Once Again Self-Interest Triumphs

If you've expressed gratitude to your Senators for voting NO on S-2611, you may have missed a sneaky trick they pulled along with my Senator Jon Kyl (AZ).

Check how they voted on cloture of S-2611--they voted YES to bring the bill to a Senate floor vote rather than filllibuster it and let it die. The 10 senators who voted YES on cloture and then "flip-flopped" to vote NO on S-2611 (list below) knew that the bill would pass a Senate floor vote. So if they were REALLY opposed to amnesty, why didn't they vote NO on cloture as real patriots did--Jeff Sessions, Ernest Inhofe, Byron Dorgan, Robert Byrd and the rest.

These 10 senators voted to let it go for a floor vote because they really wanted S-2611 to pass--there's just no other explanation! Then they played good cop, bad cop and tried to recover their "anti" image by voting NO on passage, well aware that their NO vote was just symbolic. If you really oppose a bill that is expected to pass, you'll do anything possible to prevent a floor vote, and cloture would have been the obvious way.

7 of the 10 turncoats are up for re-election this November, which tells why they voted NO. I don't know about the rest, but Jon Kyl is in big trouble facing a wealthy Dem with lots of his own money, and Jon Kyl is in big trouble with conservatives for being a Bush toady.

I phoned Kyl's office the following day, madder than a hornet, and the aide tried to scam me with "Senator Kyl voted against the bill," but had nothing to say when I asked "Why did he vote for cloture if he opposed the bill?" These 10 were just taking a chance that most people wouldn't recognize what they really did.

Make no mistake about it, had their votes been needed for passage of the bill, any or all of these 10 would have voted YES in a heartbeat. But don't be fooled that they were "anti" the bill -- they did their political balancing act hoping most voters wouldn't catch on to them.

Call your Senator's office on Tuesday and let them know you're on to the Senator's game by asking "If the senator is against the bill, why did they vote for cloture rather than let it die through filibuster?"

Perhaps your senator's staffers are quicker on the draw than Senator Kyl's. When I told him that I wouldn't forget in Novmeber how Senator Kyl betrayed us, he quickly said "Senator Kyl voted against the bill." But to my queston of why he voted for cloture to enable a floor vote if Kyl REALLY opposed amnesty was dead silence.

If they try the BS that "even if all 10 voted NO against cloture, there would still have been enough votes to send S-2611 for a floor vote," but that's irrelevant. Following that logic, why did these 10 vote NO on the bill that they knew would pass anyway? Because they wanted to make political hay by claiming they voted NO!

They're not counting on many citizens sharp enough to recognize what their "flip-flop" vote achieved. If you want to let the staffers know what you think of their boss's "flip-flop," send a message to his staffers found on:
http://www.outsourcecongress.org/outsource/congress/schstaffers.html and ask for a written reply.

Below is a list of those who voted No on the bill and those of them who voted YES on cloture. Those in bold are just as traitorous as those like McCain, Kennedy, and Specter who voted YES for passage.

NAYs ---36
Alexander (R-TN) YES ON CLOTURE
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS) YES ON CLOTURE --up for re-election
Cornyn (R-TX) YES ON CLOTURE
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT) YES ON CLOTURE--up for re-election
Hutchison (R-TX) YES ON CLOTURE--up for re-election
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ) YES ON CLOTURE--up for re-election
Lott (R-MS) YES ON CLOTURE--up for re-election
Nelson (D-NE) YES ON CLOTURE
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Stabenow (D-MI) YES ON CLOTURE--up for re-election
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY) YES ON CLOTURE--up for re-election
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)

Hat tip: Sandra Miller

Red State Patriot comment: Buried in the Senate legislation is S.Amdt.4089, which was proposed by Senator Dodd (CT), and contained the following language:

(b) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.--Consultations between United States and Mexican authorities at the federal, state, and local levels (emphasis added) concerning the construction of additional fencing and related border security structures along the United States-Mexico border shall be undertaken prior to commencing any new construction, in order to solicit the views of affected communities, lessen tensions and foster greater understanding and stronger cooperation on this and other important issues of mutual concern.

S.Amdt.4089 was eventually lumped into Arlen Specter's (R-PA) Managers' Amendment S.Amdt.4188 that incorporated a collection of amendments. The Managers' Amendment was then passed on a 56-41 vote. The following Republicans voted for the Mexican consultation requirement: Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Chafee, Coleman, Collins, Craig, Graham, Hagel, Lugar, Collins, McCain, Specter, Stevens, Warner, Martinez, Murkowski, Snowe and Voinovich

It would appear that Senator John McCain wants to criminalize any citizen (or group of citizens), community or state attempts to defend the borders of the United States. Isn't that special!

Wise men have said for centuries, "follow the money." It appears to be time that we also follow the money and see just how many Congressmen are in fact paid agents of the Mexican government. Most Americans would be very interested to see how much money United States Congressmen have received from any source that can be definitively or constructively linked back to the Mexican government. One has to suspect the corruption will prove to be massive as there is no other reasonable explanation for so many Congressmen abandoning their birthright and constitutional duty other than self-interest.

As for Senator Jon Kyl, history is important. Remember back in 2004 when Kyl joined an eleventh-hour endorsement of Jim Kolbe over Randy Graf. Those two candidates offered a clear choice on illegal immigration--Kolbe was for amnesty; Randy Graf was for Prop 200 and strong enforcement. By endorsing Jim Kolbe, Kyl made it clear that he didn't want to take action to stop illegal immigration.

Recall also Jon Kyl's opposition to Prop. 200, claiming on the Laura Ingraham Show the flimsy pretext that "the text is flawed." When a caller asked for specifics, Kyl "didn't have the facts with him right now." When pressed, after 5 months Senator Kyl's staff explained, "Senator Kyl opposes illegal immigration but doesn't believe Prop. 200 is the way to deal with the problem." No one has yet been told which text is flawed in Prop. 200.

If Senator Jon Kyl is defeated in November, it will be well deserved for ignoring the wishes and interests of his constituents, and then trying to deceive them with weasely double talk and slight of hand, like voting for cloture and claiming he opposes amnesty.

Posted May 29, 2006 08:45 AM
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