Video- Rand Paul On Libya War: 'The Senate Has Abdicated It's Responsibility'

I've told my caucus, 'Come loaded with all your questions; ask questions in this classified setting. And then if in fact you want to do more legislatively, you're entitled to do it. The War Powers Act we believe is valid, is very clear, setting forth timelines."--- Harry Reid to reporters, Tuesday, March 29, 2011: Source Bloomberg)

12 minute video below of Rand Paul (R., Ky.)speaking on the Senate floor about his proposed resolution reasserting congressional authority regarding the committing of the U.S.. and our resources to war. (H/T The Corner for the video)



Paul talks about the War Powers Act and specifically highlights his proposed resolution is, in fact, the exact words of Barack Obama in 2007 and the purpose of this resolution, according to Paul's office is "the measure aims to put the Senate on record affirming Congress as the body with constitutional authority on matters of war.”

....To make his point, Paul quoted, in the legislative language, from Obama’s 2007 remarks on the subject: “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

At the 3 minute 48 second mark in the video Rand expresses that "I am appalled that the Senate has abdicated their responsibility".

The specific wording of the War Powers Resolution:

SECTION 1. This joint resolution may be cited as the "War Powers Resolution".

PURPOSE AND POLICY

SEC. 2. (a) It is the purpose of this joint resolution to fulfill the intent of the framers of the Constitution of the United States and insure that the collective judgement of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, and to the continued use of such forces in hostilities or in such situations.

(b) Under article I, section 8, of the Constitution, it is specifically provided that the Congress shall have the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution, not only its own powers but also all other powers vested by the Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

(c) The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.

What Rand Paul did was attach this amendment to the small-business re-authorization bill that the Senate was to vote on.

This put Harry Reid in the position of having to allow the Senate to be put on record either agreeing with Barack Obama in 2007 or agreeing with him now since he committed our U.S. armed forces to actions in Libya without receiving congressional permission to do so.

So, Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, did what he does best.. he ran. Reid adjourned the upper chamber and postponed all pending votes until Monday.

NRO reports:

“Paul’s Libya amendment has brought the Senate to a standstill because Reid doesn’t know how to handle it,” one GOP aide tells me. “If he allows a vote, Democrats are forced to either disagree with then-senator Obama or with President Obama. It’s possible that Reid just yanks the bill or files cloture, seems he may do anything to avoid a vote on Paul’s amendment.”

Following up on the issue, Paul has issued a press release of a letter he has sent both Reid and McConnell:

Dear Leader Reid and Leader McConnell:

As you know, Senator Paul recently made a motion to have the Senate vote on the following sense of the Senate:

“The President does not have the power to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

The motion Senator Paul made has the vote as the pending business in the Senate, ready for a vote at any time. He did not ask for extended debate, and his motion would take up a maximum of 30 minutes of the Senate’s time.

Though brief, it would be an important 30 minutes for the Senate. It will be the only 30 minutes spent on discussing and voting on whether or not the President has the power under the Constitution to attack another country without congressional authorization.

We believe the answer is that he does not. We also believe Congress has an obligation to stand up and declare whether or not we intend to hold the President to his constitutional oath.

While we realize there are other matters the Senate had planned to work on, it is our belief that there is very little we are doing that rises to the level of a constitutional question regarding war. Voting for whether or not to send our sons and daughters to war is the most important and most difficult decision we should ever make as a nation and as senators. We do not take this responsibility lightly, and we believe the Senate is abdicating its responsibility at this very moment.

The bombing and military action against the Libyan government will be two weeks old by the time we return to session next week. That means congressional debate on this war is two weeks overdue.

We feel strongly enough about this matter that we are writing to inform you of our intentions. The Senate has already agreed to move a bill on Tuesday morning. In order to ensure our rights are protected, we will serve notice now that upon completion of H.R. 4, we will object to further votes on amendments to S. 493 until such time as the motion on presidential war authority is scheduled for a vote. We are happy to work with the leaders of both parties on the timing of the vote for next week, and would be happy to allow other business to proceed as soon as an agreement is reached.

Lest it be said only Republicans and Conservatives are concerned about Barack Obama's complete disregard for congressional authority over matters of war, Liberals are also highlighting the matter vehemently.

TPM:

The White House would forge ahead with military action in Libya even if Congress passed a resolution constraining the mission, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a classified briefing to House members Wednesday afternoon.

Clinton was responding to a question from Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) about the administration's response to any effort by Congress to exercise its war powers, according to a senior Republican lawmaker who attended the briefing.

The answer surprised many in the room because Clinton plainly admitted the administration would ignore any and all attempts by Congress to shackle President Obama's power as commander in chief to make military and wartime decisions. In doing so, he would follow a long line of Presidents who have ignored the act since its passage, deeming it an unconstitutional encroachment on executive power.

Andrew Sullivan:

Many of us supported this president because he promised to bring back the constitutional balance after the theories of Yoo, Delahunty, et al put the president on a par with emperors and kings in wartime. And yet in this Libya move, what difference is there between Bush and Obama? In some ways, Bush was more respectful of the Congress, waiting for a vote of support before launching us like an angry bird into the desert. Hillary Clinton, channeling her inner Cheney, said in a classified Congressional briefing that her administration would simply ignore the War Powers Resolution of 1973 that requires the president to seek Congressional approval within 60 days of the conflict starting. If the congress voted against continuing the war, it would be irrelevant to the administration. Beat that, King George II.

[SNIP]

The president is violating his constitutional duty to enforce the laws (to himself as well as anyone else). He has no constitutional right to simply waive the War Powers Resolution. In my view, we need a debate in the Congress on this as soon as possible.

Glenn Greenwald concludes after his typical diarrhea of the keyboard:

Most Democrats, liberals, and even traditional conservatives and libertarians purported to find such lawlessness outrageous and dangerous during the Bush years. It isn't any less so now.

Bottom line, Harry Reid, as evidenced by the opening quote of this post, agreed that his caucus, his Democratic Senators, were "entitled" to "do more legislatively," in regards to Obama and the War Powers Resolution but when a Republican Senator does just that, using Barack Obama's own words, Reid runs for the hills and refuses to hold a vote on it.

