The democrats are refusing to come back to the senate floor.

[jillan]

Have any of you been watching c-span 2?
They have been in a Quorum call for 4 HOURS!

They are suppose to be voting on the energy bill.

Hours ago, Reid was sitting there surrounded by several democrats.
Levin, Landrieu were there. Now the Senate floor is empty.

This is amazing. I don't have the details of what the dems are holding out on. I have heard that Landrieu is upset that she is not getting all that she wants for NOLA. Other than that, I'm not sure.

The dems are putting up a fight, and I wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of what is going on.

They have until 4:30 am to vote on the bill.
:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[villager]

1. Good God. Have the spines arrived... at last?

n/t

[jillan]

4. I don't know, I wish I had more details.

I'm amazed. Blown away. I keep checking back in to see if anythings changed. 4 hours. Nada!

[brainshrub]

6. UPS must have delivered the spines I sent them.

Wait till they get the FedExed packages of testicles I over-nighted earlier today.

:bounce:

[villager]

8. The Cajones Man Cometh!

So to speak.

[Anywho6]

10. Way to go! I was wondering why they were all sitting up so straight! n/t

[jillan]

11. ha ha ha !

That took me a minute!
Then again it's late, and I've been glued to a blank tv screen:rofl:

[nofurylike]

15. well, damn. they are doing so well with those spines you sent, but now

they got MORE testosterone on the way?!

damn.

you give with one hand, take away with the other?

damn.

[AllyCat]

49. I think testosterone is not necessarily the needed ingredient

Maybe it should be balanced with estrogen.

[villager]

76. it should, of course -- but in the end, it's "bravery"

that has been MIA for a generation...

[nofurylike]

77. i'm sorry! i left out the sarcasm tag. i meant

that while courage would be an excellent gift to dem's, testosterone is exactly the opposite of what they need more of.

i agree with you completely that more estrogen would be a big help.

thank you for replying, which let me see how confusing my reply was.


peace!

[driver8]

42. UPS must have had them sitting in a warehouse for quite some time!

I hope Fed Ex gets their soon!!

[nofurylike]

44. too much of that already. now for some courage. eom

[0007]

55. The spines are on the truck today.

Mary Landrieu is driving.

[mzmolly]

71. What we need are spines in the media so that when Dems DO fight

we know about it. ;)

[meow2u3]

75. The Dems' shipment of spines has arrived

I heard FEMA deliberately held up the shipment in the hurricane-ravaged areas because they were afraid they would end up in terrorists' hands :evilgrin:

[texpatriot2004]

2. Thanks for the info Go Dems. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. I'm turning on C-SPAN now

went for the webfeed, or I woudl be away from DU... we just might be witnessing history... remember the day the medicare bill passed, (it was realy morning), and it was incredible

[deadparrot]

5. YES!

*dances*

Maybe I'm just irrationally happy before a Friday, but still...:D

[wicket]

7. thanks for the update

Please let us know if anything else happens!

[Liberty Belle]

Fantastic. Kick!

[NVMojo]

9. the spines and huevos??

[Anywho6]

12. C-SPAN online link

<http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspan2_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS2>

[wisteria]

13. Thank you for the info! n/t

[Atman]

14. Wow...happily, amazingly K&R'd!

This is amazing news. Thanks.

[Roland99]

16. 5thed!

[intheflow]

17. Landrieu has a right to fight this fight.

Energy bill and NOLA was the biggest oil portal to the US in the Gulf region. The administration should be throwing money at her, but I'm sure they're not simply because she's a Democrat. :eyes:

[gardenista]

28. Amen.

[fooj]

18. Right on! Shrub's down and they're kicking the hell out of him!

Woo hoo!

peace.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. now my question is

will the Stenography corp even take notice?

Anybody care to bet on this

[jillan]

21. I googled right before my op on this, and not a word!

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. In my best imitartion of Gomer Pyle USMC

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

[Ouabache]

41. Steno Corps is all down at the strip bar this time o' night

I have thought all along the dems should be finding a way to bring attention to these all night arm-bending sessions on both sides of the Congress. I think it is shameful the way the GOP chooses to hold these people all night long and pass all kinds of scurillous and draconian shit in the dead of night and then only after arm twisting a last few wavering members of their own party. It has been especially egregious on the House side for the last five years !

Don't hold your breath, but my guess is the Stenography Corp will just be echoing repuke talking points of so-called obstructionism in the morning.

