Fight back with facts: McConnell voted WITH the Democrats last night

[lapucelle]

Last edited Sat Jan 20, 2018, 11:48 AM - Edit history (1)

against the motion to invoke cloture, as did 4 other Republicans.

Meanwhile, 5 Democrats cast the same "yea" vote as did the majority of Republicans. This is not "Schumer's Shutdown".

Yes, I know that McConnell's and the 5 Democratic votes were purely strategic and that the measure to end debate needed 60 votes to pass, but facts are facts. The measure failed by a vote of 50-49 with 5 Republicans, including the Senate majority leader, voting on the Democratic side. Casting strategic and/or ideological votes should not be a privilege reserved for Republicans.

Schumer and McConnell cast the EXACT SAME VOTE last night.

I'm going to drive that point home.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2018/s14

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr195

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Even if Democrats voted for cloture and every Democrat voted FOR the House bill

they never had enough GOP votes to pass it.

[lapucelle]

7. Yes, but McConnell failed in getting the vote to the floor

and was forced to vote with the Democrats due to Senate rules. Democrats are not responsible for Republicans's failures.

McConnell and 4 other Republicans voted "for the shutdown". Five Democrats voted "against the shutdown". The vote went down to defeat 50-49.

That's going to be my talking point if the Republicans I work with bring up up the topic. It's not my fault if they don't grasp the nuances.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. However Der Drumpenfuhrer is tweeting about the 60 vote threshold

(and need to elect more GOP members to the Senate) to his brainless hoardes, and it is really something he doesn't understand but put it out there anyway. You don't even have to go as far as you did to confuse the issue.

The House bill was DOA in the Senate thanks to the GOP members who opposed it. And they could always change the rules to eliminate the filibuster (something Turtle has not yet broached but may consider at some point) and the bill would have STILL been DOA thanks to the GOP.

[SCantiGOP]

22. You need to delete your post

This is a totally innacurate and misleading depiction of what happened. The reality is explained below so I don’t want to waste time explaining it.

[lapucelle]

23. I don't see how this is innacurate.

From the OP:

"Yes, I know that McConnell's and the 5 Democratic votes were purely strategic and that the measure to end debate needed 60 votes to pass, but facts are facts. The measure failed by a vote of 50-49 with 5 Republicans, including the Senate majority leader, voting on the Democratic side. Casting strategic and/or ideological votes should not be a privilege reserved for Republicans."

If Sean Hannity and his cohort are going to frame this as a close vote defeated by Democratic obstructionism, I'm recommending countering with the facts. If anyone would also like to provide additional nuance by explaining the filibuster, cloture rules, and the principles of strategic legislative voting to misguided Republicans, they are certainly free to do so.

[malaise]

2. Is Thad Cochran back in DC? n/t

[hlthe2b]

3. Guys.. this is a procedural vote. The Majority Leader has to vote no in order to allow him

to bring the issue up again.


https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/19/government-shutdown-bill-fails-in-senate-after-house-passes-plan.html
The measure failed in a procedural vote by a 50 to 49 margin. Five Democrats — Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Doug Jones of Alabama and Claire McCaskill of Missouri — had backed it. Four Republicans — Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah — opposed it. So did Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for procedural reasons.

[Lochloosa]

5. Saved me some typing.

[hlthe2b]

6. Unfortunately, I've found most people post in threads without reading other comments

So, you and I are probably "speaking" to each other (only)

[Kirk Lover]

12. I read it ! Thank you for posting that, many of us don't know all these procedures etc...n/t

[lapucelle]

14. But those of us who do know that this was a procedural vote

that needed 60 votes to pass should be prepared for the Republican talking point that this vote failed 50-49 due to Democratic obstructionism.

That's why it's important to know all the facts about the vote breakdown last night

[Kirk Lover]

15. It's also a good talking point because most deplorables won't realize about the

procedural vote so this will be good to throw their way this weekend !

[lapucelle]

18. Nor will they realize that it needed 60 votes. That's my point.

Hit Republican "friends" with these facts. If they don't understand the nuances, then they need to become better educated.

[lapucelle]

19. Many even fail to read the entire OP.

"Yes, I know that McConnell's and the 5 Democratic votes were purely strategic and that the measure to end debate needed 60 votes to pass, but facts are facts."

There it is in black and white: "Yes, I know that McConnell's vote was purely strategic."

[lapucelle]

17. Many people would be saved typing if they read the whole OP.

"Yes, I know that McConnell's and the 5 Democratic votes were purely strategic and that the measure to end debate needed 60 votes to pass, but facts are facts."

[lapucelle]

9. Yes, I know it's procedural, but that's not how Republicans are framing it,

so neither will I when talking to Republicans.

[lapucelle]

13. That's why it's important to read the entire OP.

"Yes, I know that McConnell's and the 5 Democratic votes were purely strategic and that the measure to end debate needed 60 votes to pass, but facts are facts."

This is about framing the narrative with our Republican "friends".

[sheshe2]

4. Wow!

[procon]

8. Calm down. It's just procedural so the majority leader can bring it back to a vote. Nf

[lapucelle]

11. Yes, I know. I said that in the OP

and provided links to that fact. This is about framing the narrative when talking to Republicans.

And I am quite calm, thank you.

[Kirk Lover]

16. Maybe you should add this to the OP because everybody is just getting hung up on

correcting you.

[lapucelle]

20. It is in the OP.

"Yes, I know that McConnell's and the 5 Democratic votes were purely strategic and that the measure to end debate needed 60 votes to pass, but facts are facts."

It's amazing how many people who don't bother to read an entire OP are quick to jump on what they mistakenly perceive to be an error.

[lapucelle]

21. I edited to bold the information so speed readers don't miss the point. N/T