- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
51 Minus Obama and Clinton = Senate Tie
Email
ShareMarch 11, 2008 12:56 PM
ABC's Z. Byron Wolf Reports: With Sen. Robert Byrd, D-Wva., in the hospital recuperating from a bad reaction to antibiotics, the official Senate vote count is temporarily 50-49. But when you factor in the three remaining presidential candidates from the vote count and subtract potential Senate absences, you're looking at a 48-48 tie.
While campaigning for John McCain these days looks a lot more like flipping ribs at a BBQ, Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill, are locked in a delegate death match and focused on campaigning in the remaining primary states.
A locked Republican nominee makes it easier for the GOP to beckon McCain back to Washington, while Senate Democrats could face a problematic situation on some upcoming tight votes, like budget resolution later this week. The budget, while nonbinding, sets a financial blueprint for the federal government and is usually passed, if at all, on a party line vote. With a present McCain and absent Clinton and Obama, Republicans have more votes in the Senate than Democrats do.
Granted, that's a lot of hypotheticals swirling around any particular vote, but a scenario of which Senate Democrats are keenly aware: they control the committees and calendar in the Senate, but they'll have to be careful scheduling votes if they have to bring their Presidential candidates home at every turn.
It is unclear when Byrd will return to work. He fell at home February 26th and was briefly hospitalized. Before he could return to work, the 90 year-old Senator had a bad reaction to some antibiotics and was re-hospitalized. His office describes him as alert, upbeat, and in daily contact, but the fact remains he cannot cast votes on the Senate floor from Walter Reed.
Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said he is not thinking about functional or voting majorities right now. "All I know is that Senator Reid has a very slender majority in the Senate," he said in an email.
March 11, 2008 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (24)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
This scenario seems very familiar, we have a candidate that is going to win the popular vote but he can still lose the election. Obama deserves the nomination.
Posted by: Zio Stefano | Mar 12, 2008 9:12:57 AM
I think it would be refreshing to hear the candidates get to the meat of the issues. Tell me what you will do for "we the people" if elected as our president. I want to be able to afford all of the medical benefits awarded to our government offfice holders. I want my husband to be able to retire at an age where he can enjoy the time he has left. I'd like for my husband to be able to work without fear of another of his jobs being outsourced to another country.
I want to be able to buy products made in America, by Americans. I want to purchase safe food/drugs made or grown here.
Why can't they impose high terriffs on goods made outside the counrty? Why can't businesses be taxed highly for goods manufactored wholely or in part in other counrties?
Let's work together to get :Made in America" to be a source of pride again.. even if it means paying a little more . This is sure to give us more confidence in the goods we are buying and ensure that America stays working and paying our share.
Posted by: Maggie | Mar 12, 2008 11:02:32 AM
could anyone tell me why he markes him self down as present over 100times in his short 2 years as us senate,
Posted by: ernie | Mar 12, 2008 11:58:13 AM
If I remember correctly, at least the two democrats have been EXCUSED from voting. I think on main issues they come back, like lowering the definition of rich to just over $31,000 for this "blueprint" on the budget.
Posted by: paula | Mar 17, 2008 9:40:44 AM
Post a comment
