The quorum call is finally over. n/t.

[globalvillage]

[globalvillage]

1. Sounds like they're going to vote on the bill

without ANWR. No wonder Ted's so pissed.

[karynnj]

2. But Kerry's probably happy -

I wonder how long it will take Stevens to try another trick in the new year?

[globalvillage]

3. He's still working on this one. n/t

[globalvillage]

4. Stevens just had a meltdown and left.

Wonder if he'll make good on his promise to retire?

[Mass]

5. After this, I think the next Commerce Senate Committee hearing will be fun

to watch (at least the first one where Kerry or Cantwell will be).

[TayTay]

8. Yeah, I wonder if Stevens was referring to Kerry

when he spoke about a Senator that he could never forgive for his actions on ANWR. (Too bad Ted. I bleed for ya buddy, just bleed for ya. Not.)

[Mass]

9. Given his reference to Tsongas having given his word for ANWR

to be exploited and having left too early to follow on his word, I think Kerry was definitively one of those.

He referred to two senators (Tsongas and Jackson (WA), so he cant be too happy that Cantwell and Kerry are leading that.

[karynnj]

13. I know Kerry replaced Tsongas

but why would Kerry, who ran as an liberal and had great environmental credentials even then, even think he should take on a Tsongas promise. Hadn't he by virtue of his campaign promised Massachusetts that he would continue to be good on the environment.

Or was it all Kerry's comments that they were breaking the rules - which he seemed sensitive about. But if the Republicans would have played fair in the election, the entire issue would likely have been dead because of President Kerry. When is Stevens' term up?

[Mass]

14. Welcome to Stevens's little world.

All is favors and pork. Nothing else.

[karynnj]

15. wow, So I guess that he can't even see where Senator Kerry

is coming from. He does seem to have very little use for Kerry. Was the fight between them always this personal?

[globalvillage]

16. Stevens has till 2008

I don't think he'll make it.

[TayTay]

17. I think times have changed.

Sen. Tsongas was not Sen. Kerry. They ran on different things. Sen. Tsongas was more of a moderate than JK. Everyone has their signature issues and the environment is one of Sen. Kerry's.

It is silly, on the face of it, to have Ted Stevens angry at JK for trying to save ANWR. This is what Kerry ran on with the good people of Massachusetts. He is not beholden to what any other prior Sen from Mass ran on. That is just silly. Stevens knows this. This is a completely bogus argument on his part. (And it's irrelevant.)

Boo hoo Ted. Guess you know have to explain to ExxonMobil and the other members of the Oil Cartel why you couldn't put ANWR under their Christmas Tree this year. (They just might start to quesiton you about that $10 million in contributions over the years from them and ask just what they are getting for their money lately.)

[ProSense]

11. That's the problem with Stevens and his ilk

everything is a favor, scratchy my back and I'll return the favor. Not some things, but everything. How about respecting someone for standing on principle. What a whining weasel.

[globalvillage]

12. Shit. He's back.

I thought he was leaving, the lying little bastard.
At least he voted yes.

[ProSense]

19. Yeah, after all the drama. n/t

[globalvillage]

22. Check this out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2327933#2328004

[ProSense]

23. .

:rofl:

[TayTay]

24. Ah, this is so damn sweet.

I just keep remembering that friggin bastid Grover Norquist and what he said a year ago:

Many wonder what it will take to restore social civility to Washington, to get Republicans and Democrats mingling again. Rock-ribbed Republican Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, proffered a solution, telling us that Democrats must accept the finality of their powerlessness. "Once the minority of House and Senate are comfortable in their minority status, they will have no problem socializing with the Republicans. Any farmer will tell you that certain animals run around and are unpleasant, but when they've been fixed, then they are happy and sedate. They are contented and cheerful. They don't go around peeing on the furniture and such." Norquist assured us that he meant neutered "psychologically" and his metaphor was "facetious." Of course: Let the healing begin.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24186-2004Nov4.html

Bite me you Rethug bastard. Everytime the Dems win one in the Congress, I think of good ole Grover, from Weston Massachusetts, and think: Hey Grover, whose parts are you protecting now, buddy? I think of Grover wondering what happened with his plan to, ah, cut the Democrats and make them heel on command. And I smile and laugh and laugh and laugh. (Eat sh*t you arsehole. You are a disgrace to the great State of Massachusetts. If it were up to me, I'd buy the land under that house in Weston you were brought up in, knock the place down, salt the earth and never let anything living get near it again. Yeah, you bastard, who stopped your little plan for ANWR? Yeah, Mass says hi, you freakin bastard.)

[ProSense]

6. Maybe he retired! (wish) n/t

[Mass]

7. Let's hope they get the vote - It seems very tight. - YES: 48-45

[globalvillage]

10. YES!!!

:toast:

[MH1]

18. And give credit to Specter - he voted Yes

on removing ANWR drilling from the bill.

Of course he's always been against ANWR drilling AFAIK so I was really mad at him earlier when he voted Yes on cloture. :shrug:

[globalvillage]

20. I will give him credit.

After all, he's the best we've got.
:cry:

[jenndar]

21. I was so happy.

I'll need to send him a thank-you tomorrow.

[Inuca]

25. I am curious...

...about a couple of things about the vote. Such as why, given how tight it was, why there were so many that did not vote at all? Such as on our side Corzine, Harkin, and even Chaffee? Also, Coleman??

[karynnj]

26. That's a good question

I know years ago Senators on opposite sides who couldn't make votes would pair up and those pairing - with neither voting - were even listed in the paper (identifying what side they were on. I haven't seen this lately - but I assume the Senators managing the bill (and the leadership probably knew what was needed.

[Inuca]

27. Confusing & fascinating...

... that's why I got hooked on C-SPAN2 this last year (my husband thinks I should have my head examined). It may be kind of pathetic at times with somebody giving a grand speech to an empty chamber, but fascinating nevertheless. In any case, do you think that say Reid can know how Coleman is going to vote, and can thus give Corzine the green light to go back to NJ?

[TayTay]

28. It's not crazy at all.

I have been a C-Span junkie for 15+ years. This is the best 'reality TV' there is. People who don't watch it think it's all about committee hearings on dull stuff. Those of us who actually watch the hearings and speeches and even, God help us, the House and Senate sessions, know this is some of the most dramatic stuff going on. (Not all the time, but sometimes, my goodness, it's riveting.)

We have had a lot of people from DU in the last year or so become C-Span Junkies. Each one of them mentions how they never thought this would happen to them, but, dammit, govt can be fascinating to watch at work. (Honestly, who knew?)

Be careful! First comes watching C-Span, then comes writing letters to C-Span asking them to cover up coming events, then comes the Tivo so you can tape stuff off of C-Span and the next thing you know, you watching Senators vote and commenting on who is talking to whom and how much they are gesticulating and stuff. It's a slippery slope of pure information. (I love it.)

[ginnyinWI]

29. Also you start making comments like

"we won one today in the Senate!" to your family members, or "you should have seen Sen Byrd today--here I recorded it, come and watch."

And if they are nice, they humor you, with eyes rolling. ;)

[rox63]

30. And soon

you end up trying to interpret the meaning of the tie a particular politician chose to wear when he voted for a certain bill. :D