Sentate Erases Libby Vote

[sabra]

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/07/20/280260.aspx

Last night, the US Senate erased a page of history -- literally. The body agreed to permanently remove from the constitutionally mandated Congressional Record a vote they'd taken earlier in the evening on a measure saying the president should not pardon Scooter Libby. The vote failed 47-49, but any reference to the vote itself was expunged as though it never happened.

The Senate was in the process of finishing up an education bill, when various Republican senators called for votes on measures having nothing to do with education, like Gitmo and the Fairness Doctrine. After apparently getting annoyed, Democrats countered with the Libby amendment. "If you are going to shoot this way, we have to shoot that way," said Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) on the floor.

Republicans were besides themselves. "Until this last amendment, I haven't seen politically inspired amendments before this body," Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said in opposition. There was so much audible grumbling from senators in reaction (and disbelief), that Kyl had to pause for it to subside. After the Libby vote failed, Republicans struck back hard, offering a amendment condemning about a dozen previous pardons by President Clinton. As one GOP aide put it, "we brought our gun to the knife fight." But cooler heads prevailed when both party leaders decided not to have the Clinton vote, and the Majority Leader Harry Reid simply asked that the Libby vote "be vitiated and stricken from the record."

And with those words, it never happened -- except on C-SPAN tapes. For what it's worth, Hillary Clinton, who was on the Hill, did not take the Libby vote.

[tridim]

1. I feel like I keep getting punched in the face

Left, right, right, left.. and there's nothing I can do about it. Fighting back by calling and writing my representatives does nothing, the punches just keep on coming.

[helderheid]

2. I feel beat up too.

[blogslut]

3. Darn, I wish I had seen that

Sounds like it was quite a ruckus

[LSK]

4. I was watching last night and I do not remember them actually voting on this

I do recall a lot of votes on amendments that had nothing to do with the education bill.

Kennedy at one point raged at the Republicans on why they dont want this bill passed.

[Bluerthanblue]

5. and if there is a future

where today is looked back upon as "history"-

Then people can say "see? no one really objected, it was *the will of the people*"



:nuke:

some one's gonna stick a fork in us one of these days

[LSK]

6. I do not think this happened

[Az]

7. Its idiot moves like this

That disintegrate any notion that the Dem leadership has a cohesive plan for dealing with Bush and Co. We sit here hoping that they know what they are doing re impeachment and the war and then they pull a bone head move like this.

[LSK]

8. ok folks here is the Congressional Record

AMENDMENT NO. 2356 TO AMENDMENT NO. 2327

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.

The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Colorado proposes an amendment numbered 2356 to amendment 2327:

At the appropriate place insert the following:

Since I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby previously served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney;

Since Mr. Libby was convicted in federal court of perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with efforts by the Bush White House to conceal the fact that Administration officials leaked the name of a covert CIA agent in order to discredit her husband, a critic of the Iraq War;

Since U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton sentenced Mr. Libby to 30 months in prison to reflect the seriousness of the offense, the sensitivity of the national security information involved in Libby's crime, and the abuse of Mr. Libby's position of trust in the United States government;

GPO's PDF

Since President Bush chose to commute Mr. Libby's prison sentence in its entirety, thereby entitling Libby to evade serious punishment for his criminal conduct;

Since President Bush has refused to rule out the possibility that he will eventually issue a full pardon to Mr. Libby with respect to his criminal conviction;

Now therefore be it determined that it is the Sense of the Senate that President Bush should not issue a pardon to I. Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby .

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado has 1 minute.

Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, it is, frankly, regrettable that as we work on this floor on an issue that is absolutely important to the people of this country; that is, the future of our children and their education and providing them with the opportunity to have the American dream, that we are having to have votes on politically motivated amendments that are coming forward from the other side. It would be in the best interest of this institution and the American people to stop this and not to go forward with these kinds of amendments.

Regrettably, if you are going to shoot this way, we have to shoot that way. I ask my colleagues to send the sense of the Senate to the President of the United States that he should not pardon Scooter Libby .

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

The assistant journal clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I believe there is an opportunity for someone to speak against the amendment; is that correct?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator has 1 minute.

Mr. KYL. Mr. President, until this last amendment, I haven't seen politically inspired amendments before this body, and we don't have to vote on politically inspired amendments.

As the distinguished Presiding Officer knows, a suggestion of political motivation is a violation of the rules of the Senate, and I don't believe that any of these amendments have been politically inspired.

The next one offered by Republicans has to do with Pell grants. I think the senior Senator from California had a very serious amendment with respect to detainees at Guantanamo, and there was an amendment which related to that issue. We had an amendment on the fairness doctrine, another on the Secret Ballot Protection Act.

These are serious amendments. I am sure my colleague did not wish to suggest they were politically inspired. I hope that we don't get into politically inspired amendments and that our colleagues will vote against the amendment that has been offered just for that reason.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Time has expired.

Mr. REID. I ask for the yeas and nays.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?

(Subsequently, action on this amendment was vitiated.)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is recognized.

AMENDMENT NO. 2357 TO AMENDMENT NO. 2327

Mr. McCONNELL. I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.

