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Senate Floor Sideshow... Again

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April 23, 2008 7:23 PM

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports: Any time the major Presidential candidates return to their day jobs, it creates a sideshow theater both for their respective campaigns and for the matter at hand before the Senate.

Take a look at previous appearances by the candidates here, here, here and here.

Republicans complained when Democrats tried to schedule a vote today around the schedules of Senators Clinton and Obama, who were both campaigning all day in Indiana and could not make it back to Washington until 6pm.

So Republicans insisted, as is their right, that the vote only occur an hour after the Senate came to order. So Democrats kept the Senate out of session until 5pm; they needed the two votes to overcome a Republican filibuster of a bill to give employees more latitude to file lawsuits alleging pay discrimination.

But today's sideshow was quicker than usual.

Both Senators Clinton and Obama gave quick speeches just before the vote. She left the floor before Obama began speaking and did not return until just before the voting began.

The Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, complained that the whole Senate was being dictated by the schedules of two of its members.

Obama could be seen speaking with his political concigliere and Illinois colleague, the majority whip, Sen. Dick Durbin.

But he left the floor shortly after voting and seemed to look at Sen. Clinton in the corner of the room as he strode out.

Sen. Clinton, fresh from her win in Pennsylvania, stayed on the floor longer. And several Obama supporters could be seen giving her their congratulations. Among them were Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. Bob Casey, who stumped hard for Obama and against Clinton in the lead up to the Pennsylvania primary. She also spoke for a time to the chief political surrogate of Sen. John McCain, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt, the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman and Obama supporter, who not long ago told a radio station that Sen. Clinton should get it over with and drop out, also went over to shake Sen. Clinton's hand.

What was not different about today's vote was the outcome.

Whenever the Democratic candidates have returned to vote this year, their participation has not yielded the necessary 60 votes to overcome the Republican filibuster. Today, five Republicans joined the Democrats for a total of 56 votes in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The motion failed.

April 23, 2008 in Vote 2008: Democrats, Vote 2008: Republicans, Washington | Permalink | User Comments (12)

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Wow, Carolina! You sound angry. Perhaps some therapy?!?

Obama 2008 -- Yes, WE CAN!!!

Posted by: Jackt51 -- Vietnam Vet and Proud Liberal | Apr 23, 2008 7:31:35 PM

Jack51,

Unfortunately its not a lie Clinton has now had more people in this country vote for her than Senator Obama.

If you want to say that the people that voted in FL and MI don't count then why does your or people from VA, or IL or WI count? A vote is a vote they were certified by the State and 2.5 million people came out, left their homes and cast their vote for President. That counts, I know it doesn't sit well with Obama or his arguement and you have to make that agruement agianst it for the supers, but facts are facts and a vote is a vote.

I'm sorry but I'm very sensitive about this because I live in FL and do not think its fair that the democratic party and Obama can dictate when my vote counts and when it doesn't that is not democratic.

If you have looked at head to head polls, McCain is beating Obama by 15 points in FL, compared to Clinton being up by 1 in Fl. The same goes for OH. No matter who our nominee is we need to count FL, because if you don't there will be a big percentage of people that stay home come November no matter who is our nominee.

I know its hard to loose but Clinton gained a net of over 215000 votes last night, and has raised almost 10 million dollars in less than 24 hours. If that isn't a sign of support I don't know what is?

GO HILLARY 08

Posted by: Michael | Apr 23, 2008 8:02:03 PM

For those who discount HIllary's victory last night....Sounds like Obama was a little jealous that his friends went over and spoke to Hillary today ...He SO reminds me of a school kid who doesn't want his friends to play with anyone else on the playground He really needs to work on his maturity level as evidenced by the finger gesturing, waffle remarks, and whining about the debate over the past week. He just isn't coming off very Presidential. This does seem to be a pattern in his behavior come to think of it, I recall him snubbing HIllary at another Senate session a few months ago.

Posted by: dc | Apr 23, 2008 8:30:40 PM

To the person who commented that FL and MI should count as people came out and voted and once those votes are counted Hillary is in the lead, please remember that Obama's name did not even appear on the ballot in MI, if it did, if nothing else, the fact that he is the senator from a neighboring state would have garnered Obama quite a few votes in MI, no? Would Hillary still lead in that case?

