RAWSTORY: Bush censure could reach full vote, senator says

[Coexist]

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Bush_censure_could_reach_full_vote_0330.html

Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) on Wednesday left open the possibility that Sen. Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) bill to censure President Bush could get its day before the full Senate, a move certain to ignite an intense partisan showdown with election-year stakes, ROLL CALL reports Thursday. Excerpts:

Specter said he doesn’t know how the controversial resolution will play out before his Judiciary Committee, but suggested it could be brought to the floor under a rare procedural move. The panel could vote to defeat the bill, but send it to the floor anyway with an unfavorable recommendation.

“Friday is a work day for me,” Specter said. “I’ll be here. We’ll have a hearing.”

So - how long do you think we have between the Hearing on Friday and the floor vote? We need to get busy next week.

[stop the bleeding]

1. Busy week indeed

This should be interesting

[ray of light]

23. Democracy Cell Project is livebloggin it. I just saw this...

Great News-- the Democracy Cell Project will be live blogging the Censure hearing
by Silence is Complicity
Thu Mar 30, 2006 at 04:49:56 PM PDT
Karen from the Democracy Cell Project will be live blogging the censure hearing tomorrow as it happens, right at 9:30 am. Though I believe cspan will probably have the hearing, she will actually be there in the room and will be taking note of any whispers, facial expressions, and even any hidden by-plays. In other words, she'll be there to give all of us the information that the camera is leaving out.

Silence is Complicity's diary :: ::
Given the fact that WE are the media, this is important to know.

Also, the dcp has the irc chatroom where you can join in the discussion and chat in real time.

We hope you'll join us because we see this as the first step into holding Bush and the supporting members of congress accountable for their actions.

So please join us and help us keep fighting the corruption and the indecency in DC.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/3/30/184956/945

http://www.democracycellproject.net/blog

[still_one]

2. so will the Democrats have a backbone if it does come to the floor?

[Hissyspit]

3. Probably not, but just the fact that it is having to be debated

forces a framing of the issue - the issue of the true nature of this president and this administration.

[bdamomma]

4. I hope they grow some backbone

before this idiot throws us into another war with Iran, Iran has 30 days according to thug John Bolton.

[hwmnbn]

14. Welcome to DU, alyce douglas ....

:hi:

[darkmaestro019]

38. Yeah, they'll play the same game.....

The inspectors will say "Uh, we can't find any." And Bush will say "That's because they're hidden! Attack!" It's such a neat catch-22. Real real cute.

[Coexist]

5. Frist will be happy with this,

but if the Democrats stand united, we can wipe the smile off of his face. I think that bringing it to the floor will be good, in a way.

If the hearing receives major media coverage (and it probably will, with the prospect of a full Senate vote and not being killed in Committee) having Constitutional scholars and justices discussing, on talking head shows will be fantastic.

They will discuss how the President DID break the law, and there is NO legal justification for his actions. This might pressure some Senators to vote the right way.

[still_one]

12. excellent observation, I didn't consider that

[CrazyForKucinich]

30. My Dem. Senator...already says he's not supporting Feingold...

and I told Mark Dayton to rot in hell. Thank goodness that piece of shit is leaving. A vote will be nice to see where everyone stands so we can get rid of every pos that doesn't vote for it.

[lonestarnot]

6. This may prove to be an interesting Friday.

[Trevelyan]

7. K&R Strike while the iron is hot... we are running out of time...

email and call while we still can. Bravo Senator Feingold!!

[Coexist]

8. I think a coordinated email/fax/phone campaign

might be more effective in the three days leading up to the actual floor vote.
What do you think?

[stop the bleeding]

9. I think that is what we need - K&R !!!

:patriot:

[zanne]

10. This is just another show.

Reminiscent of the Murtha controversy and the Republicans deciding to take a vote about getting out of Iraq. If they make a big stink about it, ridicule the idea and quickly take a vote without allowing any discussion, it makes Democrats look bad, because few of them will have the balls to vote for it.

[Wilms]

11. K&R n/t

[jsamuel]

13. 33%

[kentuck]

15. Good time for Reid to take a headcount....

and to have a strategy.

