repair it.

"By urging voters to call their senators to urge them to support his motion, Sen. McCain was engaged in grassroots lobbying," CREW said in a statement.

Now if that's not an oxymoron, I don't know what is. However, juxtaposing the word "lobbying" with the name "J Sid" is not exactly a stretch.

Of course, Lobbyson McCrankyPants predictably retorted with the obvious:

In an interview with the Arizona Republic on Wednesday, McCain "laughed off CREW's complaint," describing the non-profit organization as "a far-left group."

CREW, ACORN, they're all alike. Just one big happy commie Marxist fascist socialist family.

VIDEO: Mikulski compares Nelson amendment to Nazi Germany and Communist China

By GottaLaff



I was gone when this part of the debate aired, and I've heard kudos to Senator Mikulski all over the place. This is the only clip I could find... for now.

Here's the loooong version from CSPAN. Mikulski is at about 455:00.

Senate Passes Women’s Health Amendment

By GottaLaff

I am late to this due to my schedule today, but if you missed it:

Breaking a three-day stalemate, the Senate approved an amendment to its health care legislation that would require insurance companies to offer free mammograms and other preventive services to women.

The vote was 61 to 39, with three Republicans joining 56 Democrats and the two independents in favor.

The Republican senators voting in favor were the two women from Maine, Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, and David Vitter of Louisiana. Among Democratic senators, Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Ben Nelson of Nebraska opposed the proposal.

The Democrats’ legislation had already contained requirements that insurers cover a wide range of preventive care. The amendment, put forward by Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, goes further, mandating coverage for a broader package of services for women.

Mikulski, Murkowski, Murkowski, Mikulski, let's call the whole thing health care:

Ms. Mikulski’s proposal was countered by a Republican amendment put forward by Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska.

Ms. Murkowski’s amendment was defeated on Thursday by a vote of 59 to 41, with Mr. Nelson joining all 40 Republicans in favor of it and all other Democrats united in opposition.

VIDEO: Abortion rights Round 2: Chris Matthews calls out Bishop Tobin

By GottaLaff

If these organizations aren't up for a good fight, then fuggetaboutit:

To their credit, NARAL and Planned Parenthood are have already shown their willingness to do what's necessary to win this next round. They have threatened to withhold funding from Ciro Rodriguez and Harry Teague, the two members of Congress who got money from the groups in the last election cycle and proceeded to vote for Stupak anyway. And Planned Parenthood has announced its intentions to pull its support from any reform bill that includes Stupak.

There's more hardball to be played. These groups, along with the prochoice PAC EMILY's List, could announce that they'll "score" a vote for a healthcare bill that contains abortion restrictions like the Stupak amendment as an antichoice vote, for instance. That's important because these lobbying organizations use their scores to determine which legislators gets their money--and how much. (Planned Parenthood and NARAL have not yet decided how to score votes on health reform bills that contain antiabortion provisions, though NARAL's policy director, Donna Crane said, "That's a very serious question being discussed in our organization." EMILY's List has not returned calls.)

This was a very extensive piece. Please go read the whole thing.

We have to be as tough as nails on this, consistent, persistent, clear, and unified.

In fact, check out how hard core in-your-face Chris Matthews was on this subject on today's Hardball. He was debating Rev. Thomas Tobin, Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island about banning Patrick Kennedy from Holy Communion for his views, among other things:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Gillibrand, Maloney headline event to protest anti-abortion amendment

By GottaLaff

These two deserve kudos and extra crispy bonus donations:

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) will join with other elected officials and national and local leaders of the women’s movement in New York on Monday to protest a provision in the House health care reform bill to limit federal funding for abortions. [...]

Speakers at the news conference will take direct aim at the amendment inserted into the House health care bill by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), which would restrict the ability of health care plans to reimburse women who get abortions.

Thank you for having the guts to stand up to those who don't respect the constitutional rights, health and welfare of women.

GOP: Trust us, even though we can't verify

By GottaLaff

Remember Ronald Reagan's signature phrase "trust but verify"? Apparently Rushpublics don't think it applies to them when it comes to health care reform:

Senate Republicans cannot say what exactly the budgetary impact of their health alternatives would be, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said this weekend.