[blondeatlast]

59. Haven't seen a word on it yet. There seems to be some confusion in

the Heritage Foundation Press Room, so the stenos are stymied... :evilgrin:

[nofurylike]

20. thank you for posting this, pirhana. eom

[lildreamer316]

23. KICK

this had better have legs as well as spine.

[1932]

24. We have an incredible shrinking president whose team is in trouble.

The Democrats can charge now without having to worry about popularity blow-back.

[Carla in Ca]

33. I posted this earlier today

A great diary regarding the * implosion.

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2140505>

[Alizaryn]

25. Has anyone heard anything about what is going on?

[deadparrot]

26. Not concrete...

It's the defense spending bill.

Landrieu had voiced anger over the fact that we're committing $50B more to Iraq while ignoring NOLA, but that's just speculation.

[Kire]

47. it's not food stamps?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051006/ap_on_go_co/food_farm_programs

[deadparrot]

58. The screen said "defense spending bill,"

so I don't think so. :shrug:

[MADem]

74. She's also pissed because LA is the only state having a disaster

where language that the loans MUST BE PAID BACK are in the bill. Hillary and Chuck went to bat for her.

[gardenista]

27. Time for a Senate Dems press conference, no?

This should be getting out to the MSM.

[jillan]

29. Ok - here's some info

Senate GOP leaders had hoped to vote on the bill Thursday so they could adjourn for a 10-day recess, but Sen. Mary Landrieu forced a one-day delay.

The Louisiana Democrat spent much of the evening arguing that the Senate, before leaving Washington, should allow $1 billion already approved for Hurricane Katrina relief to be spent on public employee salaries. Landrieu said the first vote upon the Senate's return should be on redirecting an additional $14 billion for education, health care and small business relief.

"I know times are tough in Baghdad. But times are tough in the Gulf Coast," Landrieu said. "Our war is right here at home. Our war is right here in the Gulf Coast."

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said he supported Landrieu's "wish list," but did not believe Congress can enact it before its break.

The Senate, however, is expected to vote on the defense bill before adjourning. The bill provides $5 billion more for wars than the House version, but the final bill is expected to include $50 billion after House-Senate negotiators work out their differences.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/06/national/w150831D41.DTL

[deadparrot]

31. Thanks. nt

[jillan]

32. But this is really only a part of the story...

It says Landrieu forced a delay, it doesn't say that the dems never came back.

I just checked, they are STILL in a Quorum Call.
This wasn't a usual 'wrap up the day's business' by Frist.
This was a walk out:toast:

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. and they are now in recess

my lord, this is a small victory

Who ordered the spines?

They worked

[deadparrot]

30. Is anyone else thrilled watching Brownback?

He's definitely underwhelmed.

[Carla in Ca]

39. I have one image of him, from years ago

during some Senate hearing. I can't remember what it was about but he put his fingers to the edges of his eyes and did a racist 'Chinaman' impression. It was insulting, but no one did or said anything about it.

[welshTerrier2]

34. Landrieu is speaking now ... n/t

[deadparrot]

38. Holding it 'til morning, as I understand it...

Volume isn't up too loud.

[welshTerrier2]

40. i think this had to do with the Defense Appropriation Bill ..

before anyone gets the warm fuzzies about this, it looks like the Dems are about to vote for a bill that includes an additional $50 BILLION for Iraq and Afghanistan ...

no debate ... no discussion ... no "giving voice" to the majority in the Party who want US troops withdrawn ASAP ... just a big old, "sure, i'll go along with the president's request" ... just disgusting ...

[jillan]

43. dam - missed it.

What did she say?

[fooj]

36. They have a ten day break?

Wow. They were just off for a month, right?

Peace.

[jillan]

37. More info on this

The Black Caucus is pissed too
http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/7844/1/289

[nofurylike]

45. thank you for that link, and keeping us up on this, pirhana. g'night. eom

[jillan]

46. 97 articles hitting the papers tomorrow saying * will get his $$ BUT

we'll have to wait and see what the dems have to say about it.

I can't believe this didn't happen for a reason.
They were meeting on the senate floor during the Quorum call.
If they vote for this, then I give up!

I have to work tomorrow 1/2 day, so I'm hoping some of you will post what happened.

G'nite!

[AllyCat]

48. I'm confused. Didn't they vote on the energy bill earlier in September?

What is this energy bill? And what does it have to do with getting money for Iraq and NOLA?

I hope this is true that they are holding out. Cannot believe they are giving Bush* ANOTHER $50B for Iraq and Afghanistan. WTF? Just tell him that you want an exit plan for the next round of money so we can attempt to budget the rest of this mess.