We can assume that almost every Repub will vote against it, perhaps every one. Therefore, it will be defeated. However, the important part of the strategy is how many Democrats vote for the censure. If 50% or more Dems vote for censure, that keeps investigations and impeachment alive if Dems take back the House or Senate... It gives them credibility.

[lonestarnot]

17. And surely they are aware of this.

[ThomCat]

16. This will only be allowed to come to a vote if

they know it's going to fail.

[NYC Liberal]

18. I WANT Repukes to vote against this

It will put their position officially on record for the 2006 campaign and election! Bush is only going to get less popular, not more - so siding with him officially will not go over well.

[NYC Liberal]

19. delete

[Demeter]

20. On Such Thin Reeds Does Our Nation's Future Hang

when what we really need is a mighty oak, or a granite peak.

[Trevelyan]

21. Feingold is beginning to look like granite. Reid voted for the Patriot

Act WITHOUT SEN. FEINGOLD'S AMENDMENT TO PROTECT OUR LIBERTIES.

I wanted to believe in Reid also but we hurt our cause by continuing to believe in Kerry cowards. Reid did nothing to stop Roberts or Alito. If Dems fail on this, we need another party, really. DCCC just spent a million in Hacketting another grassroots Dem with the fundraising help of the Molly Ivins' named sob Hillary and the Mr. Capitulation Kerry.


http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/3/30/34714/7535

==The DCCC works to defeat a Democrat
by cfinnie Thu Mar 30, 2006
That's right, on Tuesday, March 21, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the DCCC, won their first election--against another Democrat.

Washington knows best
They brought in the big guns. Hillary Clinton hosted a big-ticket fundraiser in New York. John Kerry sent out emails to raise more money. Barack Obama taped TV spots. By the end of the campaign, the Tammy Duckworth for Congress campaign had sent eleven different pieces of direct mail to voters in the 6th District in Illinois, covered the airwaves with commercials, and had spent close to $1,000,000....

The Party is a lost cause
If they take your guy down, I would suggest he run as an Independent aka Jeffords and Sanders. The Dems need to be punished. Until we can do that, they don't give a damn about us - the people. For 5 freakin years, the Dems have been afraid to have an opinion on anything. Now when illegals are about to blow the Pugs in half, here comes Teddy and the Dems supporting Bush's corporate welfare stance on the false pretence of supporting "civil rights". So instead of holding corporations accountable for all of their illegal hires, they are going to support amnesty. But Feingold says, hold Bush accountable - and they all run to the basement. Think about it. The Dems are corporate owned just like the Pugs. If they take your guy down, he should run as an Independent. I think Cegelis should, too.

Patriot Party 08: Feingold, Murtha, Boxer, Harkin, Conyers, Kucinich, Sanders & Dean.

[ladywnch]

22. unfortunately, knowing Spector

I expect the only reason he is even considering letting this come before the full Senate is that he KNOWS he has the votes to kill it......and he'll come off looking like a hero for having allowed to move forward....a true defender of justice! (pfffft!!!)

[adigal]

24. And Rove put him up to it, knowing the Dems

will wimp out and look like wusses. And then they can put it to rest, like the did the Iraq pull-out.

The only way the Dems mess up their plan is to vote FOR it!! Then they can keep the talk alive!

[peony]

25. Censure Hearing Live on C-Span Friday March 31st @ 10:00 AM ET!!!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

32. Government site says 9:30

Tune in early, just in case...

9:30 a.m.
Judiciary
To hold hearings to examine the call to censure
the President.
SH-216

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/committees/one_item_and_teasers/committee_hearings.htm

[Bleacher Creature]

26. Let's review something

Number of Republicans in the Senate: 55

Number of Republican Senators with a shred of dignity or principle: 0

Bringing it to the floor would just be a cheap ploy, since it has no chance of passing so long as Bush's lapdogs remain there. On a side note, Rove must have some serious dirt on a few of them.

[autorank]

27. You're right, it won't pass but it will put all the R Senators on record.

Come '06 election day, I don't think those up for election will be to happy to be associated with that vote. Bring it on. I want to see who stands out from our side. That's a bench mark too.

[orleans]

28. i hate to say it (but being the glass is half empty girl that i am)

i'm guessing that we'll only have a handful on "our" side (ie: even our side won't be on our side)

[autorank]

29. Like the Ohio electors. I'm betting 15-18 will support...

What do you think? Can we break 20?

