New Senators Resist Overhaul of Immigration

NY Times ^ | June 28, 2007 | CARL HULSE

[indcons]

In narrowly winning her seat last year, Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri ran hard against what she saw as a flawed approach in Congress to dealing with illegal immigration. Ms. McCaskill, a Democratic newcomer, says she is not about to change her view now.

“I hope this never wears off, but I like to keep my word,” said Ms. McCaskill, part of a triad of moderate Democratic freshmen balking at the proposed immigration overhaul and complicating efforts by President Bush and Senate leaders to pass it this week.

Her compatriots in opposition are Senators Jim Webb of Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana. All three represent Republican-leaning states and are breaking with their leadership and most of their Democratic colleagues on the legislation, whose fate in the Senate could be determined on Thursday after a day of votes on amendments left the outcome up in the air on Wednesday.

The Republican Party has been deeply split by its differences over immigration. But Democrats have their own fault lines, and the opposition from Ms. McCaskill, Mr. Tester, Mr. Webb and eight or so other Democrats could be critical in determining the outcome.

[indcons]

Keep calling Sens. Webb, McCaskill, and Tester....they may be Dims but they have more gonads than the 24 RINOs that voted for the 1st cloture.

Oh...please kep calling the RINOs too. They should understand the likely price they are going to pay in 2008 for supporting the Bush-Kennedy "amnesty for criminals" bill.

[burrite]

I never thought I would be saying thank you to Claire after last years election

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Webb voted “Yea” on the first cloture.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Toll free to the US Senate:

1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)

Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!

[indcons]

My bad...looks like he is going to vote against the second cloture. If he doesn’t, I don’t think he’ll survive the next elections especially considering the slim margin that he won by.

[Bahbah]

I never thought I would be saying thank you to Claire after last years election

This will be the only time, but I'll take votes where we can get them.

[Huck]

“I hope this never wears off, but I like to keep my word,” said Ms. McCaskill

Strange comment. Gee, Claire, why would your integrity wear off?

[caphillbabe]

Here is a list of the key staff contacts of the “Amnesty 8” Senators (plus Domenici) that are most likely to be persuaded to vote no on Thursday and derail amnesty. Many offices are putting calls straight to voicemail and they can just trash faxes (and letters take weeks to get through due to security). Hit Hill staff where they are so codependent - their Blackberries! Send email directly to staff - not just the generic Senate office mailbox. Contact their Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, and Press Secretary. Make your voice heard!!

For the Democrats, I would strongly suggest taking a pro-union/anti-illegal alien stance (i.e. “they are taking our jobs”) rather than using the conservative national security angle.

Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Chief of Staff
tim_becker@bennelson.senate.gov

Legislative Director
christiana_gallagher@bennelson.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
david_dimartino@bennelson.senate.gov

Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Chief of Staff
bob_russell@pryor.senate.gov

Legislative Director
andy_york@pryor.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
michael_teague@pryor.senate.gov
lisa_ackerman@pryor.senate.gov

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA)
Chief of Staff
paul_reagan@webb.senate.gov

Legislative Director
mike_sozan@webb.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
jessica_smith@webb.senate.gov

Senator Kit Bond (R-MO)
Chief of Staff
brian_klippenstein@bond.senate.gov

Legislative Director
kara_smith@bond.senate.gov

Communications Director
shana_marchio@bond.senate.gov

Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Chief of Staff
glen_chambers@brownback.senate.gov

Domestic Policy Advisor
brian_robertson@brownback.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
john_rankin@brownback.senate.gov
brian_hart@brownback.senate.gov

Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)
Chief of Staff
alicia_peterson-clark@burr.senate.gov
alicia_peterson-petersonclark@burr.senate.gov

Legislative Director
natasha_hickman@burr.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
laura_caudell@burr.senate.gov
mark_williams@burr.senate.gov

Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Chief of Staff
jennifer_lowe@coleman.senate.gov

Deputy Chief of Staff
lucia_lebens@coleman.senate.gov

Legislative Director
lorianne_moss@coleman.senate.gov

Communications Director
tom_steward@coleman.senate.gov
tom_stewart@coleman.senate.gov

Press Secretary
leroy_coleman@coleman.senate.gov

Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM)
Chief of Staff
steve_bell@domenici.senate.gov

Legislative Director
edward_hild@domenici.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
chris_gallegos@domenici.senate.gov

Immigration LA
tara_shaw@domenici.senate.gov

Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
Chief of Staff
john_lopez@ensign.senate.gov

Legislative Director
pam_thiessen@ensign.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
tory_mazzola@ensign.senate.gov
jack_finn@ensign.senate.gov
don_tatro@ensign.senate.gov

[LibLieSlayer]

“Webb voted “Yea” on the first cloture.”

Lying pedophile socialist... it is expected!

LLS

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Gee, Claire, why would your integrity wear off?

Good question. (Although it has apparently worn off a good number of "Republicans" already.)

[Thebaddog]

She’s probably also seeing that her leadership in the person of Harry Reid are idiots.

[burrite]

Just called McCaskill..her voice mail is full...Voinovich’s line is busy..keep going everybody!!!!

[montag813]

God only knows what goodies Bush is bribing Senators with today-—call you Senator and remind them that they represent their constituents—not a disgraced 25% President.

[Moose4]

Maybe, maybe not. He’s not up until 2012, and if shamnesty passes, he’ll have a LOT of new (formerly-illegal and Democrat) voters in Virginia to make up for the disaffected. Maybe.

I do think he’ll vote “no”, if nothing else because his amendment got shot down, and Born Idiot has an ego. It depends on whether he’s willing to buck Harry Reid or not.

I just hope that the conservative and moderate voters up there who fell for his populist Scotch-Irish “Born Fighting” bullpucky now realize that all they did was put another liberal into the Senate instead of a good conservative Virginian, George Allen.

}:-)4

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Bond waffled while McCaskill represented Missouri.

[freespirited]

I watched McCaskill on the Senate floor during the debate last month, and it was mind-blowing.

Her point was that we wouldnt need a 400 page bill, the problem would largely correct itself if we would just start putting employers of illegal immigrants in jail.

I had to admit, she made a lot more sense than the so-called GOP leadership.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

You won’t hear much criticism of McCaskill from this end.

[knuthom]

I couldn’t believe it. McCaskill had more cojones than Kit Bond.