Did they really get spines or will this just be another rubber stamp?

Sorry, just don't have much faith in them.

[sandnsea]

50. Defense Bill

But it isn't about the $50 billion, it's about NOLA money and they all walked out and refused to vote unless the NOLA money is released according to what Mary Landrieu wanted.

Yes, war has to be paid for every single year and the plan is to not make the money an issue so they can make the process of getting out the issue.

[jillan]

51. Guess we'll have to wait and see what come out of all of this tomorrow

I had CSpan 2 off and on all day.
I wish I would have had it on right before they went into this
quorum call.

It was the Defense Bill they were talking about today, that much is
known.

[sandnsea]

52. News is absolutely no help

The only article that remotely touched on this was in the Times-Picayune. The rest either omitted it altogether or said the vote was held off until tomorrow. Unbelievable, Dems walk out and that's how it gets covered. Just want to throw my hands up.

[DemBones DemBones]

62. Well, hey, they ignore massive antiwar demonsrations,

why would they pay any attention to the Dems walking out?

What's happening in the missing girl in Aruba case today? And did you hear Tom Cruise's poor misguided fiancee is preggers?

LANDSHARK! :sarcasm:

[Maraya1969]

53. I think the Dems are stepping up to the plate because so many

have been complaining that they haven't been steeping up to the plate. We have truth on our side and now strength on our side. I'm starting to become very proud of our representatives.

A word to the Repbus: Watch our dust!!!!!!!!

[salin]

54. back in the mid eighties - senate quorum calls were 15 minutes

sounds like Frist is changing senate rules and protocals as has been done in the House in the recent years.

[Pirate Smile]

56. Mary Landrieu is back speaking on the Senate floor this morning.

[uncertainty1999]

57. 9AM EDT Friday: Landrieu is on the floor...

...and she has plenty to say, and is going to say it no matter how long it takes!!! (At first I thought she might be filibustering but it looks like something else is going on based on prior posts.)

[blondeatlast]

60. Please consider starting a new thread for the cube rats.

I can't watch, but I'm very curious and I know I'm not alone.

[TayTay]

61. Go Mary! This is amazing

She specifically said that she has asked for help from the Senate and that the Rethugs have said to rely on the free market and on faith-based charity. She said, that's not enough and that's why they are still in the Senate and haven't voted yet.

Go Mary!

[SCDem]

64. I can't believe the gall of the Republicans

rely on the free market and on faith-based charity

But now the Federal Government is giving money to faith-based charities. It is like pass the buck and oh yeah this is a local (3 states) program - we can't do the nitty gritty - we are not responsible.

God - It's like I think I can't hate them any more but then they go proving me wrong.

[Jim__]

63. Well, well, well ...

The dems actually have some power. And, I think the American people will back them on this. Voting more money for Iraq, but not for NOLA will not sit well.

[Tiggeroshii]

65. Unless i'm wrong, it looks like they're all voting now

...

[TayTay]

66. Yes, on the defense appropriations bill

The other vill, the one the White House wants and the House has passed is coming up later. This is the one Sen. Landreiu has rallied to oppose. It contains onerous conditions for accepting aid in the flooded Gulf region.

[Pirate Smile]

67. Vitter is up bitching about the "other" side "giving speeches" and

filibustering and getting in the way of progress.

He "actually wants to do something" like Mary doesn't.

He is a sick bastard.

[Norquist Nemesis]

69. Heard that.

Pissed me off he is such an asshole to make it a partisan thing, but sooooooooo typical. My new neighbors likely think there's a crazy lady who yells to herself. LOL!!!

[sunnystarr]

68. Landreu is speaking now

She's so moving - she brings tears to my eyes.

[AllyCat]

72. I'm glad to see her fight for this.

But I'll stop WAY short of her bringing tears to my eyes as she has a history of voting with the Repukes on a lot of things.

[ChiciB1]

70. Did They Just Cave???

I just caught the tale end of Landieu.

[AllyCat]

73. This up from CNN news...they approved the funding 97-0, but...

...this is what makes me positively GIDDY!!! 97-0 voted for the bill with the anti-torture measure on it that Bushie Boy has promised to veto! So Little Mr. Emporer Pants doesn't get his freakin' money if he doesn't sign the bill!!!

The article makes no mention of whether or not Landrieu got her way either and of course doesn't hint at the spine the Dems showed last night.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/07/congress.defense.ap/index.html