Breaking News: Cheney Breaks Senate Tie on Spending Cuts

[im10ashus]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation to cut federal deficits by $39.7 billion on Wednesday by the narrowest of margins, 51-50, with Vice President Dick Cheney casting the deciding vote.

The measure, the product of a year's labors by the White House and the GOP in Congress, imposes the first restraints in nearly a decade in federal benefit programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and student loans.

''This is the one vote you'll have this year to reduce the rate of growth of the federal government,'' said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, in a final plea for passage.

But Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada countered that the GOP was advancing ''an ideologically driven, extreme, radical budget. It caters to lobbyists and an elite group of ultraconservative ideologues here in Washington, all at the expense of middle class Americans,'' he said.

cont'd...

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Congress-Rdp.html

[hart]

1. Does this mean I get a tax cut?

Just kidding.

[benny05]

5. I don't know about you

But the top 1% got another--and many of us who got a cut will pay more in other kinds taxes (generally state and local) to pay for this bill.

[mattclearing]

16. Not to mention price hikes. n/t

[benny05]

2. Pitiful

They still spent more money than saving. This bill is a travesty to those who are our neediest citizens--their own lump of coal next year.

[Skink]

3. Cheney returns to starve the beast.

[Sydnie]

7. Ain't that the truth

But don't look into his travel arrangements ... that wouldn't be "fair".

[Just Me]

10. Cheney obviously hates 95% of the American people.

He is obliged to exploit them, over and over again.

What an asshole!!! I want to see him imprisoned forever. :mad:

[im10ashus]

13. I feel the same way.

Is there no low to which he will stoop to fuck the little people? It's like he gets a kick out of it.

[IndyOp]

4. .

:cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke: :cry: :puke:

[im10ashus]

6. My sentiments exactly! n/t

[Wind Dancer]

22. I'm feeling the same way!

This must be one of the many reasons Cheney returned so quickly.

[Nimrod2005]

8. We need the names of the Dems who voted with EVIL....

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[im10ashus]

9. Searching now.

Will get the link.

[hatrack]

11. Nelson of Nebraska?

He'd be my first nominee. :puke:

[Sydnie]

21. None - we picked up 5 repug votes and Jeffords too

That's why Cheney had to break the tie. One more Repug on our side and we could have defeated this bill!

[SharonRB]

23. None of them actually

Here you go, from the NYT:

All 44 Democrats voted against the measure, as did Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont, an independent. Five of 55 Republicans crossed party lines to oppose the bill as well. They included Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, as well as Sens. Gordon Smith of Oregon, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Of them, Chafee, DeWine and Snowe are seeking re-election next year.

[Nimrod2005]

28. Saw that thanks....

[thereismore]

12. Well at least the repugs are now well hidden behind Cheney. See?

"CHENEY DID IT! I just work here..."

[Giant Robot]

14. How does this cruelty persist?

I understand Cheney has no soul, thats a given. But there were 50 others voting for this piece of garbage. This cannot continue, for starving the beast means starving a significant portion of the country. Please for the love of God everyone in the country wake up as to what is going on!

[katinmn]

15. House votes again, passage all but certain

Damn. Wish we could force the House members to vote this down. No chance of that happening though unless Repukes thought they'd lose their seats next year.


Dems tried but the majority rules.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In maneuvering in advance of the final vote, Democrats succeeded in forcing minor changes.

That requires the House to vote on the bill before it can be sent to President Bush for his signature. Passage is all but certain, but the timing remains in question, since most House members have returned home for the holidays

snip
He wasn't the only one who made an unexpected trip back to Washington. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., flew back on Tuesday night. He has been recuperating at home from knee replacement surgery, and he made his way into the Senate with the aid of a walker.

[im10ashus]

17. Here's the vote!

Grouped By Vote Position YEAs ---50
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

NAYs ---50
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)

http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00363

[LincolnMcGrath]

18. Party Unity

For a change!

[im10ashus]

19. With a few repugs voting nay!

That's encouraging. I think. :shrug:

[IndyOp]

24. Encouraging in a god-damn I'm exhausted sort of way. (nt)

[Sydnie]

30. As bad as that last vote was for all of us

this next one will determine if we still have a government of rules and laws or if we have anarchy in the Senate.

The "gypsys are in the palace" (to quote Jimmy Buffet). Are we going to let them stay or are we going to stop them?

Here is the line in the sand. It's more than just the ANWR vote ... it's how we got to this point (violating the rules by adding this AFTER the report was signed) and where we go from here (stopping the rules violations in their tracks).

We will know him by the deeds he does. If they allow this to fly, we are done for.

[im10ashus]

31. That's the thing I don't get.

How in hell can they add this AFTER the report was signed. It goes beyond the pale. :mad:

[Sydnie]

37. That is how they broke the rules and it is beyond the pale

Just how far are we going to let them go this time?

[im10ashus]

39. Apparently as far as they'd like.

Why aren't American's standing up and yelling? It's as if they don't care they are being screwed. Pisses me off.

[Sydnie]

41. Most won't know until after the fact and many will not

understand it when they are told. The good things will out weigh the bad that it took to get there ... that is how they will play it and the sheeple will gobble it up.

[Kolesar]

61. I'm lost here

What about the rules & signing off?

[im10ashus]

62. I think we will hear more about that soon.

They did break the rules by adding on to the Bill. Let's see what happens. The ANWR part isn't going forward yet, which is a good thing, as far as I understand.

[katinmn]

20. 5 Repubs voted against.it. No Dems strayed to the evil side

this time.

edit: correct number

[Norquist Nemesis]

26. Snowe, Chaffee, DeWine, Smith, and Collins

:)

[liberal N proud]

35. These guys must be worried about re-election?

[Nimrod2005]

27. Excellent, too bad Hagel did not vote with us?

[Karmadillo]

38. Gosh. The noble, heroic, maverick McCain voted for it. Must have been

the right thing to do.