Posted by: Hasan | Apr 23, 2008 10:05:00 PM

michael c'mon

and more people have said the name Hillary more times in this country too

does that count...

more people have voted for obama in their heads...does that count

if this is the logic and judgement she brings ...or how her logic works that her judgement is based on...it makes sense why she makes judgement s like she does...

I think nobody wants her if this is the case.


lol

Posted by: dl | Apr 23, 2008 10:22:11 PM

adam i totally disagree with you-unlike mccain she will end the war.
her core base is exactly what you refer to as 'true democrats' of coarse we will vote for her.
obama was closing in by 3 points in pa and blew it as usual and could not close the deal.
my vote is 1 hilary 2 mccain. we don't need another weak-kneed kerry as our nominee who is chicken to debate, and does not believe that all the votes should count.

Posted by: sonia trevino | Apr 24, 2008 2:27:46 AM

I'm so embarrassed by the childish comments. I've not only discussed this campaign with fellow Americans, but friends in other countries. As a country, if we don't learn to rise above this pettiness, the world at large will never take us seriously. For example, some Canadians I know have mentioned that if Obama doesn't win here, would he consider helping them. Canadians understand looking beyond the color of his skin or his past help of the down trodden.

Posted by: DAVID NH | Apr 24, 2008 7:28:17 AM

So Democrats kept the Senate out of session until 5 pm.The Democrats are back to their old games. Nothing was done that day until 5 pm. Same old politics. Same old Democrat Party.

Posted by: waggdogg | Apr 24, 2008 7:48:18 AM

what is amazing is that the people of this country have not realized that the Democrats have had control of the Senate and House and the economy has tanked. With the dems in office the country has spirelen into a recession.

Posted by: richard | Apr 24, 2008 9:15:09 AM

HP Boston,
So you would rather be a black man than a white woman? Oh and in case you didn't know, and I'm sure you didn't b/c pity me people are often uninformed, no other group on this planet benefited more from Aff. Act. legislation than who? White Women that's who. I rest my case.....

jozy,
I agree. Oddly enough, blacks have voted for the white or hispanic candidate forever in a day now. When the tables are reversed the favor cannot be returned. Blacks should now realize what many Republicans have been saying all along was correct, the Dem. party is/was using them.

Everyone knows blacks have consistently (longer than any other group) supported the Dem party at a higher rate then women, old folks or hispanics, especially catholics!... If you do not already know this, look it up before posting something stupid and dumb.

Anyway, I don't want to get into this race crap. My point is, when blacks decide to wake up, they just may decide to do things a bit differently in the near future....no better time to start than the present.

Posted by: Professor | Apr 24, 2008 12:08:44 PM

The sideshow is a good indication that Democratic politicians are coming together instead of remaining divided. The exit polls and the vote tally in PA indicate Clinton is now cutting into demographics that were once considered Obama strongholds. The recent polls being conducted in states that have already voted indicate a shift away from Obama as well. Could it be voter's remorse? We will never really know. Realistically, the only polls that would be clear indicators of how people will vote in the GE will be the ones conducted after September. We all like to cite polls but the better indicators are polling trends. If you take the time to visit non-MSM websites to see how the trends really look, you will be in a better position to debate the "will of the voters". While the nomination race is all about delegate count, the superdelegates are part of those delegates who will consider the will of the voters in FL and MI. That is why I think Obama surrogates (many are superdelegates) are seen congratulating Clinton in this sideshow. Obama's 48 state strategy is flawed and non-democratic. We would not consider an election like our caucuses in other countries to be democratic so it puzzles me why the parties here do. The will of the voters can only be legitimately measured by secret ballot elections where all voters have the opportunity to participate.

Posted by: DCVoter | Apr 24, 2008 2:53:18 PM

You obviously have some difficulty with comprehension Justsayno...

I am an American by birth and reside in America. Your candidate would be ashamed at your hatred... well at least publicly ashamed.

Posted by: DCVoter | Apr 24, 2008 8:35:37 PM

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