Barkley Votes With Republicans on Homeland Security Bill (w/Priceless McCain Democrat suck-up quote)

AP ^ | Published: Nov 19, 2002 | Frederic J. Frommer, Associated Press Writer

[SunStar]

Nov 19, 2002

Barkley Votes With Republicans on Homeland Security Bill

By Frederic J. Frommer
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - On the job for only a couple of weeks, interim Sen. Dean Barkley of Minnesota suggested Tuesday that he's learned to use his leverage as senator.

Barkley would not commit to voting with Republicans on a homeland security bill until the Bush administration committed to a Minnesota welfare waiver - though the independent senator had planned to vote with the GOP all along.

Barkley, an independent, said he received four calls from the White House over the past couple of weeks seeking his support on the bill. Two hours before Tuesday's vote, Barkley said, he got a commitment from Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to grant the state a continuation of its welfare waiver next year.

Thompson spokesman Tony Jewell confirmed that commitment but said the decision had nothing to do Barkley's vote on homeland security.

Barkley, who is filling out the term of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., said he already had decided to support the bill.

"But I wasn't going to show that card until I actually see if I could get the commitment from the White House and Tommy Thompson," he said.

Minnesota's waiver, which expired Sept. 30, allowed the state to offer welfare recipients options such as extra schooling and mental-health counseling.

The key vote Tuesday was 52-47 against a Democratic amendment to strip GOP provisions that Democrats considered special interest gifts to corporations. Had that amendment passed, there might not have been time to pass the overall bill this year.

Barkley said he agreed the GOP provisions should be removed but not at the cost of killing the bill.

"I had to make the call whether or not having a homeland security bill was worth those special interest provisions - which I hate," he said. "But I'm a realist to know that that's how this game is played around here."

Barkley has said since arriving here that his No. 1 priority was creation of a new Homeland Security Department.

One provision particularly tough for Barkley to accept was the weakening of a Wellstone amendment barring companies with offshore tax havens from getting federal homeland security contracts.

Barkley said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican who voted with Democrats, told him, "'You're in Wellstone's seat, you should be cognizant of that, and they weakened the Wellstone part, and you ought to say that you're not going to do that.'"

McCain spokesman Marshall Wittmann said the Arizona senator "did not tell him how to vote."

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for your kind words and the re documentation of McAinal and his life of Misshaps.

I ran into a Navy pilot years ago who knew McAinal. He said the same that you did about McAinal's Admiral Dad keeping him in the Navy after getting him in the Naval Academy and then flight school. This pilot called McAinal a Red Ace. Apparently McAinal crashed 5 Navy planes in his Naval career, making him an ace for the other side Viet Nam. In the time since the Korean War to now, McAinal has taken out more of our Navy planes than any single enemy pilot.

His super rich druggie wife, (the current one) set up some half way house for drug addicts and got caught stealing RX drugs from the pharmacy.

Then she wore the same very expensive designer pin that the Hilldebeast and other elite female rats wore in 2000. She wore it the night that she and her husband came on stage at the convention in 2000 to continue to stab GW in the back. It was her code to other left wing elite female rats that she was one of them and not a conservative republican.

McAinal is a waste of skin and air, and his skin ain't all that good!

[copycat]

Looks like the independent Mr. Barkley is more independent than Maverick John McCain.

[copycat]

Notice that Landrieu of Louisiana voted with pubbies when it had already passed....

Hope she depresses her base...

[tubebender]

Sounds like more BS from the "Straight Talk Express".Excess"

[F.J. Mitchell]

McCain and Gore should unite and form the "self pity" party.

[valleygal]

I voted for McCain last time around (several years ago).
But I'm not a supporter anymore. I haven't been for a few years. :)

I sure as heck hope he doesn't run again, but if he does, I won't be voting for him.

Funny, whenever he's on local talk radio he tries to play up just how conservative he is. HA!

[valleygal]

"Goldwater would be ashamed of him.

In the last years of Goldwater's life he married a younger liberal. Susan, I think her name is.

In those last years he said some stuff that had us conservatives in AZ looking at one another and saying, "WHAAt?"

Must have been Stockholm Syndrome (brainwashed by his lib wife). :) That or he was gettin' a little senile. We're not sure. He was saying the kind of stuff McCain says. LOL!

[valleygal]

"When is this idiot up for reelection?

I think he has two years left.

[valleygal]

I'm not sure what their exact age difference is, but McCain
was born in 36, so they makes him..um..66. Cindy has got to be pushing 50 by now.

He was first elected to the U.S. House here in 82, served two terms and was elected to the Senate in 85. Pretty sure he's up again in two years.

[valleygal]

The natives will probably vote him out next time around, if he even runs.

Things were a little different in 1998. He really began ticking people off when he was running for Pres. in 2000 (and since) and then again around Sept. ll, 01 when he was no where to be found.

[rintense]

Chaffee vehemently said he will not switch. That it would dishonor his father. There was an article posted on FR from his home state that was pretty clear he would never switch.

[valleygal]

I don't think he'll switch. JMO, though.

[newzhawk]

they need Bill Frist - someon that is effective- does his homework and is cool and calm in his demeanor- Trent Lott is a big weanie - and never really means what he says- Jesus - how do they continue with this loser- the only reason he is there is because he buzzed in with newt in 94 - he actually used to have a plan!

[CharacterCounts]

Let's see the McCain supporters defend their guy after reading this quote...

I'm no defender and his seeming desire to vote against Bush on high visibility issues ticks me off. But, he is still far more conservative than any Democrat Senator and many Republicans.

His recent voting record still gets him a conservative rating in the high 70's or low 80's. That puts him in the middle of the pack with many other Republicans. Compared to Jeffords with a rating of 27, McCain is conservative. Don't expect him to join Jeffors in his stupidity.

McCains biggest problem, in my opinion is that he lets his jealousy of Bush drive his votes.

[Consort]

The "switch" talk is to get out the GOP vote in Louisiana.

[valleygal]

"So what is he has a wife 15-20 years younger, and so what if she is a fox? Bully for him!!!

He left his disabled wife of many years for his trophy wife (who also happened to have money, I believe she is of the Anheiser-Busch family or someone high up with them or something).

In his new book, he evidently says he regrets how he treated his first wife. Rumors here have been that he's got an eye for the ladies. Cindy was addicted to prescription drugs here not long ago, if I remember correctly.

[speedy]

I can remember the original "Good" Barry who really was one of the founders of the modern Conservative political movement. I think his wierd statements late in his life were a combination of being led by his liberal second wife and the onset of the Alzheimer's that eventually killed him. Plus that strong Arizona sun seems to work on some of those guys after enough years. But the Goldwater of the 60s, 70s and early 80s was a courageous giant of the lonely pre-Reagan years.

[GoMonster]

he is up for election 2004. i bet he can get beat in gop primary. someone should go for it.

[OldFriend]

I remember McCain trying to wean JC Watts away from the President's side at one time. He has been trying to get Chaffee to join him in voting against the President. This time he tried to get Barkley. Seems the man hasn't the courage of his own convictions and it's only about getting others to go against the President. FOR SHAME, JOHN MC CAIN

[Bommer]

I don't think McCain will switch but on Brit Hume, Carl Cameron said they are most worried about Chaffee. Chaffee is a flake

Doubt it! Why would Chaffee wait when he could have done it last year when Jefford jumped?