Will the Republican Senators Have the Courage to Vote According to Their Consciences?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:16pm

If so, the filibuster will end.

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TheHILL.com

Kerry: 60+ senators support change of course in Iraq
By Klaus Marre
July 17, 2007

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told The Hill Tuesday that he believes more than 60 senators would vote for a change in the Iraq strategy if they were allowed to vote their conscience on a measure to redeploy U.S. troops.

At a press conference on the measure, Kerry said it is time for senators not just to tell their colleagues in private conversations that they oppose the course President Bush has chosen, but to vote that way, too.

But he also noted that he is “pleased [that] there is growing bipartisanship on the issue of forcing a course change.”

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe (Maine) and Gordon Smith (Ore.) joined Kerry and the cosponsors of the measure, Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), at the press conference to voice their support for the amendment.

Snowe said it is critical for Congress to speak out and represent the American people, who support a course change.

“We are at a crossroads between hope and reality,” the Maine senator said.

Kerry agreed, saying, “This is the time, this is the moment” for a course change.
Kerry: 60+ senators support change of course in Iraq

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:20pm

I hope that Voinovich will vote with the dems. It will just be another nail in his coffin.

And, I agree, he should vote his conscience.

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:22pm

At this point in the game, I'm not sure how keen anyone is on changing their minds.

Not to mention that of course people who are for a change in course are going o say that they think a change in course is the conscientious way to vote. As unfortunate as it is, there are obviously senators out there that don't feel that way.

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:24pm

If the filibuster is ended (and I hope that it is) the dems will have a vote in the house and in the senate to end the war with a date certain? Is that your understanding of the Levin/Reid amendment?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:25pm

At this point, I think everyone in the United States thinks a change of course is necessary.

Everyone except HD, Goth and Papa.

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:27pm

It would be a GLORIOUS day to see right & left come together to settle this issue!

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:27pm

If the filibuster is ended (and I hope that it is) the dems will have a vote in the house and in the senate to end the war with a date certain? Is that your understanding of the Levin/Reid amendment?

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:28pm

And you do, of course, realize that there has been a significant change in strategy which was only fully implemented two weeks ago?

[Chita1933]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:31pm

They(we) can change strategies all they(we) want. Our military is not the solution to any of the problems in Iraq.

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 04:31 PM

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:43pm

of course it would be a glorious day for right and left to unite. It would also be a gloriou s day for all war to be eliminated, for Hillary Duff to stop singing, and for me to meet Keanu Reeves. But guess what? The chances of those three things happening are slim to none, as is a bipartisan resolution to end this war. I tend to like to be an idealist as well, but at some point we have to start realizing that the headbutting between the two sides is getting extremely old and that no definitive solution to this issues will be coming anytime soon in this political climate.

[Chita1933]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:48pm

That's because they're wrong and we're right.

[Liverpool]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:51pm

you jsut asked if republican senators will have courage. thats a silly question.

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 4:51pm

I was asking a serious question...

Is Reid's goal to pass the Reid/Levin amendment?

Is the Reid/Levin proposal to end the war with a date certain?

Does their amendment align with the house bill that already passed?

How soon can they defund the war?

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 5:06pm

What Consciences?

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 5:22pm

If the filibuster is ended (and I hope that it is) the dems will have a vote in the house and in the senate to end the war with a date certain? Is that your understanding of the Levin/Reid amendment?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/17/07 at 9:55pm

A letter from Senator Reid to Senator McConnell:

Dear Senator McConnell:

There are no more solemn decisions facing members of Congress than the conduct of war and the placing of our troops in harm’s way. As you know, more than 3,600 brave Americans have lost their lives and more than $400 billion has been expended on the war in Iraq, which has now moved into its fifth year with no end in sight. Yet Senate Republicans have chosen to prevent honest debate and action on legislation to provide an Iraq strategy that would allow us to responsibly redeploy our troops and refocus our attention on the very real threat posed by Al Qaeda. This is partisan obstruction that I fear will make us less, not more, secure and I urge you to reconsider your course.

