Just heard Pat Roberts on the Senate floor - WOW!

[MoonRiver]

He was engaged in a debate/dialog with Russ Feingold. Feingold had just gotten up to state his support for the Reid bill on Iraq withdrawal (which passed by a hefty majority). Feingold stated that while he felt Reid's bill was good, it didn't go far enough. Feingold has proposed a bill which cuts off funds by a date certain, and hopes this bill will at some point see the light of day.

Then Roberts got up and started up oozing compliments for Feingold - wow, wow, wow. He stated that while he doesn't agree with everything in Feingold's bill, he felt it SHOULD be presented to the Senate and voted on - WOW, WOW, WOW! Said this is a debate which is LONG overdue.
:wow:

Both of them acted like the best of friends, with mutually supportive comments coming a mile a minute. Feingold said several times that Roberts' support of his bill wasn't going to get Roberts any Brownie points among some of his constituents. Roberts agreed but said the issue was too important to worry about that right now.

:wow::wow::wow:

Am I weird to think this was an amazing personal and political exchange? Maybe it just an extreme example of Senate courtesy?

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Saw/heard that, but I though Roberts said he'd probably vote no

on Feingold's amendment(/resolution?). :shrug:

*sigh* Sometimes the "my good friend from ..." puts me to sleep and it takes me a minute to catch up. LOL!

[rodeodance]

12. Rob. just wanted it on todays Res---so he could attach Dems for NOT supporting

the troops.

[emulatorloo]

2. I call him Senator Pat "Cover-Up" Roberts. He has something up his sleeve.

In the meantime I will refer you to thinkprogress for a timeline of all the things Roberts did to cover-up Bushco's lying to get us into Iraq:

http://thinkprogress.org/roberts-coverup

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS): Chairman of the Senate Cover-up Committee

<snip>
As chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Sen. Pat Roberts’s (R-KS) duty is “to provide vigilant legislative oversight over the intelligence activities of the United States” and “to assure that such activities are in conformity with the Constitution and laws of the United States.” But on the most important intelligence issues facing Americans – such as the manipulation of Iraq intelligence, warrantless domestic spying, and torture - Roberts has transformed his committee into a “Senate Coverup Committee” for the Bush administration.

Warrantless Domestic Spying
Iraq Intelligence
Intelligence Leak Hypocrisy
Torture
What Editorial Boards Are Saying

<snip>

much more at link

[Counciltucky]

3. Amazing what happens when Dems take control. n/t

[SusanaMontana41]

9. Yes!

Just when I think Congress isn't moving quickly enough to undo six years of damage, someone reminds that our party has only been in control of the legislative branch since January. Rumsfeld gone, Gonzo on the ropes ... not a bad beginning.

[babylonsister]

4. I heard Roberts, and had to do several double-takes to make

sure it was actually him. It's been so long since we've seen a courteous exchange in the Senate that it did seem weird.
Lamar Alexander also surprised me; knocking this admin, saying it would be no sin to go back to the ISG report.
Makes me wonder if some of these rethugs are getting a wee bit sick of this admin themselves. There's got to be a point where supporting it would be considered political suicide. Maybe they're reaching that point?

[EST]

5. The bitterness was pretty evident.

Roberts was pretty pissed and whined that his way would moke it stronger while Fiengold shrugged and told him he was caught in the "heat of agreement!"
I thought it was a fair example of each considering the other an ass and having to be tensely polite about it.

[Mass]

6. Roberts was trying to trick Feingold in bringing the bill before he was ready to do so.

Remember how they did that in June with the Kerry/Feingold's bill.

Roberts has no interest in Feingold's bill, except forcing a vote on something that they could label "cutting funds for the troops".

As Feingold told him, this will come later, during the appropriation or the Supplemental Bill, where it belongs.

Right now, the goal is to vote on Iraq Strategy, a vote that did not yet occur. All that occured was that the GOP allowed the Senate to debate on the Iraq issue.

[blm]

11. BushInc WANTS Dems to have to vote to defund troops - Roberts is a total WH tool.

Always has been and always will be.

I doubt Feingold believes Roberts is sincere.

