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No Shout-Out for Uncle Ted on the Senate floor
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ShareNovember 19, 2008 6:08 PM
ABC's Z. Byron Wolf Reports from Capitol Hill: The agony of defeat or I served 40 years and I don't even get a farewell speech?
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell came to the Senate floor Wednesday evening to say goodbye to three of the four Republican Senators back for the lame duck, but defeated by Democrats on November 4th and who won't be returning as Senators for the new Congress in January.
It's a long and painful list for Republicans, whose caucus shrank with retirements and lost races from 49 Senators during the 110th Congress to between 40 and 42 come January.
Four Republicans running for reelection were defeated by Democrats November 4th. Two more Republican Senators may not get any farewell at all; in Minneapolis there is a recount in the race between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic Comedian Al Franken. A runoff is scheduled for next month to determine the fate of Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Oregon.
But today, McConnell talked about Elizabeth Dole, R-NC, who he said was the first viable female candidate for President when she ran in 2000. Then he talked about Sen. Gordon Smith, R-OR, one of a dying breed of moderate Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-CT, both also said nice things about Smith.
McConnell teared up a little bit in wishing Sen. John Sununu well. Sununu, the Republican from New Hampshire, lost his rematch race to former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen. Sununu has gone Al Gore since losing, grown a goatee and shaved his head. On the floor, Sununu explained the shaved head was a gesture of solidarity with Sen. Arlen Specter the Pennsylvania Republican who has been undergoing chemotherapy. Sununu returned to the Senate floor less than an hour later, cleanshaven, to speak out against a bailout for auto manufacturers.
But McConnell did not, either because he did not want to draw attention to give a farewell speech to the ranking Republican Senator. Sen. Ted Stevens, the seventh-longest serving Senator of either party, who conceded his race for reelection just today and once he leaves the Senate will focus full time on his appeal of 7 felony convictions for hiding $250,000 in gifts. McConnell's office said the oversight was nothing personal and pointed out McConnell did not give a farewell speech for retiring Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska either.
But the it must feel like a snub for Stevens, who will leave office serving just shy of 40 years, fighting to stay out of jail. Republican Senators held off on a vote to expel Stevens from conferencing with them pending the outcome of his reelection bid.
There is still time for a Stevens send-off. Senators are likely to be in session several more days this week.
November 19, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (8)
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“7 felony convictions for hiding $250,000” is what Stevens got caught with but he stuck a lot more than that in his pocket! I would like to see a send off for Stevens to prison, where he belongs. The man acts as if he is above the laws that apply to average Americans, how arrogant.
Posted by: rickyt1234 | Nov 19, 2008 6:22:50 PM
WE HAVE MORE TO DO:
Democrat Jim Martin is in a runoff against Bush Republican Saxby Chambliss for the Senate seat from Georgia. Bush's Saxby Chambliss voted against spending a few measly dollars to provide health care coverage for Georgia, and Americas needy children. But he supported wasting hundreds of billions of your dollars, and the life BLOOD of Americas finest on an unnecessary war in Iraq.
At a time when 47 million of you have no health insurance coverage, and over 100 million of you with insurance are just one major illness away from complete financial destruction. Bush and Saxby Chambliss voted to make the heart break of bankruptcy relief even harder for all of you to use.
You see, Bush and Saxby Chambliss, and his family don't have to worry about their health care coverage. They have the finest health care coverage your tax money can buy for them. Courtesy of you. The American Tax payer. In fact, no one but the super rich can afford the health care coverage you the tax payer provide for Saxby Chambliss, and his family for FREE! with your tax dollars.
He supposedly works for you. But he doesn't think you and your family should have access to the type of taxpayer supported FREE health care that you provide for him, and his loved ones for FREE!. Doesn't that just make you BURRING MAD!
Vote for JIM MARTIN for US senator from Georgia. Vote for JIM Martin who will be on your side. Vote for JIM MARTIN who will work with President Obama and a majority congress for you. Vote for JIM MARTIN most of all for your-self, your family's, friends, and loved ones. Vote for JIM MARTIN for a better America, and a better World.
Don't let Saxby Chambliss make a chump out of you by tricking you into voting against your own best interest. Saxby chambliss is NOT! on your side. He's not one of you. He is on George Bush's side. And we all know what a catastrophe the Bush Chambliss administration has been the past 8 years.
Contact all your family and friends and do every thing you can to see to it that JIM MARTIN and GEORGIANS! take that senate seat back for Georgia, and America. No matter where you live in America. This is important to you. President Obama will need all the help, and power you can give him to try and fix this catastrophic mess that the Corrupt Bush Chambliss administration has created.
As I said before you will have to vote in overwhelming numbers to overcome the Bush Chambliss "Let Them Eat Cake" vote fraud machine. Vote early if you can. Then help everyone you can get to the polls and vote for JIM MARTIN. You and your loved ones don't have to be Saxby Chambliss's victims anymore.
I know you will get it done. Just like you did for President Obama.
God bless all of you
jacksmith - WORKING CLASS... :-)
Posted by: jacksmith | Nov 19, 2008 6:46:31 PM
Yo, ABC! Do you have editors who check for accuracy? Fourth paragraph: "A runoff is scheduled for next month to determine the fate of Sen. Saxby Chambliss in Oregon."
SAXBY CHAMBLISS IS NOT OREGON'S PROBLEM! Oregon, the very blue state of Oregon, is in the Pacific Northwest, not in the Deep Red South like Georgia, Saxby's home turf.
As a resident of the People's Republic of Portland, I'm aghast at such an error. We are the progressive state that just got rid of the last entrenched conservative senator on the West Coast-- Gordon Smith.
Posted by: La Chatte | Nov 19, 2008 7:59:08 PM
Every politican is on your side untill they get in office.Then they start lining their pockets with all the free-be's for themselves and their family members.
Posted by: orangecat | Nov 19, 2008 9:10:04 PM
Gosh, a republican teared up at the lost of a "convicted" senator, somehow I'm not surprised. They always look to their mentors for corruption guidance.
Posted by: JR | Nov 19, 2008 9:29:33 PM
Jail for Stevens, Paulson and Cox. Cheney and Bush can go to jail after January 20 so that it costs the taxpayer less than impeachment.
Posted by: Common Sense | Nov 19, 2008 9:32:55 PM
They all need to go. If the socialists are stupid enough to believe that their party is any different than that of the republicans (which appears to be the case) then they deserve what they get.
We need change, but not the type of change Obama is talking about. By the way, what is he talking about?......
Posted by: zaxby | Nov 19, 2008 9:41:01 PM
"Prison" for somebody like Stevens means a taxpayer-funded vacation at Club Fed. Might as well give him community service; at least then he'd his hands dirty. I'd recommend oil spill cleanup as an appropriate penance.
Posted by: Yukon Sam | Nov 20, 2008 10:48:42 AM
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