When Sen. Al Franken objected to Sen. Joe Lieberman's request for additional time, Sen. John McCain (R Obstructionist-AZ) said that "in his 20-plus years in the Senate he had never heard a senator do that before".
However, McCain has engaged in the very same behavior that he was criticizing Franken for yesterday.
On October 10, 2002 — just ahead of the looming mid-term elections — the Senate rushed a debate on a war authorization giving President Bush the power to use force against Iraq. The resolution ultimately passed the Senate after midnight on an early Friday morning by a vote of 77-23.
During the course of the frenzied floor debate, then Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN) spoke in favor of an amendment offered by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) that would have restricted Bush’s constitutional powers to wage war against Iraq. After a minute and a half, Senator Dayton ran out of time, prompting this exchange:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator’s time has expired.
Mr. DAYTON. I ask for unanimous consent that I have 30 seconds more to finish my remarks.
Mr. McCAIN. I object.
Senator Byrd stepped in to grant Senator Dayton time to finish his remarks. But just moments later, Byrd asked for more time to speak for himself. Again, McCain objected, prompting Byrd to ridicule him for doing so. “This shows the patience of a Senator,” Byrd said. “This clearly demonstrates that the train is coming down on us like a Mack truck, and we are not even going to consider a few extra minutes for this Senator.”
http://cns.miis.edu/cr/021014sd.htm
SOURCE:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/18/18240/872
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