[emulatorloo]

26. See my post #2 above -- Pat Roberts is a snake and WILL DO ANYTHING to protect Bush eom

[Why Syzygy]

7. I can't help but think

that having DeLay out of the equation benefits all of us.
He is a monster, you know? He has his balls nailed to the wall, which was jerked away.

I find it hard to believe that people can fall into Bush schemes when they look at the evidence.
No one is ever saved. They are all sacrificed. So sign on up!

Good news.. Thanks for reporting. We need calm, civil, honest discourse in our State Houses.
The baffoom in chief does not have to destroy everything. Clean it up.

[TwilightGardener]

8. How did they get all those votes (98?) when half of the Senate

running for pres is at the Firefighters' thing today?

[Fovea]

10. Sen Roberts

is a man who is going to need friends. Because he is deeply involved in the lies of the executive branch.

I can see him being a target for censure at the very least

[MoonRiver]

13. Bingo! I think you just nailed Roberts' motive.

Up until today, I have only seen him engaged in the most hateful, vitriolic exchanges with ANYBODY who DARES to doubt dear leader. Suddenly, the tide has turned. Roberts on the ropes. Who'd a thunk it. :D

[Fovea]

14. And I think Trent Lott

as Asst Minority Senate leader may be behind the scenes telling Pubs that they are free agents for now.

Few in Congress have more reason to hate Rove, et al.

[MoonRiver]

15. I never thought of that one.

Makes sense though.

Oh the webs they weaved, when first they conspired to deceive. Time to get the broom and clean house.

[ComerPerro]

16. Roberts is not a good person. He wants to be able to read jingoistic remarks into the record

so he can use them in campaign commercials. Also, he wants to slam Dems who want to begin a process for withdrawal.

Hes up for reelection in 08, you know

[MoonRiver]

17. I despise that weasel.

That's why I was surprised with his change of tone. I think it's all about what the polls are telling him. Kansas is slowly but surely going blue. People are really turning on the extreme rightwing Republics there.

[ComerPerro]

19. Its complicated.

In Kansas, for the last several years, there have been two political parties. There are the moderate Republicans (non-fundies, big-business assholes) and the fundie freaks. While Sam Brownback has been a champion of the fundie freaks, Roberts has been more of a guy for the moderates.

While Kansas seems to be turning blue, with a Dem governor in her second term and a couple Dems in the House, most of these successes have come from running to the middle. The governor had to pick a reformed repig as Lt. Gov, for example.

So what you see happening is Brownback scooping up the fundies, especially now since he wants to run for president in 08, while Roberts wants to look as moderate (yet still conservative) as he can. No better way to do that than to get on the floor of the Senate and start preaching about how we have to support our troops, we have to win, we have to support the military, blah blah blah.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

18. When the last part of the Senate's Intelligence Committee's Report comes out soon, Roberts is going

to probably be in big trouble for trying to cover-up the lies. He needs all the friends he can muster up right now.

[tiptoe]

20. bingo!

[question everything]

21. Please include (R-KS) for those of us not familiar with all 100

(found this info down the thread..)

[MoonRiver]

23. Sorry. I tried to edit but it is too late.

[notadmblnd]

22. Pat "I'm the 911 investigation gatekeeper" Roberts

you mean that one? Total turn around coming from that one.

[Blackhatjack]

24. Roberts has his behind caught in a bear trap, and he had better make friends fast...

He almost single handedly obstructed and held up completion of the investigation into the faulty intelligence used to lie us into this war.

He knows exactly what was done to disrail the process, and he knows what is coming. THat is why he resigned from his own committee, so he would not present when the questions begin to fly over the obstruction that took place to protect the WHite House.

Roberts has many, many years of penance to do to begin rising to the level of a decent human being.

[bdamomma]

25. here are the nine senators who do not want debate Iraq War

http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2007/03/nine-who-wont-debate-iraq-war.html


Here are the nine Republicans who were the only votes opposing a full Senate debate on S.J. Res. 9, the United States Policy in Iraq Resolution of 2007:

Allard (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Coburn (R-OK)
DeMint (R-SC)
Enzi (R-WY)
Hatch (R-UT)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Thomas (R-WY)