Way to instill confidence, guys. I'm sure the CBO can help clarify, though, right?

Gregg, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, emphasized that Republicans believe their healthcare alternatives would bring down costs, though the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) would be unable to score them.

Oh. So we're supposed to just "go with it", huh? The way we did when Boy Georgie got us into an illegal war? That kind of blind trust? And, gosh, why wouldn't we? Your credibility is already so high.

The New Hampshire Republican said that GOP alternatives, which they'll offer as amendments to Democrats' health legislation, "don't cost money."

He's right, you know. Amendments that are worthless don't cost anything.

The CBO score of the House bill suggested that the Republican bill, which in many ways mirrors the Senate GOP's amendments, would bring down the deficit and lower health costs, but still leave potentially tens of millions of Americans without health insurance.

Yep. Nothing says "believe in us" like pulling the rug out from under millions of Americans.

New GOP motto: Trust... but whatever you do, don't verify.

Republicans Shocked Over Anger at Voting Against Franken’s Anti-Rape Amendment

By GottaLaff



I've posted over and over again about Jamie Leigh Jones' horrific ordeal, and how proud I was of Al Franken for his amendment aimed at punishing rapists like Jamie's.

I also listed the 30 GOP accessories to the defense contractors' rape.

True to form, the Rushpublics just don't get it... at all:

Politico reports that Republicans are now scratching their heads at why the public is so incensed about their “no” votes:

Privately, GOP sources acknowledge that they failed to anticipate the political consequences of a “no” vote on the amendment. And several aides said that Republicans are engaged in an internal blame game about why they agreed to a roll-call vote on the measure, rather than a simple voice vote that would have allowed the opposing senators to duck criticism.

[...]

Thune is also claiming that Franken doesn’t really care about Jones and other rape victims whose employers have blocked them from seeking justice; he and other Democrats just wanted to “create a vote which they could use to attack Republicans.”

So basically, the only lesson they learned is that next time, they have to hide their votes when they decide to screw over women’s rights. That way, they can support their allies in the contracting business and the public will never find out.

Yes, it's Franken who is the villain. What an insensitive schmuck he is, trying to protect women from disgusting, brutal predators (including 30 GOP senators)! Who does he think he is, exposing them like that!?

It's always about their self-servitude. They care nothing about their voters, they care nothing (or very little) about their country. They do, however, have a love affair with power and money.

Have consciences and ethics been completely phased out of their party's genetic make-up? Who are these people, and why did anyone vote for them?

Anyone?

"What’s good for the womb is good for the wiener"

By GottaLaff

My new pal Shannyn Moore just wrote up a terrific post about the Stup(id)Pak anti-abortion amendment that is a must-read. She asked me for my take on it, and well, it was more of a spit-take. I giggled all the way through it, despite its serious message. She clearly had a, er, ball with it.

Here are a few excerpts, but then, please go read the rest:

The political cross-dressers, also known as “Blue Dogs” not only authored, but voted for the Uterus Police.

The Stupak Amendment ensured no federal funds, or federally funded insurance companies would be used for abortions. [...]

What’s good for the womb is good for the wiener.[...]

You may have seen the ads on TV. America has worked hard to overcome our epidemic of erectile dysfunction (E.D.). Apparently, a blue pill and side by side bath tubs help. Every pregnancy, wanted or unwanted, is a direct result of a man rising to the occasion and saluting their power over gravity. [...]

We have to nip this in the pud. The same members of Congress who voted against the financial stimulus package would be hard pressed to vote against the stimulating more local packages. [...]

The suggestion coming out of Washington is for women to buy supplemental insurance to cover an unwanted pregnancy. Really? Should the other gender do the same? Should the American people pay for personal erector sets? Shouldn’t E.D. medications be considered an out of pocket expense? To use their language, erections have consequences. [...]

As for Congressman Stupak and your “C Street Family Fraternity”; some advice: if you don’t have a vagina, perhaps you ought not to write or vote for such an invasive and offensive amendment. You’re from the wrong district.

