Posted on 08/20/2009 1:55:51 PM PDT by canuck_conservative
(Disclaimer: The following is simply a brutal Machiavellian political analysis, and is not intended in any way to celebrate another's physical misfortune)
Democrats were giddy when Al Franken was declared the winner of the Minnesota Senate race, and for understandably good reason - they finally, but barely, had a filibuster-proof majority in that Body. And so they now press forward with their controversial healthcare legislation, confident that Republicans - and everyone else opposed - can do nothing to stop it.
But wait. One of those Senate votes is in serious decline - Sen. Ted Kennedy. Again, speaking in cold-blooded political terms, he doesn't have much time left, so the longer things drag out, the more his vote comes into question.
Indeed, his staff are now petitioning the MA Governor to change a state law that forbids quick Senate changes (enacted in 2004 to, ironically, stop Mitt Romney from appointing a quick Senate replacement for John Kerry). As it now stands, a MA Senate seat must remain vacant for 5 months before a replacement election can be called.
"A week in politics is an eternity" - Edward Heath
So .... we've still got a lot o'twists and turns in this road, folks. It ain't over yet, or guaranteed, by any means.
No problem for the dems. Their 60th vote will come in the form of Collins or Snowe....
Rats usually get what they want with little GOP opposition. Probably be the same here. IMO
Ted Kennedy's handlers want his replacement to be SELECTED NOT ELECTED
Get out the disenfranchised voter signs. DON'T let the Democrats steal the Senate yet again.
He wouldn't vote with the crass rats, would he?
He is only fiercely independent in the matter of defense. Otherwise he is a good Social Democrat.
I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Missouri’s Republican Senator Kit Bond votes for this power-grab.
Not to worry, Collins and Snowe will make up for the swimmer.
Yup, it would be a miracle if the Republicans could actually vote together.
How Collins and Stowe are allowed to stay in the GOP is a constant source of amazement to me!
And what IS Joe Lieberman’s position in the healthcare debate? He’s sure managed to avoid the news lately.
Pansy Graham will knock himself out trying to beat those two to the punch.
I’m from MA. In principle, I don’t have a problem with the change. I’ve never liked an appointment to last until the following November election. The election should be called within a couple of months to get things together and the governor could appoint somebody in the interim of the people choosing their next representative in the Senate.
However, this reasonable rule should have been proposed and passed when the law was changed in 2004, not just because the current senator is sick and his vote may be needed. That’s changing a law not for the good of the people but for political expediency (as was the 2004 change).
This is nothing new in politics, of course. The answer is for the sick Kennedy to resign his seat post haste so that MA could have another senator. But no, the seat’s for life, dontcha know!
I’m worried about Grassley.
I'm sure he is a Socialist on it, like he is with everything else. Of course, he IS from a state with lots of insurance interests, so who knows.
We’ve got to kill Deathcare in the House.....then the Senate won’t matter.
I called LIEberman’s office and expressed my concern that he would ever consider voting for a bill that had health care doled out by people who were deciding if an elderly person was entitled to medical care.
Got nothing but double talk from his office.
“Don’t let the Democrats yet again steal the Senate.”
Democrats don’t steal elections. They “win” elections.
/S/
In addition, the 91 year old Sen. Robert Byrd is ill and not in attendance.
You are more apologetic than I think you need to be.
If I hadn’t put it in there, you just know some lefturd would be screaming how FR is a site that revels in others’ misery, or something to that effect.
Can’t take any chances these days!
And in fact we don't.
Still, the fact that its Massachusetts means that his replacement will be just like him. I don't have any hope of moral leadership coming from there.
I’m actually surprised this rogue congress hasn’t passed rules allowing them to vote in absentia.
The Democrats changed the code when a Republican was governor and now that the Dems are in high office again, they don’t want the public to vote for Kennedy’s replace. No vote, 60 seat majority in contention, they are stealing congress.
Rats cheat. They can cry that Republicans are Meanies but Democrats are outright EVIL.
Shhhhh . . . Don’t give them any ideas!
“They can cry that Republicans are meanies but Democrats are outright EVIL.”
Nah. Respectfully disagree.
Democrats are not EVIL. They are just SCU&BAGS.
IMHO
They serve the global Socialist agenda and seek to overthrow our constitutional form of government. They are NOT friendly to the works of the founding fathers.
They don’t necessarily seek violent overthrow of our government, but they have no respect for the Constitution. Al Qaeda is also versed in using the Constitution to help take down this country.
“They don’t necessarily seek violent overthrow of our government...”
The quote made me think of New Black Panther types, with clubs, dressed in black clothing, with boots, standing within one hundred feet or so of a polling place in Philadelphia.
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