Posted on 02/12/2014 12:09:57 PM PST by cotton1706
Updated 3:05 p.m. | The Senate voted to advance a one-year debt limit hike Wednesday, after a cliffhanger vote ended with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, voting “aye.”
The Senate voted 67-31 to end a filibuster on the legislation threatened by tea party firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in a vote that took nearly an hour to complete as senators wrestled with their decision. The Senate is proceeding to a vote on final passage with a simple majority threshold.
McConnell and Cornyn voted when the measure appeared stuck just short of the 60 votes needed.
A dozen Republicans voted with Democrats in all, most in a clump after McConnell and Cornyn led the way: John Barrasso of Wyoming, Susan Collins of Maine, Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Orrin Hatch of Utah, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, Mark Kirk of Illinois, John McCain of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Thune of South Dakota.
Cruz forced the 60-vote threshold, putting his fellow Republicans on the hot seat as they had to choose between a filibuster — potentially leading to the nation’s first ever default and a government shutdown — and putting the issue behind them ahead of the midterm elections.
Cruz had argued Republicans should stick together to extract spending cuts from Democrats and President Barack Obama, but McConnell privately had counseled against another shutdown showdown.
Kirk said his party had been sharply divided over strategy behind the scenes, including a dispute between McConnell and Cruz.
Kirk told reporters why he planned to vote to advance the debt limit bill: ”I just want the orderly administration of the U.S. debt,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.rollcall.com ...
I am no longer a Republican after 46 years. They left me.
FREEGARDS
LEX
Texas primary: March 4th, early voting next Tuesday 2/18
Kentucky primary: May 20th
Texas runoff: May 27th
If we force Cornyn into a runoff, we can take the two leaders out within a week of each other!
mcconnell and cornyn will need to have their lips surgically removed from dingy harry reid’s azz.
disgusting.
The 5 year long, lopsided power struggle continues on the now shredded Congressional Field of Battle in the District of Corruption, along the muddy banks of De Nile River.
The simple goal of the much-praised Left Team, also called “Democrats,” as stated by their team captain B. Hussein Soetoro-Obama is to “Fundamentally change the United States of America.”
The multiple, and very complex goals of the Right Team, as yet unstated but consistently acted out by Special Wrongway RINO Defense Squad Co- Captains John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy and Pete Roskam is to DO NOTHING that will irritate the Left Team.
The Right Team is also known by the name “Republicans,” a nostalgic name from a long-past time when there was “Liberty and Justice for all.”
The Left Team has a single Offense Squad with All Democrat Stars from many Schools of Higher Government Learning, to name just a few:
* Department of Gestapo Justice, (DOGJ);
* National Spy On U., (NSOU);
* Interrogate Ream Sue U., (IRSU)
* Reid Barrycade Senate Universal, (RBSU).
The Left Team always runs down the Congressional Field of Battle together, and has been admiringly nicknamed “ District of Corruption, United.”
The Right Team has never allowed the many Constitutional Offense Squads onto the Congressional Field of Battle, due to well-timed and strongly worded objections from many RINO luminaries such as Loser Emeritus, “Wacko Birds” McCain.
After a recent weekend, group-hug, bonding session, many caucus meetings, and private deal-making, Lead Co-Captain John Boehner picked up the ball yesterday and ran down the Congressional Field of Battle to score a goal for the Left Team.
Thanks to the RINO Defensive actions of “Wrongway” Boehner and his ‘gang of 27,’ an additional 1 to 4, (nobody is really sure), TRILLION dollars will be added to the National Poverty Debt Game Clock.
Co-Captain “Wrongway” Boehner was assisted by 27 Members of the Special Wrongway RINO Defense Squad.
Needless to say, “Wrongway” Boehner and his ‘gang of 27’ made no contact with any of the Left Team Members.
Time will tell if donations to the Special Wrongway RINO Defense Squad, (SWRDS), will increase or decrease before the Championship Game in November, 2014.
Wait... I was told specifically on FR that the Democrat is always worse than the republican. So clearly this did not happen.
The Flake and Insane McCain. My two buffoons. Excuse me. I’m going to cut my wrists now.
Due to the embarrassing leadership within the house and senate the republican party is now to identified as the cave party.
Three chears for the leadership.
Don’t be glum chum. It’s a lesser evil! See? No problem!
You were also told that libertarians were worse than both. Now, you need to re-think all of that.
McConnell and Cornyn are toast. This vote confirms it.
Stole an ad campaign from the Democrats. Now back to discussing Obamacare.
I don’t have to rethink either. I agree with Hamilton that an enemy in the opposing camp is better than having him in our own.
For the record, I’m not against libritarians per se. I agree with a lot of the philosophy. Not all of it, but a lot of it. It matches well with conservatism.
Coward Cornyn never misses an opportunity to stab Sen Cruz in the back and to help his “good friend”, Dingy Harry. He probably has a cushy job lined up at a GOP-e lobbying firm after he is voted out in the March primary,so he can continue his “War on Conservatives.”
Oh BTW all,
Watch the dems shoot down the restoration of military vet funding vote after this vote is set in stone. Just to rub it in. If they do not, I will be shocked.
Let's draft Ted Cruz to lead and form the "TEA Party". Let's make it an official party.
Let the left have what is left of the RINO's and we can court real patriotic Americans to start a new party and try to restore America.
I'm done with Republicans.
Let's work to try to convince Ted Cruz and Mike Lee to unhinge themselves from the Republican Party and officially declare themselves members of the "TEA PARTY."
We have been without leaders and we have not been effective. We have at least 2 leaders ready to stand in the gap.
McConnell and Cornyn are toast. This vote confirms it.
**lame ducks, internal polls must be horrible so they’re going with the fuk it strategy.
Welcome to the dark side ;) no get ready for FR’s GOPe wing to call you bad names too.
Our two buffoons have joined the government party, McCain long ago, his understudy Flake immediately after his election to the Senate in 2012.
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