Today’s headlines confirm the importance of allowing the Senate to consider amendments to change course in Iraq and refocus our resources so we can more effectively wage the war on terror. These news reports indicate the violence in northern Iraq has escalated at the same time the Director of National Intelligence released a new assessment that al Qaeda has "regenerated key elements of its Homeland attack capability." As long as our troops are mired in policing an Iraqi civil war, they cannot focus on the enemy that attacked this nation nearly six years ago; an enemy that has regrettably regenerated its attack capacity since 9/11.

Furthermore, contrary to your previous assertions, there is a long bipartisan tradition of allowing Senators to offer defense-related amendments on the Defense Authorization bill without the obstruction Senate Republicans are employing today. The record also clearly shows that both Senate Democrats and Republicans have recently foregone the opportunity to block action on important Iraq-related provisions. For example, just last year, the Senate voted up or down on two Iraq-related amendments on the Defense Authorization bill. Additionally, Senate Democrats did not place a 60-vote hurdle in front of a Republican amendment to strike Iraq policy language in the Iraq Supplemental Spending bill. Nor did votes on final passage of the Iraq supplemental require sixty votes.

Therefore, I renew the proposal I offered to you yesterday to permit the Senate to act on a series of amendments pertaining to Iraq. Under my proposal, the Senate would hold up or down votes on the bipartisan amendments offered by (1) Senators Levin and Reed, (2) Lugar and Warner, (3) Salazar and Alexander, and (4) Nelson and Collins. There may well be other amendments that Republican and Democratic Senators wish to offer related to Iraq, and I would be willing to work with you to ensure these amendments also receive up or down votes.

For the sake of our troops and the American people, I hope you reconsider your decision to obstruct Senate action on critical amendments that could change course the course of the war in Iraq.

Sincerely,

Harry Reid
U.S. Senate

Posted: 7/18/07 at 10:56am

HD What was the new policy in Iraq that was just instituted?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/18/07 at 12:06pm

The Republican party just voted to Stay the Course.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/18/07 at 1:56pm

Response by Senator Reid:

"This has been a long week and it is only Wednesday. We have now been in session continuously for 2 days. On Monday I submitted a simple request for consent to proceed to an up or down vote on the Levin/Reed Amendment to the Defense Authorization bill. As I have stated, this amendment provides a clear, binding and responsible path to change the U.S. mission and reduce our combat presence in Iraq.

"Regrettably, Republicans chose to block this amendment. They chose to deny the American people an up or down vote on a bipartisan amendment. They chose to continue protecting their President instead of our troops – no matter the cost to our country.

"Because Republicans continue to block votes on important amendments to the Defense Authorization bill, we can make no further progress on Iraq and this bill at this time.

"For these reasons, I have temporarily laid aside the Defense Authorization bill and have entered a motion to reconsider.

"But let me be clear to my Republican colleagues – I emphasize the word “temporarily”. We will do everything in our power to change course in Iraq. We will do everything in our power to complete consideration of a Defense Authorization bill. We must do both.

"And just to remind my Republican colleagues – even if this bill had passed yesterday, its provisions would not take effect until October.

"So we will come back to this bill as soon as it is clear we can make real progress. To that end, I have asked the Democratic Whip and Democratic Manager of the bill to sit down with their counterparts to work on a process to address all outstanding issues related to this bill so the Senate can return to it as soon as possible.

"In the meantime, we will continue to work with our Republican colleagues who are saying the right things on Iraq but aren’t yet committed to voting the right way."

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/18/07 at 2:20pm

It's a scary day when Harry Reid votes with the Republicans.
Link

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/18/07 at 2:32pm

His vote was procedural only.

Same thing happened when the shoe was on the other foot.

[pab]

Posted: 7/18/07 at 7:24pm

"…We have people up there in Congress with the brain of a 2-year-old who don't know what they are doing, they don't experience it. I challenge the president or anyone who has us for 15 months to ride alongside me. I'll do another 15 months if he comes out here and rides alomg with me every day. I'll do 15 more months. They don't even have to pay me extra."
Inside the Surge