[im10ashus]

40. He can lick my ass.

He's back to playing party politics and appeasing his thugs in Congress. I hope they all rot in hell.

[Straight Shooter]

45. Yay! Gordon Smith of Oregon did the right thing!

He and Wyden often work together, it's a weird symbiosis but sometimes it benefits the people.

I'll write him and thank him for having the integrity to vote nay.

[im10ashus]

47. Good idea.

I always think we should cheer them when they are doing the right thing, just as we jeer them when they get it wrong.

[sandnsea]

49. window dressing vote

He does this crap all the time. Where's his ANWR vote? Nowhere? Exactly. When it comes down to the wire, he always votes R.

[Straight Shooter]

52. You've got a point.

But I can't bust his nuts when he's wrong and then not give him credit when he's right. That's how children learn. ;)

[sandnsea]

53. No, you've been trained

to think that you have to buy into his phony vote pandering. I thanked him for his last ANWR vote too. But where is he today? He wouldn't suffer in the least for voting against this defense bill, in fact it would help him. So what was his previous ANWR vote all about? Nothing apparently, except window dressing. Call him on it and let him know we're wise to his tricks and they aren't going to work anymore.

[Straight Shooter]

54. Well, I just honestly disagree

I don't "buy into" anything a politician does. I am totally aware of Smith and his maneuvers. But I will still commend him on this particular vote. Why he voted nay is anybody's guess; probably as part of an agreement with Wyden for Wyden's voting in favor of some gawd-awful Repub-sponsored bill. Or maybe Smith just felt that his constituents really don't need any more social cuts at this time.

[sandnsea]

56. Or it's cover for his crappy ANWR vote n/t

[sandnsea]

50. dupe, oops

[VaYallaDawg]

25. Why do they hate America?

[Sydnie]

29. Because they don't quite own all of us just yet?

If this rule suspension stand, they will own all of us then.

Byrd is absolutely, dead on balls correct!

[im10ashus]

32. Reid summed it up best.

"But Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada countered that the GOP was advancing ''an ideologically driven, extreme, radical budget. It caters to lobbyists and an elite group of ultraconservative ideologues here in Washington, all at the expense of middle class Americans."

[Protagoras]

33. Is this the Sentat slapping Cheney? or scapegoating?

50/50 ties simply don't happen on things like this. Especially on something like this. Clearly it was "meant" to pass. But the VP breaking a tie on something like this seems like it had to be carefully arranged. And if it was, it doesn't seem like a good thing for him.

So I suspect that The senate wanted it passed for the obvious continued raping and profit taking of our economy....but they either 1) Wanted Cheney to be held responsible for it so that he feels the sting since he is pissing on their congressional powers or 2) they know he's on his way out so it's just easier to let him take the credit because once he leaves no one will have to be accountable.

[Johonny]

34. Hmm

remember the Vice president debate when Edwards stress that Dick Cheney voted against such passionate conservative programs as meals of wheels... do you think the middle class will ever pay attention during these elections. Their not cutting bloated spending to their oil contractors, defense contractors and tobacco friends nope they're cutting your health care and education. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!

[jseankil]

36. They made cuts in Medicaid, Medicare and student loans. But $ for Iraq

So they can fund Iraq but not America. Unreal.

[catmandu57]

43. That's what needs to be stresed

That the repukes in our government care more about iraq and the rich than they do john q.
Over and over next year they need to have this thrown in their faces, grannie was sick and cold last winter, but baghdad bob got his infrastructure rebuilt, new power plant, new water plant, new school, etc...
Of course they won't do these things the money will find it's way into the pockets of the rich.
Greed sucks and we're going to feel just how much it sucks.

[im10ashus]

44. That's so true, sadly.

Halliburton will be cheering this vote. More money for the corrupt.

[joanski0]

57. They may be claiming that they cut

the budget by $40 billion, but what they aren't saying publicly is that they gave $70 billion to rich people for a tax cut and increased the deficit.

[im10ashus]

58. Exactly!

Most American's won't even be paying attention, but for those of us who are, we know the difference.

[Vinca]

42. I'm just disgusted. Send a child to bed hungry, but give a

millionaire a tax cut. I feel like crying. What are they doing to our country? Now it's ANWR. They can't mandate better mileage for cars, they have to chop up the small remaining bit of pristine wilderness in the country. It's hard to remain optimistic these days.

[Ilsa]

46. All I can say is

Fuck those bastards.

Sorry. My Christmas Spirit is almost gone.

[Lowell]

48. Why is the VP the President of the Senate?

It seems to me that this goes against the very principle of separation of the branches. I think it is time they change this anachronism. If the senate can't come to a clear decision on a subject they should debate it until they do. We don't need the Executive branch stepping in and making the decision for them.

[Sydnie]

51. That is the way the Constitution says it is

That is the one official duty of the Vice Presidents office ... to be President of the Senate. How many times have you seen him there in five years? I can count on the fingers of one hand how many!

Whether we like it or not, he is charged with being the tie breaking vote by the Constitution.

[proud patriot]

55. "that which you do to the least amongst you

you do to me " Jesus Christ

Merry Christmas Dick , sleep well
you bastard

[SoCalDem]

59. In terms that ordinary folks can relate to..

"Honey, I just gave our house payment money to my buddies, but not to worry...you can cover it by not buying food for the children".

[im10ashus]

60. Brilliant analogy.

Or, "Honey, we can't afford to heat the house ALL winter. How about we just heat it on alternate weeks or days. Then we can afford to save for tuition for our children."