Kerry Drops Campaign Trip for Senate Vote That Wasn't

[kskiska]

Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry abruptly interrupted his campaign yesterday to return to Washington for a Senate vote that, as it happened, never happened.

Kerry decided late Monday to cancel campaign stops in New Mexico scheduled for yesterday and flew back to the capital, arriving at a deserted Ronald Reagan National Airport at 2 a.m. The Massachusetts senator wanted to register his vote in support of an amendment that would have guaranteed federal funding for veterans' health care.

In the end, however, Kerry never got to vote. Republicans declined to bring the Democratic-sponsored amendment to the floor while the candidate was here. So Kerry hung around for a while but then headed back to the campaign trail. Meanwhile, Republicans were mulling what to do.

In between these events came a cascade of blame. Kerry's camp angrily charged that GOP leaders had used procedural maneuvers to shelve the vote in an attempt to disrupt his campaign and deny him an issue he has championed. Republicans shot back that Kerry, who has had long absences from the Senate during his campaign, was using the issue to grandstand.

At one point, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) dismissed Kerry's pleas for a vote, saying, "Senator Kerry, who hadn't been here all year, who's missed 80 percent of all votes, parachutes in for a day and then will be taking off once again."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61940-2004Jun22.html

[DaveSZ]

1. See the thing about Kerry is...

He actually cares about people.

:)

[PartyPooper]

2. I hope Kerry uses this Republican two-stepping crap in his campaign ads!

Frist is an a**hole!

:grr:

[camby]

4. Frist is a FLAMING a**hole

:thumbsdown:

[JayS]

14. How could he use this? "The Republicans made me come...

...back to my place of employment" is not a very good message.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. Sons o' bitches!

Oust 'em all...every last stinkin' crook! :grr:

[pinto]

5. there they go again, the Repubs playing with the vets for votes.

[Tight_rope]

6. Bastards!....Grown folks playing stupid games...FUCK THEM!

[JI7]

7. even Edwards cancelled a fundraiser for Kerry to be in the Senate

asshole right wingers. but the kerry campaign said they will try to arrange another appointment for edwards to hold the kerry fundraiser.

[countmyvote4real]

8. It's the GOP's smarmy approach to beheading.

My rhetoric might be extreme as well, but this once again shows just how non-negotiable and stubborn the GOP is about protecting their party to spite the best interests of our country. For Christ’s sake, I can’t think of more bi-partisan issue than restoring the healthcare rights of our military veterans, especially now that we’re in a war of the chimp’s choice.

Frist and company might think they told Kerry to “fuck off” by delaying the vote in order to keep him off the campaign trail. In truth, they just told ALL their constituents to “take a flying fuck” by revealing that they don’t give a shit about the lives of our service men and women. Only corporations need apply.

[BrotherBuzz]

17. Spot on!

Oh, no problem with your rhetoric, either.

[Pachamama]

9. Sh*theads! Screwing the Vets for their political games and mocking...

...Kerry about his absence on the Senate Floor while he campaigns...

Do they ever chastise their "President" who is never at the White House and is out and about raising money on the taxpayers dollar and time attending dinners with the "Have Mores"....

I wish Kerry had just stayed...in fact, a "sit-in" on the Senate Floor could have gone a long way....Kerry campaign people could have done updates at fundraisers to say why Kerry wasn't there and show live shots of him waiting to vote while the Sh*theads led by Frist tried to halt a vote....Let the Vets out there who are wondering whether they should vote Republican or Democrat see that....

F*ckers.... :grr: Their Karma is going to come back at them so hard they won't know what happened...

[yardwork]

10. This is probably what the Repugs would have done

if Kerry had interrupted his campaign to return for the Senate vote on extending unemployment benefits.

Since Kerry wasn't there for that vote, the Repugs went ahead and had the vote, defeating it, and then had the unmitigated gall to blame the defeat (by one vote) on Kerry!

I can't understand how anybody in this country can't see through the Republicans' behavior. It's sickening.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Outrageous -- how they abuse their unchecked power!

[truthisfreedom]

12. and meanwhile, between vacations and whistle-stops, bush doesn't do

anything whatsoever for the country but attempt non-stop revisionist history. and approve torture, and then pretend he didn't.

[Frances]

13. At least Kerry pays for the plane

that takes him campaigning.

I as a taxpayer have to pay for part of all the plane trips that Bush makes to campaign and raise funds

[GoldenOldie]

15. "Support the Troops"

When they want more money for Halliburton....they use the "troops."
When they want a bill pushed through they do it with a one-party monopoly....behind closed doors...without debate or input of the Dems or the Independents.
The Neocons could pass this with or without Kerry being there and could care less what his consitutents or the "troops" need or want.
Georgie solves the problem of care for the veterans by simply reducing 700,000 qualified veterans from the waiting line.
My daughter began working at a VA hospital and I asker her if most of the patients were elderly.....WWII, Korea, Vietnam. She said no and the Nursing staff said that there are thousands of Iraq veterans many of them with traumatic stress/mental along with the wounded
in the pipe-line and they were not prepared for them.
Another daughter who is a highschool teacher that keeps in touch with her former students, talks of one of the young weomen that she taught e-mails her from Iraq where she is a driver and their orders are to drive over anyone that is in the roadway.....she is one that will be in the "pipeline."
I will never understand the educated Republicans that once held beliefs of conservative responsiblity that defend these treacherous thugs....God help us all.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

16. That is so obnoxious

Does anyone know if the vote would have been close and they would have needed Kerry's vote, or was it destined to pass or fail anyway but Kerry wanted to register his support? In any case, he gets props for trying...the GOP is evil.

[Frodo]

19. It's likely to be BOTH

There will be a number of these kinds of votes - with a few republicans ready to switch sides as needed.

If Kerry makes the vote - it won't be close (He will never get credit for saving the bill). If he's out on the campaign trail it will pass (or fail) by a single vote - as needed to make him look bad.

[NoBushLite]

18. THis only makes the GOP look bad

The voters won't fall for this sort of crap. They see through the games.

[The Stranger]

20. NPR (Neocon Public Relations) ran a good, long story on this.

They can't seem to fucking leave Kerry alone.

[Frodo]

21. Hold on a second.

Now NPR is a right wing controlled media outlet?


Who's left (both ways) other than AAR??

[The Stranger]

22. NPR is coopted.

It may not be run by the Republicans, but it has become a victim of the right-wing media shift inspired by Faux News and facilitated by hate letter writing campaigns from the right wing.

Get your news from Pacifica, BBC, and, of course, Democratic Underground.