"Corner" Blog:Backroom Deal: Yes to Cloture, then Meaningless Amendment, then No to Second Cloture

"Corner" Blog-National Review Online ^ | 6/25/07 | Rich Lowry

[Jacksonville Patriot]

Cloture Buy-Offs [Rich Lowry]

One method supporters of the bill are apparently using to good effect is to promise senators votes on their amendments to get them to vote for cloture. This is working even when it is amendments that have no chance of passing. For instance, Sen. Bond's office tells me that he is going to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed. He will then offer an amendment that has made the approved list to strip out the path of citizenship in the bill (meaning no green cards). This will inevitably fail. In which case, Bond will vote against cloture the second time and against final passage. This dynamic means opponents of the bill might pick up a vote or two on the second cloture vote, but Bond will still have done his bit to advance the underlying bill through his first cloture vote. He should just vote "no" tomorrow.

06/25 06:09 PM

[Jacksonville Patriot]

Again, premium on speed getting truth ammo. to the guns; sorry if redundant; NB it worked with Kit Bond, R-MO

[caphillbabe]

Here is a list of the 12 “fence-sitter” Senate contacts for EVERYONE to email regarding immigration. 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 Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Chief of Staff
stephen_ward@bingaman.senate.gov

Legislative Director
trudy_vincent@bingaman.senate.gov

Counsel
sunalei_stewart@bingaman.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
jude_mccartin@bingaman.senate.gov

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Chief of Staff
laura_schiller@boxer.senate.gov

Legislative Director
polly_trottenberg@boxer.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
natalie_ravitz@boxer.senate.gov

Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Chief of Staff
bob_van_heuvelen@conrad.senate.gov

Legislative Director
tom_mahr@conrad.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
chris_thorne@conrad.senate.gov
sean_neary@conrad.senate.gov

Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
Chief of Staff
david_lyles@levin.senate.gov

Legislative Director
rich_arenberg@levin.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
tara_andringa@levin.senate.gov

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 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 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 Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Chief of Staff
jenny_manley@cochran.senate.gov

Legislative Director
ta_hawks@cochran.senate.gov

Press Secretary
margaret_wicker@cochran.senate.gov
Margaret_mcphillips@cochran.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

Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Chief of Staff
joel_maiola@gregg.senate.gov

Legislative Director
nancy_perkins@gregg.senate.gov

General Counsel
christopher_gahan@gregg.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
erin_rath@gregg.senate.gov

Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Chief of Staff
patricia_knight@hatch.senate.gov

Legislative Director
jace_johnson@hatch.senate.gov

Deputy LD
chris_campbell@hatch.senate.gov

Counsel
bill_castle@hatch.senate.gov

Press Secretary/Communications Director
peter_carr@hatch.senate.gov

[goldstategop]

Yeah... the Open Borders Crowd wants to get amnesty through by stealth if they can't get it passed in the open. Beware!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Jacksonville Patriot]

Brilliant!

[Aria]

This disgusting back room dealing is literally making me sick to my stomach. We need a whole new government...this one is no longer representing the citizens.

[DesScorp]

“This disgusting back room dealing is literally making me sick to my stomach. We need a whole new government...this one is no longer representing the citizens.”

This is a “we know what’s best for you” Senate.

[freespirited]

I expect Jim Webb to do something similar, cause there is no way in hell his amendment is going to pass.

[deport]

Bond will vote against cloture the second time and against final passage

---

Explain to me the above....... I wasn’t aware of a 2nd cloture vote, is there one. I thought cloture brought the bill to the floor for debate, etc. within a specified time frame, 30 hrs after which debate ends and final vote occurs on passage of the bill..... Is this some different approach?

[gpapa]

Sen. Bond, a vote for the first cloture vote is the same as a vote for the Senate bill. We do not need any more smoke and mirrors like that one Senator. He knows that if the second cloture vote passes, that will lead to final passage requiring only a 51 vote majority for approval. He knows there are 50+ votes for final passage. He thus can vote no on the second cloture vote and final passage, thereby saying, incorrectly, that he opposed the bill in the first place.

[Aria]

So what are they doing...trying to create cover for what is really a yes on the bill?

[saganite]

There will be 2 cloture votes? First I’ve heard of it.

[oldbill]

You got it!

Profiles in courage.

But be careful - there are Freepers who next year will insist that you vote for these clowns because they’re “Republicans”.

[Jacksonville Patriot]

This is Dingy Harry’s “clay pigeon” tactic; it has something to do with voting for cloture on parts of the bill; I don’t understand it any more than that.

[Oldhunk]

Not the way I understand it. If the second cloture vote fails, the bill dies.

[Cacique]

STOP AMNESTY NOW!! WE CAN DO IT!!

[Jacksonville Patriot]

I think you’re right.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Right now they are debating whether to consider the bill. The first cloture vote would be to end debate on the motion to consider. If it passes, a majority vote would start debate on the bill. The second cloture vote would be on ending debate on the bill and would would essentially as you described it.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

would would = would work. Sorry!

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>Explain to me the above....... I wasn’t aware of a 2nd cloture vote, is there one. I thought cloture brought the bill to the floor for debate, etc. within a specified time frame, 30 hrs after which debate ends and final vote occurs on passage of the bill..... Is this some different approach?<<

That's what I understood too. Maybe that's part of the swindle, to get gullible senators to vote YES on the cloture vote tomorrow, thinking that there will be another cloture vote to end debate, later.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>Right now they are debating whether to consider the bill. The first cloture vote would be to end debate on the motion to consider. If it passes, a majority vote would start debate on the bill. The second cloture vote would be on ending debate on the bill and would would essentially as you described it.<<

That’s the way it works normally, but are you sure they get another cloture vote withing the “clay pigeon” procedure?