BREAKING: House Will Vote Today on Lerner Contempt

Town Hall ^ | 5/6/14 | Katie Pavlich

[Nachum]

The House of Representatives will vote today, Tuesday, at 5 pm on whether to hold former head of tax exempt groups at the IRS Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress. Lerner was voted in contempt by the House Oversight Committee back in April after failing to answer questions from lawmakers. Many argue Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment rights last year because she made an opening statement declaring her innocence before claiming she wanted to remain silent.

[Baynative]

I hope this doesn’t turn out to be straight party line vote.

[exit82]

http://house.gov/representatives/

Call your representative, even if a Democrat.

They are all up for reelection in November, so tell them this vote will be a factor in voting decision.

We can’t make a difference unless we try.

[varon]

Vote will be along party lines, so contempt is a given

I need to get me some of what you're smoking..............

[lonevoice]

2PM pacific...stay tuned.

[PhiloBedo]

Rip Van Winkle?

[ChildOfThe60s]

Oops. LOL. I guess I stunned everyone with my brilliance that time.

[rolling_stone]

they should have done this April 15 and sent a message

[Hotlanta Mike]

[Hotlanta Mike]

[Hotlanta Mike]

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Why the 5:00 p.m. timing? That’s near the peak of the daily news cycle.

It's timed for tomorrow's papers and morning news.

Will any network cover the votes as they’re recorded?

No, no more than they cover any other vote of congress live.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

There were what were seen as good reasons for direct election of senators, and by the time the 17th Amendment was proposed, most states had gone to a system whereby the legislatures rubber stamped a popular vote. That's why it was ratified so quickly.

One effect the old system had was turning state legislature races into little more than referenda on senate candidates. Remember the Lincoln-Douglas debates, in which the two men campaigned up and down Illinois for the senate seat. People weren't voting for state legislators on the basis of state issues--they were voting for electors for senator who incidentally would hold state legislature seats.

Finally, a series of scandals demonstrated that it was pretty easy to buy a senate seat when you only had to bribe a few state legislators.

[RandallFlagg]

So, the vote is in about 20 minutes?

[PhiloBedo]

The ‘60’s took a toll on everyone who lived through it. ;)

[doorgunner69]

Crickets?

[Kenny Bunk]

Bubba, I refuse to let the inconveniently accurate factual data at your command screw up my pet project!

In my own admittedly cursory review of our history, IIRC, there has never been such a collection of billionaire crooks and ass-klowns as we now have in the Senate.

state legislature races into little more than referenda on senate candidates.

True then. But now? Still preferable to popular election by today's idiotic majority-minority government-dependent voters of the big states. Do you, Bubba, really think that ANY state legislature would send an Al Franken to DC as a Senator?

[clintonh8r]

I don’t know....Haven’t seen or heard diddlysquat.

[Fledermaus]

I think they would have sent Franken. Minnesota is full of idiots.

[Political Junkie Too]

Remember the Lincoln-Douglas debates, in which the two men campaigned up and down Illinois for the senate seat. People weren't voting for state legislators on the basis of state issues--they were voting for electors for senator who incidentally would hold state legislature seats.

The question still is, would you rather have your Senate candidates lobby up and down your state to influence your locally elected assemblymen's votes, or would you want your Senator living comfortably in his home in DC getting his popular election campaign funds from Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer's PAC?

To whom would your Senator be more beholden, the locally elected assemblymen or Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer? Whose agenda would more likely be top-of-mind of your Senator?

-PJ

[clintonh8r]

Just heard the vote will be tomorrow.