Vote On Webb Troop Bill And Nonbinding Alternative Is Set For Today
Jim Webb's office says that the vote on his troop rest amendment -- and possibly an alternative, nonbinding one being offered by Republicans that we've been writing about today -- is now set for today at 5:15 P.M.
One quick side point: There's been a host of confusion today about who exactly is behind the alternative bill. This morning John McCain said that it was Warner's bill. That prompted an angry denunciation from Webb. And subsequently McCain said that he'd misspoke and in fact it wasn't Warner's amendment at all.
It's unclear whether that's true, however, and it's unclear what exactly happened here. Hill staffers I spoke to this afternoon say they think that in fact Warner did have some kind of hand in drafting the alternative nonbinding measure. They think that possibly Warner wanted his involvement in the legislation to be quiet, and not public -- he'd been negotiating with Webb in good faith for some time, after all. They think Warner is now distancing himself from the alternative amendment.
At any rate, reporters, Hill staffers, and even members of the leadership are furiously trying to figure out who, exactly, is behind this alternative measure. People have been besieging Webb's office today, asking, "Who's behind this thing?"
Anyway, we're trying to figure out exactly what happened here. We'll bring you a post on the ins and outs shortly.
Comments (7)
oleeb wrote on September 19, 2007 4:33 PM:Why is Harry Reid even allowing a vote on the nonbinding alternative? No balls? No brains? A combination? What?
Greg wrote on September 19, 2007 4:40 PM:this is a good question. I'll try to find out the answer.
Prairie Sunshine wrote on September 19, 2007 4:44 PM:Sounds more like John Warner's pulled a fast one on the troops.
Nell wrote on September 19, 2007 5:02 PM:How can there possibly be a vote on the substitute amendment? The result of the failure of a cloture vote is that the amendment being considered is still being debated, unless it's withdrawn.
Democrats absolutely should not withdraw the amendment but keep bringing cloture votes. I called Reid's office to ask that they make the R's filibuster for real by keeping debate going on the Webb measure.
I'm no parliamentary wizard, but I don't see how the Rs can bring the McCain measure to a vote before disposing of the Webb amendment. And failing to get cloture doesn't do that _UNLESS_ the Dems agree to move on. They should not dream of doing so.
Anonymous wrote on September 19, 2007 5:51 PM:Allow me to offer a contrary view. Allow a vote on Warner's measure (or McCain-Graham, or whatever) first. It seems to me that a wavering Senator who votes for the non-binding measure, instead of getting cover for voting against the binding measure, effectively becomes trapped into voting for it. How do you go back to your constituents and explain how you voted for it before you voted against it?
John Fullerton wrote on September 19, 2007 6:25 PM:Does this make Warner Lucy?
The Educated Bullet wrote on September 20, 2007 8:25 AM:Sadly the answer is a pocketbook issue. While we think that Warner is now untethered from his Republican masters he still has to address the issue that so many endangered Republicans must face...life after incumbency. The inability of the Democratic leadership to convince Republicans to put party before country is excusable only if the scorn of the nation is heaped upon those that are so obviously not serving the best interest of our nation. We are achieving victory in the region. We only have to overcome 14 centuries of mistrusts between intra Shi'a and Sunni groups but only after we let the ethnic cleansing begin.
