The "hot" live threads would probably shrink to 10-20% of their number of posts. They are very much like a chatroom, and as far as I'm concerned, that is a plenty valid purpose.
The downside of the free running, stream of consciousness exchanges in live threads is lousy signal to noise. Lots of "thread variety" at FR!
I appreciated seeing this thread, as I was looking for the names of the dissenters, and didn't want to wade through the live thread. I think the defense of the live thread as "official meeting place" is funny.
CSPAN is replaying Jean Schmidt's comments over and over. Now that is funny. The House managed to get the comments removed from the official record, but they are getting played in the media.
Not voting: Bobby Jinadal and Ron Paul are among that 22.
Mission accomplished!
Betcha Jindal and Paul had sneaked out of town for an early weekend thinking they wouldn't be missed. Well, sometimes a surprise happens and something important actually does happen on a Friday in DC. They should have stuck around.
Frist ought to have used this vote tactic in the Senate when the losers there had the oil execs on the griddle. He should have proposed all those who were so concerned about the "little people" vote on whether the oil companies should give back 20% of their profits MATCHED by the feds giving back 20% of the profits it has made on gas taxes. I'd have LOVED to have seen the Dems vote on that one! Republicans ought to make the suckers vote every time they call the NYT or WP to gripe about something. We want them on record!