What a line, "even our side won't be on our side", damn, worth stealing;)

[orleans]

31. lets see.....russ, boxer, kennedy, kerry, durbin, levin, harkin, leahy,

who would you add to the list (or take off the list)

[autorank]

36. OK, here's our list...those who voted no on cluture for Alito

No on cloture to end debate (stop filibuster) on Alito:

Democrats No (24)

Bayh, Ind.; Biden, Del.; Boxer, Calif.; Clinton, N.Y.; Dayton, Minn.; Dodd, Conn.; Durbin, Ill.; Feingold, Wis.; Feinstein, Calif.; Kennedy, Mass.; Kerry, Mass.; Lautenberg, N.J.; Leahy, Vt.; Levin, Mich.; Menendez, N.J.; Mikulski, Md.; Murray, Wash.; Obama, Ill.; Reed, R.I.; Reid, Nev.; Sarbanes, Md.; Schumer, N.Y.; Stabenow, Mich.; Wyden, Ore.

Let's eliminate these right away: (5)

Bayh, Ind.; Biden, Del.;Feinstein, Calif.;Obama, Ill.; Schumer, N.Y.

Truly don't know: (1)

Clinton, N.Y.

Whose left from the no vote crew: (18)

Boxer, Calif.; Dayton, Minn.; Dodd, Conn.; Durbin, Ill.; Feingold, Wis.; Kennedy, Mass.; Kerry, Mass.; Lautenberg, N.J.; Leahy, Vt.; Levin, Mich.; Menendez, N.J.; Mikulski, Md.; Murray, Wash.; Reed, R.I.; Reid, Nev.; Sarbanes, Md.; Stabenow, Mich.; Wyden, Ore.

Who do we add from the yes on cloture: (1)

Byrd, D, WV

The estimated total YAYS for Censure are: 19 (plus or minus 1), I'll say 18 (I think Dodd will chicken out).

What do you think?

[orleans]

39. hummm....

sometimes clinton surprises me (dare she surprise me on this one?)
obama surprises me sometimes too...so....


i'm looking over a list of senators i complied from their votes in 2005
lower numbers equates liberal with a boxer, kerry, kennedy & durbin liberal comparison base

of course corzine is out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2382202

(what about rockefeller? he was the one who handwrote that letter to cheney to begin with?)

byrd....loves the constitution but will that be enough?

1.73% SARBANES (MD)
1.76% LAUTENBURG (NJ)
2.14% MIKULSKI (MD)
2.89% REED (RI)
3.19% CORZINE (NJ)
3.57% CLINTON (NY)
3.75% LEVIN (MI)
3.79% OBAMA (IL)
4.05% LEAHY (VT)
4.71% HARKIN (IA)
5.13% DAYTON (MN)
5.18% MURRAY (WA)
5.23% SCHUMER (NY)
5.49% AKAKA (HI)
5.53% STABENOW (MI)
6.36% DODD (CT)
6.45% FEINSTEIN (CA)
6.88% JEFFORDS (VT)
6.96% WYDEN (OR)
7.49% REID (NV)

[Senator]

33. Only Sen. Boxer objected to the Ohio electors

No one who just blew gas should be credited with anything.

And bloviation won't cut it this time either.

--
www.january6th.org

[autorank]

37. Barbara was it. The 12 -13 who debated with here were honorary Sophists.

Lets see, we'll debate with her and then, yeah, and then, we'll vote against her. It's a plan.

:rofl:

Great moments in democracy.

[chicofaraby]

34. American Voters need to know which choice Senators make

Censure

OR

Warrantless, secret spying on Americans in their homes by the governmnent.



I sure want to know which one MY Senators choose.

[Senator]

35. Get busy now. Message - "There's NO Downside, Stupid!"

Remind then of the Alito debacle, when they had more votes against than they needed to filibuster.

Outside the beltway this made them look weak, stupid, and incompetent -- big time.

You can't fight terrorism if you can't even fight bush. Really-Real Security Plan or not.

Don't be polite. Express your disgust that they even hesitate to stand on principle.

The simple fact is "violence" works.

--
www.january6th.org