As a side note, I find one particular statement by Kevin Drum over at Mother Jones to be quite disturbing:

But the reason I voted for Obama in 2008 is because I trust his judgment. And not in any merely abstract way, either: I mean that if he and I were in a room and disagreed about some issue on which I had any doubt at all, I'd literally trust his judgment over my own.

I find that statement incomprehensible. A person should never abdicate their own intellectual thought. A person should never give in to the "he is smarter than me so I will accept whatever he says" mentality.

You listen to both sides of an argument, sometimes another person's view will help you adjust your own thinking, clarify issues you hadn't previously considered and perhaps even change your mind once the facts and opinions are laid out.

But you never, ever, simply give up your right to individual thought.

It is people like Drum that gave way to creation of the term "Obamabot."

“Consider the reasons which make us certain that we are right... but not the fact that we are certain. If you are not convinced, ignore our certainty. Don't be tempted to substitute our judgment for your own.”--- Atlas Shrugged

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Freshman House GOP Members To Harry Reid: 'your record on spending in the Senate is one of failure '

On top Speaker of the House, John Boehners public statement to Senate Democrats telling them if they really have a budget plan to they should “pass the damn thing” and stop “rooting for a government shutdown,” (Video here) now we have 30 (so far) freshman GOP House members sending Harry Reid a letter telling him "Mr. Reid, your record on spending in the Senate is one of failure."

Mr. Reid,

We the undersigned call on you and the Senate to pass a long-term Continuing Resolution; a resolution that hears the calls of the American people and makes reasonable, responsible spending cuts.

Mr. Reid, your record on spending in the Senate is one of failure. You have failed to pass a budget, failed to restrain spending, and failed to put our country on sound fiscal footing.

We do not accept your failure as our own.

The American people did not send us here to fail. Make no mistake: any government shutdown is the result of your lack of leadership. America has a $14 trillion debt and you offered a mere $6 billion in cuts. The House heard the calls of the American people and offered $61 billion in cuts, but the Senate has not sent us a Continuing Resolution in return.

We have received nothing from the Senate except denials of the dire straits of our nation’s fiscal health.

The House of Representatives is accomplishing what we were elected to do. We’ve cut spending. We’ve terminated wasteful programs. We’ve funded the government.

Mr. Reid, we are letting you know that we will rally on the Senate steps every day until you pass a long-term Continuing Resolution. We call on all Americans to join our fight in restoring our country’s fiscal health.

The House of Representatives is doing our job, Mr. Reid. The Senate needs to start doing theirs.

Mr. Reid, it’s time to pass a bill.

Bound together and determined,

[Signatures]

Ouch.

Obama Out Of Control As U.S. Sets $223 Billion Deficit Record

The GOP needs to hold firm and if Obama and Democrats refuse to allow the House budget to be voted on, passed and/or Obama vetoes the GOP bill that passed the House, then let them take responsibility for shutting down the government.

We spend more than we take in. That is unsustainable. It truly is that simple.

In February 2011 the U.S. set a new record, for one month with a $223 billion shortfall (deficit), amidst a budget battle between the GOP House of Representatives that want to start with cutting $61 billion, the Democratically controlled Senate that only wants to cut $10 Billion and the Democrat in the White House, Barack Obama that sent a proposal to congress for a budget that at no point in the 10-year projections would the U.S. government spend less than it's taking in.

What is wrong with this picture?

Enough is enough.

The federal government posted its largest monthly deficit in history in February, a $223 billion shortfall that put a sharp point on the current fight on Capitol Hill about how deeply to cut this year’s spending.

That one-month figure, which came in a preliminary report from the Congressional Budget Office, dwarfs even the most robust cuts being talked about on the Hill, and underscores just how much work lawmakers have to do to get the government’s finances in balance again.

The Senate plans to vote Tuesday on competing proposals to cut spending, but Democrats have rejected GOP-backed cuts of more than $50 billion, and Republicans have ruled out Democrats’ cuts of less than $10 billion, meaning neither plan will draw the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and pass.

“We’ve all done the math and we all know how these votes will turn out: Neither proposal will pass, which means neither will reach the president’s desk as written. We’ll go back to square one and back to the negotiating table,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat.

The GOP's cuts aren't enough but they are a start, the Democrats cuts are laughable and show clearly that Obama/Democrats have no desire to stop the out-of-control spending or to get our deficit under any type of control.

.....“The American people voted to cut spending, but they also voted for a change in direction. Defunding ObamaCare [and] defunding Planned Parenthood are part of the new direction the American people embraced in 2010,” said Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) an influential conservative and former chairman of the House Republican Conference.

He would not specify a minimum level of cuts, but said, “Nobody wants a government shutdown, but the American people are losing patience, and I’m losing patience.” (Source)

Count me in as one of those people losing patience.

Vulnerable Senate Democrats are even starting to worry and stating publicly that Obama has "failed" to lead on cutting the deficit.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin ripped President Barack Obama on his budget proposals in a Senate floor speech Tuesday, a rare rebuke from a freshman Democrat who clearly is worried about the politics of deficit spending as he faces a tough reelection in 2012.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democrat, is more worried about saving federal funding for "Cowboy Poets" than he is getting our fiscal house in order.



The Politico files Reid's ridiculousness under the heading "Did Harry Reid just say that?"

In the middle of his tirade against House Republicans' "mean-spirited" budget bill on the Senate floor Tuesday, the Senate Majority Leader lamented that the GOP’s proposed budget cuts would eliminate the annual "cowboy poetry festival” in his home state of Nevada. (See also: Reid’s prostitution lecture bombs.)

Reid clearly has a soft spot for the Baxter Blacks of the poetry world and thinks Republicans don't.

“The mean-spirited bill, H.R. 1 … eliminates the National Endowment of the Humanities, National Endowment of the Arts,” said Reid. “These programs create jobs. The National Endowment of the Humanities is the reason we have in northern Nevada every January a cowboy poetry festival. Had that program not been around, the tens of thousands of people who come there every year would not exist.”

Talk about a WTF moment.

Dueling headlines: "U.S. sets $223B deficit record" and "Reid: Save federal funding for the cowboy poets!"

I saw those two headlines and just shook my head in amazement.

[Update] House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) pins the tail on the Donkey-in- Chief by asking "Where's the president's proposal" to cut spending?"

“I said to Mr. Daley, and I will say here, where is the president’s proposal? There’s a lot of rhetoric about meeting the Republicans and working with them … but then we see Leader Durbin saying that their – between $5 and $10 billion in cuts – has pushed the limit,” Cantor told reporters on Tuesday.

Via The Hill.

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Dems Roll Out Pork Laden Omnibus Bill, 1,924 Pages, Over $1 Trillion

[Update] Help stop the Omnibus bill that Reid is trying to shove through, go here, scroll to the bottom and start dialing please.

I guess Democrats figure they should get one last hurrah and send a big FU to voters across the country as they do it since Harry Reid, obviously not giving a damn about what voters do and do not want, has unveiled a 1,924-page, $1.1 trillion omnibus bill, chock full of pork.

The omnibus spending bill is reported to cost $1.1 trillion, according to The Hill.

Republican Policy Committee chief Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said that the attempt to pass the omnibus spending bill ignored the will of the American people.

“The attempt by Democrat leadership to rush through a nearly 2,000-page spending bill in the final days of the lame-duck session ignores the clear will expressed by the voters this past election,” Thune said in a statement. “This bill is loaded up with pork projects and should not get a vote. Congress should listen to the American people and stop this reckless spending.”

The lame duck session of Congress ends on Jan. 3, 2011. The next Congress officially begins later that same day. In that Congress, the division in the House of Representatives is 242 Republicans and 193 Democrats; and in the Senate, 47 Republicans and 53 Democrats.

Malkin reports on U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, chairman of the Senate Steering Committee and member of the Joint Economic Committee's statement after Reid rolled this omnibus bill out:

“President Obama and Democrats have apparently learned nothing from this November’s election. This nearly 2,000-page omnibus filled with thousands of earmarks shows they are still determined to ram through as much big-government spending as they can in this lame duck session. Americans loudly demanded an end to the runaway spending, but Democrats are intent on raiding every taxpayer dollar that they can grab from the Treasury on their way out of power. This bill also funds the unconstitutional Obamacare law that Americans oppose and have asked Congress to fully repeal. Democrats haven’t given Republicans or the American people time to read the bill, but I’ll join with other Republican colleagues to force them to read it on the Senate floor.”

Reid also has other things he wishes to jam down America's throat before the GOP takes control of the House in January and by god he is prepared to force everyone to stay until the very last second to do it.

Forget about going quietly into the night.

Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a broad agenda for an end-of-session sprint that, in other years, could be a whole year's worth of activity — ranging from an arms-reduction treaty with Russia to a major immigration bill to overturning the ban on gay troops.

And that's not to mention the nearly 2,000-page, $1.1 trillion massive spending bill Senate Democrats said they'll try to push through. The bill contains hundreds of pork-barrel spending projects and new rules governing everything from airport baggage to detainees at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"We're not through. Congress ends on Jan. 4," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat.

The omnibus spending bill is likely to get the most attention, spanning 1,924 pages and spending an average of $575.13 million per page.

Consider this FU from Reid to America as a Merry Christmas present and a Happy New Years all rolled into one.

Nevada? Aren't you so happy you kept him as your Senator? You must be so proud.

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Will The First Congressional Showdown Be Over DREAM Act?

Harry Reid may just do what Democratic leaders have done to their party for the last two years and set them right up in a head to head match up against the American people.

We all saw what that did to Democrats in the House as voters handed control over to the GOP with the biggest Democratic losses in decades. Republicans also picked up 6 additional seats in the senate.

In 2012, there will be approximately 33 Senate seats in play, 23 of which are seats held by Democrats who have got to be leery of being put in a position to which voters are against legislation and Harry Reid will ask them to vote for it anyway.

Enter Harry Reid's previously stated intention to introduce the DREAM Act again in the Senate, hoping that outgoing Senators will no longer vote against it for political reasons but putting those up for reelection in 2012 in the very same position that Pelosi put her House members and we all saw where that got them.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who was re-elected last week with strong support from Hispanic voters, will make one last push in the final days of the 111th Congress to pass legislation allowing illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children to earn legal status if they attend college or serve in the U.S. military.

What the article didn't mention is that to be eligible for the DREAM Act, illegal immigrants must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time the bill is enacted.

Polls, such as the Quinnipiac University poll, Sept. 2010, shows the majority of Americans believe immigration reform should focus on stricter enforcement over amnesty.

The poll, released today, asked 1,905 registered voters if immigration reform should focus on "stricter enforcement of laws against illegal immigration" or "integrating illegal immigrants into American society" and 68% of respondents favored enforcement. Only 24% favored the amnesty option. In a breakdown of party affiliation, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all favored enforcement over amnesty.

That September poll confirms an earlier CNN poll which found the majority of Americans, 66 percent, said the "U.S. should not make it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens, with 33 percent disagreeing."

Voters showed in the 2010 elections that they have a good memory and do not appreciate any party shoving any legislation down voter's throats when voters have made their opposition clear.

Will Harry Reid throw Senate Democrats right off the cliff in 2012 to join those outgoing Democratic House members that Pelosi threw off the cliff in 2010?

As was pointed out in an earlier post, Democrats are the gift that keeps on giving... to Republicans.

Will Harry Reid provide the first of the gifts to the GOP in time for Christmas?

It looks like the answer is a big yes.


Video below- It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas



PS- Before I start getting little love emails about how it isn't the children's fault... it isn't. It is their parents fault who made a conscious choice to bring their children here illegally knowing full well that certain politicians would attempt to give those children amnesty.

Liberals need to stop trying to blame Republicans for not wanting to give amnesty to illegal aliens and start putting the blame where it belongs.

On the illegal aliens who put their children in such a horrible position to begin with.

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VIDEO- Sharron Angle Ad: 'Welcome To Nevada Mr. President'

Awesome ad that ties Harry Reid with Barack Obama.

Welcome to Nevada, Mr. President, via YouTube.



Hard hitting, to the point and one of the best Sharron Angle ads to date.

H/T Table9.

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Harry Reid To Try To Pass DREAM Act During Lame Duck Session

Stunts like trying to pass the DREAM Act during the lame duck session (the time between the election and when new Senators take over their positions) is the exact type of disrespect Harry Reid has shown to the American public since he became Senate Majority Leader and why many want to see Sharron Angle defeat Reid in the Nevada Senate race.

“The DREAM Act would give a group of young immigrants here without immigration status through no fault of their own the chance to attend college, serve in the military and earn citizenship,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice. “These valedictorians, future scientists and future soldiers are Americans in all but paperwork, and we are thrilled that Senator Reid is committed to moving this common-sense measure before the end of the year.”

“We support and will be looking for viable efforts to pass the DREAM Act after the election,” said Center for American Progress Vice President for Immigration Policy Advocacy Angela Kelley. “In order for that to happen however, like-minded Republicans will have to step forward and show their support for this modest measure to provide relief to young people. There hasn’t been a lot to suggest that bipartisan constructive conversation on immigration is possible, but I’d love to be proven wrong.”

Notice how they use the term "young people"?

To be eligible for the DREAM Act, illegal immigrants must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time the bill is enacted.

Reid tried attaching the DREAM Act to the Defense Bill and it was filibustered and now he is promising to bring it back up during the lame duck session, amazingly enough, this announcement is made right before Tuesday's election... subtle huh?

Republicans that even consider joining in or helping this bill pass in any way, shape or form, during the lame duck session, would be smart to remember exactly what is happening to Democrats this election cycle by passing legislation the majority of Americans were opposed to. Because in 2012, I guarantee voters, the Republican's constituents WILL REMEMBER and will replace them also.

If Reid loses his reelection bid, he not only loses his Senator status in January but he can no longer damage our country with his back room deals and bribe and showing complete disdain for voters of this country by abusing his Senate Majority Leader status with these type of stunts.

In between November and January though, Reid could do a lot of damage unless we stay on our Senators and Representatives.

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Sharron Angle Poised To Defeat Harry Reid In Nevada Senate Race

First the first time we see, via Real Clear Politics, three separate polls from different polling organizations, all conducted in late October, showing Sharron Angle with a four point lead over the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The polls:

LVRJ/Mason-Dixon- Angle 49 percent, Reid 45.
Rasmussen Reports- Angle 49 percent, Reid 45.
CNN/Time- Angle 49 percent, Reid 45.

If Angle wins, this will be the biggest upset in the 2010 election and as the latest Sharron Angle ad shows (shown above), her closing argument to the people of Nevada is simply to tie Harry Reid to Barack Obama stating at the end, "it's our turn."

Via Las Vegas Review Journal, we see that handicapper and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, Larry Sabato, has rated Nevada as "leaning GOP," although he readily admits Nevada is one of the hardest races to call at this point.

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, is one of the few national pundits to risk predicting Angle could pull off the biggest upset of the 2010 election. On Thursday, he put out his "crystal ball" picks that has the Nevada race leaning GOP for the first time.

"Of all our predictions, I'm least certain about the Senate race in Nevada," Sabato acknowledged in an interview. "Our assumption is, independents around the country have moved solidly behind the Republicans. But the Democrats are throwing everything they've got at the effort to save Reid. If Reid survives, it will be an escape worthy of Houdini. If Angle wins, it's a measure of the strong anti-Democratic trends of the 2010 mid-term elections.

"This is a referendum on Reid and Obama."

Angle gets 85 percent of the Republican vote and Reid 84 percent of the Democratic vote and Angle holds a double digit lead over Reid with Independents, 55 percent to 38 percent.

This one is going down to the wire and Democrats have been throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Nevada to help drag Reid over the finish line, yet polling patterns show Angle still continuing to pick up percentage points, albeit one-to-two points at a time.

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Nevada Senate Race Heating Up With Allegations of Bribery And Voting Machine Errors

Early voting has started and one of the most competitive races is in Nevada where Senate Majority leader Harry Reid is trailing behind Republican challenger Sharron Angle according to the last two polls conducted by LVRJ/Mason-Dixon and Rasmussen Reports by two and four points respectively.

The video above shows a Nevada voter for Sharron Angle claiming that when she and others went to cast their vote for Angle the box next to Harry Reid's name was already checked in the latest reports coming out of Nevada.

Voter Joyce Ferrara said when they went to vote for Republican Sharron Angle, her Democratic opponent, Sen. Harry Reid's name was already checked.

Ferrara said she wasn't alone in her voting experience. She said her husband and several others voting at the same time all had the same thing happen.

"Something's not right," Ferrara said. "One person that's a fluke. Two, that's strange. But several within a five minute period of time -- that's wrong."

Earlier complaints were already being made by Angle's attorney, Cleta Mitchell, as evidenced by a letter published by The Las Vegas Sun, where Mitchell states "Reid “intends to steal this election if he can’t win it outright."

As Sharron Angle's campaign attorney, I am sorry to report that the Democrats and their cronies are up to their same old tricks, of trying to manipulate the election in hopes of skewing the results in their favor.

Two days ago, the Democratic Secretary of State announced that voters can be provided "free food" at "voter turnout events." Harry Reid has been offering free food and, according to other reports, some Democratic allies such as teachers' unions are offering gift cards in return for a vote for Reid.

Before we were even able to document the reported infractions to report to the authorities, the Democrat Secretary of State slammed the door shut on preventing this behavior and issued a public statement permitting these ACORN-style tactics. THESE are the kinds of shenanigans that can turn this race.

Read the rest.

The Nevada News Bureau confirms Matt Griffin, deputy secretary of state for elections, said Nevada law does not automatically prohibit a campaign or candidate from offering food to those who attend “get out the vote” rallies aimed at increasing voter participation.

As long as the food is not predicated upon voting for a particular candidate or ballot question, the event would comply with state law, he said.

Six days away from election day and already tensions are high as the early voter turnout in Nevada indicates trouble for Harry Reid.

October 21- WTOP:

While Democrats so far make up about 46 percent of those who've cast ballots in Las Vegas' Clark County, compared with 38 percent for Republicans, the Democrats' 8-point advantage is down from 22 points in 2008. And Republicans, who make up a third of the county's registered voters, are turning out in numbers that exceed their share of the electorate this time.

In Reno's Washoe County, where voter registration is about evenly split between the two parties, early voter turnout favors Republicans 47 percent to 40 percent. The two Nevada counties make up more than 80 percent of the state's electorate; the rest of the state's counties are sparsely populated and heavily Republican.

October 24- KOLOTV:

Republicans turned out in slightly larger numbers than Democrats during the first week of early voting in Nevada.

Nevada's senate race will undoubtedly go down to the wire with every last vote being counted and fought over and every indicator shows that the end results will be very close.

Although political junkies will be watching every race with control of the House of Representatives and the Senate up for grabs, Nevada is one race that is being watched even more closely because Harry Reid is the Senate Majority leader and a loss for Reid, whether the GOP takes control of the Senate or not, means Reid will no longer hold that position as of January 2011.



Related:

NEVADA VOTING COMPLAINTS: GOP fires warning shots on Nevada voting

Nevada voting machines automatically checking Harry Reid's name; voting machine technicians are SEIU members

Voter Fraud Watch: A Primer on What to Watch For

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Pelosi, Reid Unfavorability Hits New Highs- Limbo Rock (how low can you go?!)

Rasmussen reports:

With midterm congressional elections just a week away, the number of voters who view Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Very Unfavorably have reached their highest levels yet.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 60% of Likely Voters have an unfavorable impression of Pelosi, including 52% who hold a Very Unfavorable opinion of her. That’s her highest Very Unfavorable rating since regular tracking began in early February 2009. Only 33% share a favorable impression of the California Democrat, including 16% who view her Very Favorably.

Fifty-four percent (54%) view Reid unfavorably, including 41% with a Very Unfavorable opinion, also the highest finding since February of last year. Twenty-nine percent (29%) hold a favorable view of Reid, who is struggling for reelection in Nevada. That includes just seven percent (7%) with a Very Favorable regard for him.

How low can they go?

Limbo Rock (how low can you go?!)



Just for fun!!

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Nevada Senate Race: Angle 50 Percent, Reid 47

With midterms just two weeks away, Sharron Angle is ahead of Harry Reid in the Nevada Senate race by 3 percentage points, according to the latest Rasmussen poll.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Angle with 50% to Reid’s 47%. Two percent (2%) prefer another candidate in the race, and one percent (1%) are undecided. (To see question wording, click here.)

The race remains a Toss-Up in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings.

A week ago, Angle held an insignificant 49% to 48% lead in a contest that has been marked for months by its closeness. In seven of eight surveys prior to this one since July, Reid and Angle have been three points apart or less. Both have hit the 50% mark one time.

The last poll, conducted by LVRJ/Mason-Dixon, had Angle ahead by 2 percent.

Angle has also managed to get late support as she raked in $14 million during her third quarter (July 1 to September 30).

Open Secrets explains how astounding a take that really is using comparisons:

But back to that $14 million. Just how big a figure is that? Well, consider this: Only seven candidates managed to raise more than $14 million during the entire 2008 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ research. According to Politico, only two federal-level candidates have raised more during a three-month cycle. They are Republican Rick Lazio, who raised $22 million in the third quarter of 2000 in a U.S. Senate campaign in New York against Democrat Hillary Clinton, and now-Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who raised $14.2 million during his race for U.S. Senate.

Angle and Reid's one and only debate resulted in almost every pundit and media outlet declaring Angle the big winner, even those that endorsed Harry Reid grudgingly admitted she won the debate handily.

Nevada is the one Senate race this election cycle that means the most across the country, not just important to Nevadans, because replacing Reid as Nevada's Senator also dumps him from his position as Senate Majority Leader, to which he has used and abused heavily over the last few years.

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Nevada Senate: Debate- Newspaper That Endorsed Harry Reid Admits Sharron Angle Won Debate

On October 10, 2010, the Las Vegas Sun formally endorsed Harry Reid and today that same paper headlines with "Reid lost the debate to Angle."

In their original endorsement they portrayed Sharron Angle as extreme as Harry Reid's attack ads have been doing consistently, but last night the two candidates each had a specific goal.

Reid's goal was to give Nevada voters a reason to reelect him and Angle's goal was to show she was not the lunatic Reid portrayed her to be and was not extreme.

Reid failed his goal and Angle succeeded in hers.

Las Vegas Sun:

Let’s get the easy part out of the way first:

Sharron Angle won The Big Debate.

Angle won because she looked relatively credible, appearing not to be the Wicked Witch of the West (Christine O’Donnell is the good witch of the Tea Party) and scoring many more rhetorical points. And she won because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid looked as if he could barely stay on a linear argument, abruptly switching gears and failing to effectively parry or thrust.

The LA Times' Top of the Ticket has an excellent topic-by-topic recap for readers.

Sherman Frederick writes for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, which endorsed Sharron Angle and headlines today with "Angle mops the floor with Reid."

While both candidates -- Sharron Angle and Harry Reid -- started out slow and tight in their debate this evening, by debate close it was clear: Angle mopped the floor with Reid.

She hit hard on a variety of topics; showed she had the fire to be a U.S. Senator; demonstrated a command of the issues; and, of course, stayed gaffe free.

Reid meanwhile looked tired. Sounded entitled. He mixed up the Department of Education with the Department of Energy. Couldn't find his notes for the close and generally fell back on talking points on far too many questions.

The New Republic, never a bastion of conservative thought, headlines with "Reid My Lips: Last Night Was a Disaster," sub header "The Senate majority leader should've stayed home. "

Why Harry Reid agreed to have a debate with Sharron Angle is a bit of a mystery to me. If your campaign is based on portraying your opponent as loony, then why give that opponent a chance to look reasonable? Lyndon Johnson never debated Barry Goldwater. Then again, I’m no political strategist. And neither, I’ve come to see, is Harry Reid. So let’s focus on what matters now: that a debate was held in Nevada last night between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Republican challenger Sharron Angle. And its upshot was—sorry, folks—that Angle improved her chances.

I’m not suggesting that Sharron Angle, having been granted the opportunity to look reasonable, looked reasonable. On the contrary, she was very much herself—smiling maniacally in her crimson suit and hurling out bizarre fictions. But she looked reasonable enough. Lies about policy don’t really hurt you in a debate, especially when they’re voiced with conviction. What hurts you is looking evasive and squishy. Sharron Angle provided the lies. Harry Reid provided the squish.

Both Ralston at Las Vegas Sun and Frank at the New Republic, both show disdain for Angle in every word, yet both feel compelled to admit Sharron Angle came out ahead.

If even those that despise Angle admit, grudgingly, that she tore up Reid, then we can bet she helped herself and hurt Harry Reid in last night's debate.

More on what headlines are saying and go visit Angles countdown to victory blog.

You go Girl!!!!

(Photo credit- Newser)

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Nevada Senate Race: Sharron Angle Ad Points To Reid Voting 300 Times To Raise Taxes

Video below (email subscribers click link to post to see video)



Nice. 31 seconds and hard hitting.

Latest Poll shows Angle ahead of Reid by two and they debate tonight.

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Sharron Angle's Explosive 3rd Quarter Take Of $14 Million

Sharron Angle is ahead of Harry Reid in the latest polls for the Nevada Senate seat and the explosive news today is her amazing draw of $14 million between July 1 and Sept. 30.

"Sharron Angle produced one of the most successful single quarters of fundraising in the nation's history for a U.S. Senate campaign," said Angle communications director Jarrod Agen. "This is a testament to the hatred of Harry Reid, the nation's disapproval of President Obama, and the unprecedented grassroots support for Sharron Angle."

Agen did not provide figures for how much money Angle had left in the bank at the end of September and it's likely to be well less than the $14 million she raised since she relies heavily on a costly and aggressive direct mail fundraising operation.

Reid has yet to release his third quarter fundraising totals but as of mid-summer he had collected just short of $14 million so far in 2010. For the election cycle to date, Reid has raised $18 million.

Despite Harry Reid's aggressive campaigning and attacks against Angle, she is in the lead and now has evened out the money issue to the point where she can match Reid ad for ad, attack for attack.

I have said this before and will continue to reiterate it, Nevada's Senate seat does not only concern Nevadans, but replacing Reid in Nevada removes him as Senate Majority Leader of the United States Senate.

This race concerns every single citizen of the United States of America.

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I Agree With Harry Reid... Let Us Look At What He Has Done To Nevada And The Country, Shall We?

Big mistake, born of desperation on Harry Reid's part after finding himself behind Republican challenger Sharron Angle in the last three polls gauging the reaction and voter preference for who will win the Nevada Senate seat Reid currently holds.

Reid "pleads" with Nevadans to "Remember All I've Done."

Alright, finally something I agree with Reid on...so let us take a look at what he did "for" Nevada, huh?

Harry Reid conducted major backroom deals to get Obamacare aka Health Care reform passed into law, but he did so against the will and desires of his own constituents.

January 2010, Fifty-four percent of Nevada voters, Reid's constituents, opposed Obamacare according to CQ Politics and polls conducted by a variety of organizations at the time showed similar results of the majority of Nevada voters opposing it.

And just 35 percent of Nevada voters support the Democrats' health care overhaul legislation, a 4 point drop since December. Fifty-four percent oppose it, including 62 percent of independents and 89 percent of Republicans.

Yet Reid knew better and told folks around the country that they just didn't "understand" the law, so of course Reid passed it against their wishes... cause it was good for them and he knew better.

April 2010, 62 percent of Nevadans still didn't like the law and wanted it repealed, higher even than the national average.

Moving right along to Bailouts, which the majority of America was against and Republicans (many who lost their primaries) and Democrats alike are suffering for the massive Banking bailouts, not to mention the auto industry bailout and just about ever other bailout.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 57% of likely U.S. voters have more confidence in the judgment of a member of Congress who voted against bailouts than in the judgment of one who voted for them. Just 21% trust the judgment of a Congress member who voted for bailouts more. Another 22% are undecided.

Republican primary voters removed many due to their unhappiness but other Republicans and Democrats in Missouri, Connecticut, Ohio and Texas are all struggling in their election or reelection campaigns because of their votes cast in favor of bailouts.

Harry Reid ushered that through the Senate as well using his position as Senate Majority leader to do so.

Good or bad, right or wrong, with Nevadans suffering the highest unemployemnt rate, over 14 percent, the last thing they want is their tax funds being spent bailing out large corporations or banks.

DREAM Act.

Harry Reid supported and allowed a vote to be brought to the Senate floor on the Defense Authorization bill to which he allowed the inclusion of the highly unpopular DREAM Act.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said at a press briefing Tuesday afternoon that the immigration reform proposal would come up as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill. A Reid aide said that such a vote was likely to come on Tuesday of next week.

The defense bill also includes a gradual repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. There will be a floor vote on an amendment to strip the repeal out of the bill, though Democrats expect to have enough votes to defeat it.

The DREAM Act is far from comprehensive, but has strong backing in the Latino and immigrant rights community. It creates a conditional pathway to citizenship for undocumented children, and requires either military service or a college degree. Advocates see the DREAM Act as a major step toward comprehensive reform that would create a pathway to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants.

The DREAM Act would have allowed states to provide in-state tuition to undocumented students by repealing a 1996 ban on benefits for illegal immigrants.

That move was rejected and did not even generate enough support to even begin a formal debate.

Rasmussen findings:

A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that only 22% of voters support the proposal introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). The Dream Act would have given legal status to children of illegal aliens who complete two years of college or military service. That low level of support is very similar to support for the “comprehensive” reform measure that failed in June.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of all voters oppose the Dream Act concept. Republicans oppose it by a 5-to-1 margin and unaffiliateds are opposed by a 3-to-1 margin. Democrats are a bit more evenly divided—49% opposed and 31% in favor—but Nancy Pelosi’s party certainly doesn’t provide a base of support for the Dream Act.

Fueling opposition is a concern that passage of the bill would encourage more illegal immigration in the future. The view is held by 68% of the nation’s voters. The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 15% disagree and 17% are not sure. Seventy-six percent (76%) of Republicans, 76% of unaffiliated voters, and 55% of Democrats believe that passage of the Dream Act would encourage more illegal immigration in the future.

The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey also found that just 16% of voters believe that the children of illegal immigrants should qualify for in-state tuition rates at colleges and universities. Seventy-one percent (71%) disagree.

Despite that Democrats are promising to try again during the lame duck session, after the midterms but before the newly elected or reelected Senators take their seats.


Popularity

Reid is the second most unpopular congressional leader out of the top four congressional leaders, only beat in his unpopularity by Nancy Pelosi, who is not up for reelection this year.

That is the tip of the iceberg, so yes, by all means, let us all "remember" what Harry Reid has done, not only to Nevada, but to this country.

Reid has put his own political aspirations and career ahead of his electorate, he has show party loyalty above and beyond any type of loyalty to his constituents and as Senate Majority leader, this race does not just concern Nevadans but the whole country.

Now that he has ignored American voters, insulted them by passing legislation that they opposed as well as Nevadans opposed, he is now pleading with them to not kick his corrupt butt out of the Senate three weeks before midterm elections.

That is rich.

Hopefully Nevadans will pay just as much attention to his pleas as he did to theirs.



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Nevada Senate Seat Race- Angle Takes Lead Over Reid In Last Three Polls

The most recent polls for the Senate race in Nevada between Harry Reid and Sharron Angle have Angle leading Reid by 2, 3 and 4 percent.

CNN/TIME polling from 10-1 to 10-5, 2010 has Sharron Angle up by two percent against Harry Reid.

According to a CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday, 42 percent of likely voters in Nevada are backing Angle, who enjoys strong support from many in the Tea Party movement, with four in ten supporting Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate who's bidding for a fifth term in the chamber. Seven percent of people questioned are supporting Scott Ashjian, who is running as a Tea Party candidate, but who is shunned by many in the grassroots conservative moment, and 10 percent say they are voting for none of the candidates listed.

Fox News report on 10-5, 2010 shows Angle ahead of Reid by three percentage points.

In the latest Fox News battleground state poll of likely voters, Angle drew 49 percent to Reid’s 46 percent. As voters make up their mind with four weeks to go until Election Day, Angle seems to have the edge.

Click here for the complete questionnaire

Click here for additional demographics

Rasmussen reports on 10-5, 2010 has Angle ahead of Reid by four percentage points.

Republican challenger Sharron Angle has now moved to a four-point lead over Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada’s bare-knuckles U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Nevada Voters shows Angle hitting the 50% mark for the first time since mid-August, while Reid earns 46% of the vote. Two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate in the race, and two percent (2%) more are undecided. (To see question wording, click here.)

After Angle won the GOP primary, Reid threw everything he had against Angle in attack ad after attacks ad and saw a small bounce which seems to have disappeared now as voters are becoming more set in their choice with less likelihood of changing their minds bring Angle ahead of Reid in polling done in October.

Wake up America has taken a special interest in the Nevada Senate race because it is not just about Nevada, but with Harry Reid being the Senate Majority leader, his decisions and his backroom deals to push through legislation that has been opposed by the majority of Americans, makes this a race that should concern everyone across the country.

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The Sharron Angle Tape Is Good For Angle

Latest Sharron Angle ad: 'Real World' (Video below)





Sharron Angle met with third party candidate Scott Ashjian to ask that he step aside in the challenge for the Nevada Senate seat, basically so that they did not cancel each other out and allow Harry Reid to walk away with reelection.

Ashjian recorded the call, then released it to Jon Ralston of the Las Vegas Sun.

Angle had some harsh words for the GOP establishment and spoke very bluntly.

At the meeting’s outset, Ashjian seems open to a deal, suggesting if he can get an apology from the Tea Party Express, “we can get on board.” He claims he does not want money, wants the lawsuits about his candidacy to go away – remember those voicemails from GOP lawyer Cleta Mitchell posted elsewhere on my blog suggest she was trying to “settle” something with him. By the end of the meeting, it’s clear this attempted backroom bargain is going nowhere – and I’m not sure Ashjian ever wanted it to.

There’s a lot more, too, including:

----Angle’s open disgust with her own party’s leaders and principles (or lack thereof)

----James’ obvious abandonment of Ashjian’s candidacy and insistence that Angle will lose unless he withdraws and that there is still time to get his name off the ballot

----Some brief trashing of Sen. John Ensign by Ziser and Ashjian

----Ashjian’s claims of physical threats and of being followed

----Angle’s agreement with him that both major parties are “corrupt”

----Angle’s claim to have taken over the Washoe County Republican Party and having her “guys” in the Clark County GOP

You can read the whole thing for yourself at Las Vegas Sun.

One quick point here is by turning this tape over, it does speak volumes about Ashjian's ethics since Nevada is a state where consent of both parties must consent to being taped in order for a recording to be lawful and Ashjian did not obtain that consent.

The Politico gets to the point quickly in their piece about this:

The recording is worth listening to in full despite its poor quality. It suggests that -- at least for the purposes of this conversation with a Tea Party figure -- behind the facade of a real grassroots outsider who hates the organized Republican Party is ... a real grassroots outsider who hates the organized Republican Party.

Well said.

The tape does not, in any way, show Angle to be anything but what she has claimed she was the entire race.

If anything, I believe this tape will garner Angle more support from Independents, Moderates and Tea Party supporters who want things in Washington to change and know that it takes more than one person to be able to actually make a difference.

Listen to the audio recording.


Related:

Nevada's Largest Newspaper Endorses Angle

Steele rallies GOP in Nevada

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VIDEO- Sharron Angle TV Ad: "Real World"

Video below: (Email subscribers click link to website to see video)



I have said it before and I will continue saying it... removing Harry Reid from being the Nevada Senator is not just a Nevada problem.

Reid is the Senate Majority leader and he has been responsible for backroom deals to jam Obamacare, bailouts, trillions in spending through the Senate.

Harry Reid is America's problem.

Visit Sharron Angle's website.

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Harry Reid Sacrificed DADT Repeal For Political Agenda

Harry Reid can whine all he wants about Republican obstructionism but the facts belie his complaints. Moderate Republicans were prepared to vote to repeal DADT until Harry Reid started playing games.

Reid's refusal to allow other amendments to be added in to be debated and Reid's sabotaging the Defense bill and DADT repeal by adding in immigration policy (DREAM Act) to the Defense bill, all set the stage for the entire thing to fail, and fail it did.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) made her position very clear and was unapologetic about confirming her support for DADT repeal:

"It should be repealed. My view is our armed services should welcome the service of any qualified individual who is capable of serving our country…..We should be expressing our gratitude to those individuals not trying to exclude them from service or expel them from the force."

"I was the sole Republican in the committee that voted [to repeal DADT]. I think it's the right thing to do. I think it's only fair."

She went on to publicly state that Reid's refusal to allow unlimited amendments, as is usual with the Defense bill, was unfair, stating "I cannot vote to proceed to this bill under a situation that is going to shut down the debate and preclude Republican amendments. That too is not fair. "

Reid's political maneuvering cost her vote.

Adding the DREAM Act into the Defense bill is another whole ballgame, by doing so, Reid thought he could motivate the Hispanics in Nevada to go to the voting booths in November and prevent him from losing his Senate seat to Sharron Angle.

The last two polls conducted, one by CNN/TIME and one by FOX/Rasmussen both having Angle a point ahead of Reid in the polls 42 to 41 percent and 46 to 45 percent respectively.

Reid's using his position as Senate majority leader in such a self serving calculated way, making it all about him and his reelection chances instead of about getting the Defense bill and DADT repeal passed, has been duly noted by the appropriate groups as well.

The Politico with "Harry Reid’s botched battles."

The disappointment was widespread.

Gay rights groups were upset that the process Reid employed may have undermined progress in repealing the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy prohibiting gays from serving openly in the military.

Hispanic groups were disappointed that they couldn’t even get a vote on a narrow piece of comprehensive immigration reform — an amendment known as the DREAM Act that would have enabled citizenship for illegal immigrant students in exchange for government or military service.

And Democrats on both sides of the Capitol are unhappy that a debate on gay rights and immigration distracted yet again from issue No. 1: jobs.

More Democratic allies saw through Reid's political ruse as well:

Jarrod Chlapowski, field director for Servicemembers United, a group that backs the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” called it a “cynical move” for Reid to push forward with the bill in such a manner, saying it was “pretty much a recipe for failure.”

“It will be part of our education plan that Democratic leaders are just as accountable as the Republicans that are obstructing this right now,” he said.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)made a point, which I will show below, but Reid's response to it was very interesting to say the least.

McConnell:

The $726 billion bill, which outlines defense policies, requires a minimum of four to five weeks of debate, McConnell said, and should not include controversial provisions like the “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal or an immigration measure known as the DREAM Act that would legalize immigrants who attend college or join the military after coming to the U.S. illegally as children.

“They want to use this week for a political exercise. They want to weigh this bill down with controversy in a transparent attempt to show their special interest groups that they haven’t forgotten about them ahead of the election,” McConnell said.

“This is not a serious exercise. It’s a show,” he added. “And it’s because of shows like this that our [Democratic] friends have lost credibility with the public.”

Added McCain: “One can only draw the conclusion that this is all about elections and not about the welfare morale and battle effectiveness of our men and women who are laying it on the line in Iraq and Afghanistan today.”

Reid:

Reid clarified that the bill would not technically repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The relevant provision would overturn the ban on gays openly serving in the military if the president, the secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs chairman certify that an internal study concluded that repeal would not adversely impact troop readiness or morale.

"Some are saying this bill that came out of the committee repeals ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’" Reid said. "It is not repealed in the bill."

If the final decision rests with Obama and the secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs chairman certifying the internal study being conducted, then why would Reid have brought it out now instead of waiting?

For no other reason that Reid's desperate ploy to give Democrats some sort of energy before the November midterm elections.

Calculated. Selfish. Politically motivated. Incompetent.

What Reid did is show he was willing to sacrifice DADT repeal in order to try to use obstructionism as an argument against voters handing the House and/or Senate to the Republicans.

An argument they have consistently pushed and which hasn't helped them at all since more and more states look like they are turning red ahead of midterms.

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Cloture On Defense Bill (With DADT Repeal and DREAM Act Included) FAILS

The vote was 56 to 43 and the cloture vote failed, mainly due to Reid arrogant posturing about not allowing any other amendments to be offered into. (Roll call will be at this link within the hour)

Harry Reid sabotaged his own bill. Amazingly enough, Reid had to know that adding the DREAM Act into the defense bill was going to kill this vote and doom it to failure as well as knowing that limiting any tyoe of addition amendments other than the three he already decided on, was also going to do the same thing.

Does he really think he garnered himself any more Nevadan's voted with this maneuver?

I am betting that the next polls shows him losing more votes than he gained here.

What a moron.

Now the Senate needs to get about it's business and pass the Defense bill, cleanly, without the political games Reid just tried and failed to play.

Our troops deserve that.


[Update] Collins, a DADT repeal supporter and a Republican and Voinovich both made similar points.

Collins:

Collins made an eloquent case that the DADT policy is unfair and morally indefensible, that it is a waste of taxpayer resources and that other nations that don't similarly discriminate have seen no adverse consequences. But equally as troubling to Collins as the policy, she said, is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) failure to allow unlimited amendments to the defense bill.

"I find myself on the horns of a dilemma," said Collins. "I was the sole Republican in the committee that voted [to repeal DADT]. I think it's the right thing to do. I think it's only fair."

But, she said, refusing to allow unlimited amendments is an equal affront to decency. "That too is not fair," said Collins of Reid's decision. "I cannot vote to proceed to this bill under a situation that is going to shut down debate.

Voinovich, on DREAM Act inclusion:

I'm disappointed that Majority Leader Reid and Senate Democrats have chosen to turn the Defense authorization bill - crucial legislation for our troops in a time of war - into a messaging bill. Just as I said with my decision to support the small business bill, this is not a time for messaging from either side of the aisle. This is a time for action. If the Democrats are serious about passing this bill in a timely fashion, they wouldn't be attaching amendments that are not relevant to the common defense, in addition to making it impossible for Republicans to offer their own amendments to address concerns they have with the bill as voted out of the Armed Services Committee.

The DREAM Act deals with immigration and shouldn't be on this bill. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is a controversial issue that needs to be debated on the Senate floor but I believe it would be logical to wait for the Department of Defense to issue its report on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' At this point there is no reason to rush to judgment for political expediency until we hear from our military leaders as to whether they think it is a good idea to change this policy. I will carefully study this determination when it is completed.

If you look at history, we usually debate the Defense authorization bill for two weeks. If the Democrats are serious about getting this bill passed, Leader Reid should sit down with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and work out the amendment process. Unless that is done, I will not support cloture on the motion to proceed to this bill. (Source)

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