Frist Rescinds Recess Threat, Will Allow Senate Full Week Off

Roll Call ^ | 2/13/03 | Paul Kane

[carenot]

they can't filibuster because they can't get 51 senators on the floor...

So Frist shuts it down for a week?

[hchutch]

You know, the hang-up seems to be the fact that the government (and Estrada) will not waive attorney-client privlege.

Maybe Hatch or Frist need to explain that concept to the Dems until the Dems get it. It may take some profanity to get the message through the think skulls on the left, but...

[MainFrame65]

From what I have read or heard, I THINK that if they ever do hold a cloture vote, they establish (through senate debate rules) that 60 votes will be required at any time in the future to act on the nomination. That is the reason that no vote has been scheduled yet.

On the other hand, I could be wrong.

[Miss Marple]

I have learned the rules. Without McConnell (open heart surgery) and Bunting (wife having serious major surgery) we fall to 49 votes. That is a fact.

So, rather than allow all sorts of mischief in that situation, Frist has called for a recess.

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting that! I have been saying that this is not a filibuster but more on the order of morning speeches where they just talk and talk because they are conducting business during this time when necessary.

[PhiKapMom]

Go check the rules and check the circumstances and you will see why Frist is going to recess. If Mitch McConnel was there along with Bunning -- different story.

Read Post #101!

Just drop the sour grapes over Lott -- he would never have held out because he never did on anything!

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

How did Frist blink on this one? Read some of the posts on this thread and you might learn something.

[PhiKapMom]

Dragging out during the war is a wonderful idea! Republicans could not buy this kind of negative publicity by the RATS if they tried.

[SuziQ]

Congress wants to get out of Washington due to "wives pressure" and "fear of impending terrorist attack"

Whadda ya mean? Most of them live in the burbs of DC anyway! Are they going to go stay in their campaign HQs back in their home states?

[hchutch]

No kidding - at best we'd need Cheney to break a tie over a vote to adjourn.

[sinkspur]

Just drop the sour grapes over Lott -- he would never have held out because he never did on anything!

Sorry Mom. I know the rules. Fred Barnes said on Britt Hume's show tonight that Frist is adjourning because nobody's paying any attention and Bush is too distracted by the war preparations to put any effort into defending Estrada at this time.

I will not drop the "sour grapes"; Frist is caught up in the same circumstances Lott was often caught in, it's just that everybody around here was pissed at Lott because he didn't get Clinton convicted (a good thing, IMO).

It's hypocrisy, Mom. Pure hypocrisy.

Frist will be just as frustrated as Lott was; that's the way the Senate works.

[Miss Marple]

Fred is wrong. Look at the numbers and the rules. Bunting and McConnell are absent. How do you expect Frist to do anything with 49 senators?

Fred is a good guy, but he isn't perfect, and on this one he is missing the point.

[deport]

we fall to 49 votes.

---

What does that mean?...... please explain for me, thanks.

At worst it would be 49 - 49 with the VP setting in the wings...... Isn't the dems short Kerry and Graham at this point?

[sinkspur]

How did Frist blink on this one?

He blustered and said he was going to keep Congress in session over the recess.

Read some of the posts on this thread and you might learn something.

Sorry. I know the rules. The worst that could have happened was an adjournment, and an opportunity to make a point of how cowardly the Democrats are.

I'm glad Frist is Majority Leader, but he's going to have some of the same tough sledding Lott had.

[Miss Marple]

No, they are not short Kerry and Graham. Both are out of the hospital.

[vaudine]

I, too, am disappointed in the Repubs backing down; however there may be method to their madness. My dau. in NH called tonight and she heard the Repubs are running ads, esp. directed to the Hispanic communities about the Dem. obstruction. Maybe some outside pressure of the voting kind will be turned on during the break.

Anyway, I am aking Senator Shelby, visiting our town Sat.,to start playing hardball with these powermad Dems. May Dashle's life become more and more bitter.

Vaudine

[diotima]

ON NOW! UNSPUN with AnnaZ and Mercuria!
6pm pdt/9pm edt

We'll be speaking with Freedom Alliance's FRED GEDRICH about Kofi & Krew (and Saddam, too!). PLUS... Boneheaded Lie-beral Quotes Commie Rat Bastard of the Week Anna's NEW Waste Of Ink Award

Click HERE to LISTEN LIVE while you FReep!

Click HERE for the RadioFR Chat Room!

Miss a show? Click HERE for the RadioFR Archives!

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Your analysis is flawed. The Dems have absolutely no interest in having a quorum and will keep only one person on the floor. The Pubbies will have to make sure there is a quota in order to keep them in session during the recess. That means that they will have to produce 50 senators. The Pubbies have 51, but one is recovering from triple bypass surgery and the other has a wife that is in critical condition. That leaves only 49 senators. Hence, they cannot get a quorum and they will have to adjourn. On Saturday morning, the lone dem senator on the floor will suggest the absense of a quorum and they Pubbies won't be able to get the 50 they need.

Frist is not in control of this situation. He cannot get O'Connell out of the hospital and he cannot ask Sen. Bunning to leave his wife in the hospital.

Them's political realities Dude.

[sinkspur]

How do you expect Frist to do anything with 49 senators?

The Senate would remain in session until a quorum is attained. Those are the rules. GOP Senators could monopolize the time, and irritate the hell out of the Democrats who are forced to stay in town.

My point is that Frist jumped the gun by threatening to keep everybody in town.

[TLBSHOW]

RADIO-FR BUMP