And that’s understating the matter.
The Restore Habeas measure would have passed the Senate today were it not for the fact that the majority of Republicans, afraid to break lock step with their masters, resorted to a filibuster, which the bill’s supporters—including Republican Arlen Spector—didn’t have the votes to counter.
This is from the account by the Washington Post:
The 56-43 vote fell short of the 60 needed to cut off debate and move to a final vote on the amendment to the Senate’s annual defense policy bill. But the measure did garner the support of six Republicans, a small victory for its supporters.
The gutsy and principled Republican senators who supported moving to a vote were: Spector, Chuck Hagel, Richard Lugar, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe and John Sununu.
As for the rest: Thank you very much, gentleman and ladies. We now remain less safe, less true to our most fundamental American principles, and less free.
Oh, yeah, and our soldiers are less safe too.
Celeste, calm down before you start a post with unsubstantiated rantings.
Susan Collins is a goner. Personally I’d keep the Senate in Session over this but, since it will pass in 2009 easily and be signed by President Edwards (!) I guess we’ll have to wait.
Let me know what you think about detaining foreign AL-Qaeda followers indefinitely after the next attack by Al-Qaeda fanatics that were released by liberals.
The silver lining. This nearly guarantees my state will soon have two Democratic senators instead of one. The Rethugs are signing their own death warrant. You’re right, Celeste. They are stuck in Stoopidville. Kudos to those with courage: Spector, Hagel, Lugar, Smith, Snowe and Sununu.
I like Hagel comments on the Bill Maher show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuoulAutRKs
What happened in the last year to make ALL these previously brave democrats change their minds about holding Terrorists?
Two-Thirds of Senate votes for – “The Military Commissions Act of 2006â€Â, which limited the habeas corpus rights of detainees held in Guantanamo.
The Military Commissions Act of 2006
Passed in the Senate – 65 to 34 in 2006
Which Democrats voted “AYE”
AR Pryor, Mark [D]
CO Salazar, Ken [D]
CT Lieberman, Joseph [I]
DE Carper, Thomas [D]
FL Nelson, Bill [D]
LA Landrieu, Mary [D]
MI Stabenow, Debbie Ann [D]
NE Nelson, Ben [D]
NJ Lautenberg, Frank [D]
NJ Menendez, Robert [D]
SD Johnson, Tim [D]
WV Rockefeller, John [D]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Commissions_Act_of_2006
I know what happened to one of them. ‘Detox’ from the kool-aid is a wonderful thing. He done got chelated.