2 Ill. Dems don't bother to show up for vote on Cheney tie breaker?

[Oakland]

Do you know why??? Dodd comes in on a walker four days after surgery.
another comes in following a heart attack - where was your rep?

Read whole story........
http://www.davidsirota.com/
--------snip--------

"The vote was on the GOP budget bill - you remember, the one that newspapers note "cuts $39.7 billion from social-welfare programs like Medicare, Medicaid and child-support collection." It passed by 6 votes. What's so outrageous about that? Well take a look at the official roll call and you'll see that 6 Democrats didn't show up to vote. They are:

Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA)
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL)
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)

Yes, you read that right - one of those missing six was Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) - the guy who heads up the Democrat's House campaign committee. You know, the committee that is supposed to be most seriously focused on developing a message and a record that helps Democrats win back the House in 2006.

Before we rush to full judgment, let's remember that it is possible that some of these 6 House members had really good reasons for not being there. But boy, they better be good reasons - and at the very least, we at least deserve to hear from these 6 Democrats exactly why they missed the vote. -----snip----------"

[kevsand]

1. Reasons given:

I have this via Illinois ECAP:

"Rep. Emanuel's office reports that he had a family obligation but would've voted against the cuts--as he did last time--had he been there"

"I just got off the phone with Rep. Gutierrez's office and they said he stayed as long as he could, but had a family emergency. No other details were given."

[mopinko]

2. oh, yeah, i have a family. wow.

amazing. just amazing.

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. Cheney broke a tie vote in the Senate, NOT the House.

Emanuel and Gutierrez are members of the House of Representatives. Cheney presides over the Senate; Dennis Hastert presides over the House.

[Oakland]

4. I know that..

Apparently, I wasn't clear. The point was that it would
never have reached the Senate, in that form if at all, IF the House Dems had
showed up to vote NO. Others in the House and SEnate,
despite issues (heart attacks, knee surgery, etc), showed up.
The list of Dems posted didn't. I asked, why? They are yours,
do you know?

[wndycty]

5. What was the roll call?

My thinking is the vote in the House may not have been close enough for their votes to have made a difference.

[Oakland]

6. passed by 6 / 6 missing dems - hmmmmmmmm.

Sirotablog
Real-world wisdom from outside the beltway.
Viewing By Entry / Main
12.20.05
Six Democrats who have some explaining to do



http://www.workingforchange.com/blog/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=49A361A8-E9A4-4B9F-884D1C045179F500

"It passed by 6 votes. Why should we be asking Democrats questions about this vote when the House is controlled by Republicans? Well take a look at the official roll call and you'll see that 6 Democrats didn't show up to vote. They are:


Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA)
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL)
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)
Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)

Yes, you read that right - one of those missing six was Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) - the guy who heads up the Democrat's House campaign committee. ---snip----

[tritsofme]

7. There were also 10 Republicans that didn't vote.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll670.xml

And I'm sure they would have been flown in if they were needed.

The point is moot.

[wndycty]

8. All of these points are important.

:kick: