Posted on 09/19/2002 8:28:11 PM PDT by jdontom
Democrats Preparing to Block Reorganization if Carnahan Falls
By Mark Preston
Senate Democrats are prepared to bring legislative activity to a screeching halt in a lame-duck session if Sen. Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.) is defeated in November, an outcome that would temporarily give Republicans control of the chamber before the 108th Congress is sworn in. Democrats have already mapped out a strategy to defend against a quick takeover by the GOP during a lame duck if former Rep. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) defeats Carnahan in the midterm elections, several sources said.
"By God, if Republicans think we are going to roll over while they try to jam through the harshest elements of the White House's right-wing agenda, they got another thing coming," said a senior Democratic aide speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Another top Democratic staffer added that the floor would be tied up in knots "unless the legislation is something we wanted, or agreed-upon items such as an appropriations bill."
According to most readings of Missouri law, should Talent defeat Carnahan, he would be eligible to be sworn in to replace her immediately because she was temporarily appointed to the seat until an individual was elected to fill it. The most recent independent poll, taken in early September, showed the race in a dead heat.
Republicans said they would move for Talent's immediate swearing-in if he wins and the Senate is still in session mopping up the unfinished business of the 107th Congress. His victory would give Republicans 50 votes and the majority, while Democrats could have no more than 49 votes.
Even if Independent Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.), who caucuses with Democrats, officially joined the party, Vice President Cheney - in his role as President of the Senate - would cast the tie-breaking vote for Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) to be Majority Leader.
"That is the way the rules work," said a senior Senate GOP aide. "It's not that we dislike her."
But Republicans would not have full operating control of the chamber under such a scenario. Democrats plan to prevent the GOP from passing a new organizing resolution to give Republicans control of the committees if they seize power in a lame duck.
"You wouldn't do an organizing resolution for a month," said Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle (D-S.D.). "We didn't do that in January [2001] when I was the Majority Leader for 14 days, so you wouldn't do it for a few days either. But she is not going to lose, so that is not a question we are concerned about."
While Lott would be recognized as the Majority Leader on the floor, his committee chairmen would consist of liberal Democrats such as Sens. Edward Kennedy (Mass.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.) and Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), who would still retain their one-seat majorities on the panels.
A Senate Republican leadership aide said such preparation shows that Democrats fear the worst in the Missouri race.
"The Democrats are so scared they are going to lose the majority they are beginning to plan for the loss of Senator Carnahan," the aide said. "It looks like they are getting ready for minority status."
A Democratic Senator, who asked not to be named, charged that Republicans are trying to raise money in the final weeks before the election by continuing to talk about the possibility of a lame-duck coup.
"First, she is going to win, and secondly we are not going to have a lame duck," the Senator said. "It sounds like something somebody is trying to do for a fundraising letter."
Still, some Republican Senators suggested the potential for a majority switch in a lame-duck session is leading to increasing support for a long-term continuing resolution if Congress fails to complete its work before it leaves for the midterm elections.
"What it all says is, you don't have a lame duck," said Senate Republican Policy Chairman Larry Craig (Idaho). "You have a lame duck to do things, and if they won't let anything happen, nothing gets done. So you don't have a lame duck."
"It would be very easy of them to obstruct," added Senate Minority Whip Don Nickles (R-Okla.), who favors a CR through February. "We have about 10 races across the country that are too close to call, so it is hard to see how you can get anything substantive done in that period of time."
A Senate Democratic aide agreed with the Republican leaders that a majority shift would be a "recipe for disaster."
"One thing is clear under such a scenario, we would never get anything done in the Senate," the staffer said.
Still, Republicans are taking the necessary steps to ensure that they wield the gavel should Talent win and the Senate returns to work after the elections.
"I have asked the question that under current law, if Jim Talent is elected in Missouri and certified, is the current Senator then able to be on the floor legally voting in a session following the certification?" Craig said of possibilities he has asked the Senate counsel to explore.
"Before we go out of session, I'll know clearly what should happen," Lott said.
At the very least, a mid-term party switch should trigger a special election back home, to insure that your constituents approve of your move. IIRC, Phil Gramm did this when he switched to the GOP. The time and effort involved in such a process might serve as an effective deterrent to party-switching.
The thing that rankled me the most about Jeffords' switch was that less than half a year earlier he used GOP money and resources to fund his own re-election, and perpetrated fraud upon his electorate by running as a Republican.
They'd have you believe that Kyl, Inhofe, Gramm, Cochran, Santorum, Grassley, Allard, Enzi, Nickels, Hutchinson, Sessions, Roberts, Bunning etc. etc. etc. are all RINOs. These guys are just white noise around here.
Sitting around all day "yanking it". "I'm the true conservatinve, ohh ahhhh ahhhh ...."
One look at the past where Govenor Bob Holden and US Senator The Widow Charnahan were elected to public office, says one thing.
It is time for VOTERS from the rest of the state to put an end to St Louis making our votes meaningless!
It is axiomatic that Democrats are always guilty in spades of all the things they accuse Republicans of.
Not quite. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Bobby's son running for MD governor, managed to win her primary. She got about 80% of the vote. Her primary opponent, who spent practically nothing and was totally unknown, got about 20% of the vote.
Bobby's son???? Was there some major surgery involved?
One BIG thing he could do: At least PRETEND to have a brass set when he's on TV. As it is, I turn him off when he comes on. His mealy mouthed weak kneed talk makes me shout at the screen, something I don't do even when Dems come on.
Conservative? I don't think so, but time will allow your view to be tested, I expect we will do fairly well come November.
That's because many of the "RINO" screamers around here won't be happy until there are 99 Liberal and Conservative DemocRATs in the Senate and only Pat Buchanan, representing the Racist Party on the other side of the isle.
I know it's hard to believe but typical Americans like some Conservative and some Liberal ideas...
It was, is, and shall be the place.
To the self-syled "True Conservatives", nobody who is in a political position to actually weild the power to effect ideological priorites through legislation or implemented policy could possibly be pure enough to be labelled a "Conservative". They're con-men malcontents here. They've cultivated a brotherhood of whining losers crying and sharing seige and principled powerlessness.
They were just mildly annoying pissants before 9-11-01, but now this ongoing selfish cynicism is nothing short of contemptable.
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