Excellent work, Shannyn. Your double entendres will be hard to top, but I'll give it a go:

The shortcomings of this amendment make even the best of us go limp. And let's not get too cocky about it's demise. That would be premature. It may have more endurance than we suspect. In fact, the Dems better not blow this one, or act like pussies... again. This amendment is red meat for the Rushpublics, so we have stiff competition. No more dicking around, we need to defeat this amendment once and for all. We need to come on hard. You know what they say... "spare the rod..."

Bygones.

Obama: “We’re not restricting women’s insurance choices.”

By GottaLaff

Via Greg Sargent:

Obama, in an interview with Jake Tapper, on the inclusion of the Stupak amendment: “This is a health care bill, not an abortion bill.” He also promises that this will be negotiated over, and seems to reiterate his pledge: “We’re not restricting women’s insurance choices.”

In the same interview, he said:

So, you know, this is going to be a complex set of negotiations. I'm confident that we can actually arrive at this place where neither side feels that it's being betrayed. But it's going to take some time.

Meanwhile, via FDL, look what a Twitter pal found:

Aides in the Senate leadership expect a version of the Stupak amendment to be debated in the Senate, but only as an amendment, not embedded into the bill being merged by Harry Reid. [...]

So if the Stupak amendment isn’t included in the merged bill from Harry Reid’s office, it would, in all likelihood, need 60 votes. And it’s very likely that it would have to be inserted through an amendment. [...]

A Senate leadership aide confirmed to me that they “expect” an amendment similar to Stupak on the Senate floor. That means they do not expect it to be embedded in the bill.

It is unclear whether there are 60 votes in the US Senate to restrict choice. [...]

Probably all the women in the Senate, excepting perhaps Kay Bailey Hutchison, could be expected to vote against this amendment as well. [...]

That’s 33 votes, and there are 30 other Democrats in the caucus, from which only eight would be needed to block the amendment. It would be difficult for anti-choicers to get 60 votes.

If they do not succeed, we would move into conference committee with one committee including Stupak’s language, and one not.

Another nail biter.

H/t: Jazgar

VIDEO: Rep. Wasserman Schultz 'confident' that Stupak amendment will be stripped

By GottaLaff



I hope she's right:

A House Democratic leader said Monday she's “confident” controversial language on abortion will be stripped from a final healthcare bill.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the Democrats’ chief deputy whip in the House, said that she and other pro-abortion rights lawmakers would work to strip the amendment included in the House health bill that bars federal funding from going to subsidize abortions.

A letter signed by 41 House Democrats was sent to Nancy Pelosi vowing a vote against the bill if Stupak's amendment sticks.

And the only Republican to vote aye, Cao, said he only voted for the bill because the amendment was included.

Can you hear me Cao?

By GottaLaff

Can you hear me Cao?

Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao was the only Republican to vote in favor of the Democratic health care bill that passed the House late Saturday, a vote that came after President Obama called to personally to ask for his support, Cao told CNN.

The president dialed the freshman congressman from Louisiana around noon on Saturday, hours before a vote on an amendment offered by anti-abortion Democrats that banned most abortion coverage from the public option and other insurance providers in the insurance "exchange" the legislation would create. [...]

Cao said he explained to the president he could not support the health care bill without the amendment, but said he would support the bill if the abortion measure passed.

What an uphill battle this has been, and it will only get uphiller.

House Democrats who voted for Stupak amendment

By GottaLaff

This may have been the bitter pill we had to swallow in order to pass health care reform in the House, but that doesn't mean we have to like it, or agree with it. I sure don't. Abortions are legal, constitutional, and must be performed by, you know, doctors.

Here is a list of the Democrats who supported the anti-abortion amendment:

Bishop (GA)
Cardoza
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Cuellar
Dahlkemper
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Driehaus
Ellsworth
Ethridge
Hill
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kildee
Lipinski
Lynch
Michaud
Mollohan
Murtha
Neal (CA)
Oberstar
Obey
Ortiz
Perriello
Pomeroy
Rahall
Reyes
Rodriguez
Ryan (OH)
Salazar
Snyder
Spratt
Stupak
Wilson (OH)

I guess "choice" is only for those who can afford it. Hopefully the next round of primaries will offer us more of that choice thing. I vote for a robust primary option.