The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Kentucky proposes an amendment numbered 2357 to amendment No. 2327:

[LSK]

9. and at this point I turned it on

The Senator from Kentucky proposes an amendment numbered 2357 to amendment No. 2327:

Deploring the actions of former President William Jefferson Clinton regarding his granting of clemency to terrorists, to family members, donors, and individuals represented by family members, to public officials of his own political party, and to officials who violated laws protecting United States intelligence, and concluding that such actions by former President Clinton were inappropriate.

The Armed Forces of National Liberation (the FALN) is a terrorist organization that claims responsibility for the bombings of approximately 130 civilian, political, and military sites throughout the United States, and whereas, on August 11, 1999, President Clinton commuted the sentences of 16 terrorists, all of whom were members of the FALN, and whereas this action was taken counter to the recommendation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and two United States Attorneys;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton commuted the sentence of Susan L. Rosenberg, a former member of the Weather Underground Organization terrorist group whose mission included the violent overthrow of the United States Government, who was charged in a robbery that left a security guard and 2 police officers dead;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton commuted the sentence of Linda Sue Evans, a former member of the Weather Underground Organization terrorist group, who made false statements and used false identification to illegally purchase firearms that were then used by Susan L. Rosenberg in a robbery that left a security guard and 2 police officers dead;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton pardoned Patricia Hearst Shaw, a former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army, a domestic terrorist group which also advocated the violent overthrow of the United States, and that carried out violent attacks in the United States;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton, who had been convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and of distribution of cocaine;

Since, on March 15, 2000, former President Clinton pardoned Edgar and Vonna Jo Gregory, who had been convicted of conspiracy to willfully misapply bank funds and to make false statements and who, according to news reports, were represented by the former President's brother-in-law, Tony Rodham;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton commuted the sentence of Carlos Vignali, a convicted cocaine trafficker who, according to news reports, was represented by the former President's brother-in-law, Hugh Rodham;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton pardoned Almon Glenn Braswell, an individual convicted of money laundering and tax evasion, who according to news reports, was represented by former President's brother-in-law, Hugh Rodham;

Since, on December 22, 2000, former President Clinton pardoned former Democratic Representative Dan Rostenkowski, who had been convicted of mail fraud;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton commuted the sentence of convicted sex offender and former Democratic Representative Mel Reynolds, who had been found guilty of bank fraud, wire fraud, making false statements to a financial institution, conspiracy to defraud the Federal Elections Commission, and making false statements to a Federal official;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton pardoned his former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros, who had been convicted of making false statements about payments to his mistress;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton pardoned Susan McDougal, who had been a key figure in the Whitewater investigation and who had been convicted of aiding and abetting, in making false statements, and who refused to testify against the former President in the investigation;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton pardoned Christopher Wade, who was a real estate salesmen involved in the Whitewater matter;

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton pardoned his former Director of Central Intelligence John Deutch for his mishandling of national security secrets; and

Since, on January 20, 2001, former President Clinton pardoned Samuel Loring Morison, a former Navy intelligence analyst who was convicted on espionage charges: Now, therefore, be it determined that it is the sense of the Senate that

(1) former President Clinton's granting of clemency to 16 FALN terrorists, two former members of the Weather Underground Organization, and a former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army was inappropriate;

(2) former President Clinton's granting of clemency to individuals either in his family or represented by family members was inappropriate;

(3) former President Clinton's granting of clemency to public figures from his own political party was inappropriate;

(4) former President Clinton's pardons of individuals involved with the Whitewater investigation, a matter in which the former First Family was centrally involved, was inappropriate; and

(5) former President Clinton's pardons of individuals who have jeopardized intelligence gathering and operations were inappropriate.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is recognized for 1 minute.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if the Senate has decided to go into debating the appropriateness of future pardons, there is plenty of material to go around on past pardons. President Clinton's decision to pardon a host of individuals convicted of serious crimes then is certainly worthy of Senate comment as well.

Many of the individuals were convicted of the crime of terrorism. Some were individuals who jeopardized intelligence gathering. Some were family members and represented by family.

My fundamental point is if the Senate wants to spend the evening commenting on the advisability of pardons that have not yet occurred, maybe we ought to go on record discussing the appropriateness of pardons that have already occurred.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Massachusetts is recognized.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, what in the world does the Republican leader have against this legislation? The legislation we have here before the Senate passed 17 to 3. The authorizing provision that changes policy was virtually unanimous. Young people all over the country are looking in on the Senate. This is about the future of this next generation, their hopes and their dreams. It is about our country and being able to compete in the world. It is about the quality of our Armed Forces, about getting well-trained, well-educated young people. It is about our institutions, whether they are going to be functioning and working.

Why can't we go ahead and vote on this legislation? We were here for 2 days waiting for different amendments on education and few of them came. Why in the world are you holding up this legislation that means so much to the future of our young people? We are prepared to vote. We didn't have amendments over here on our side. We want to get this legislation going ahead. We are looking forward to the reauthorization debate for next week, and we are looking forward to getting something worthy of this institution.

In the 45 years I have been in the Senate under the leadership of Stafford of Vermont, of Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, of the Members whom we have had here--we have had true commitment.

Why are we disrupting this effort?

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired.