Campaign Spending Disclosure Bill Is Blocked in U.S. Senate by Republicans

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Senate Republicans today blocked legislation that would require corporations and unions to disclose their spending on political advertising.

All 41 Republican senators voted to prevent the bill from reaching the Senate floor. The vote was 57-41, with 60 votes needed to advance the measure.

Senate Democrats proposed the bill in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision in January that overturned a decades-old ban on companies using general-treasury money to run campaign ads supporting or opposing candidates in federal elections. Democrats argued that if such spending is to be allowed, it should be disclosed.

“Neither the American voter at home nor the democratic process at large benefits from campaigns funded by secret sponsors who are hidden from public view,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada told reporters before the vote. “Senate Republicans are now running away from transparency and accountability in our elections.”

Among the senators voting to block the bill was Republican John McCain of Arizona, whose landmark 2002 campaign finance law was partially ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court decision. McCain’s co-sponsor, Wisconsin Democrat Russell Feingold, had urged people in an e-mail to call their senators and ask them to support the legislation."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-27/campaign-spending-disclosure-bill-is-blocked-in-u-s-senate-by-republicans.html

[napi21]

1. So who were the 3 Dems that voted against it or didn't vote at all?

Last I checked we had 60 Dem votes and the count was 57.

[The Northerner]

2. All Dems, excluding Lieberman & Reid, voted yes

All Repubs, excluding Ensign, voted no.

I remember reading that Lieberman was attending a funeral and Reid voted no as a procedural move to revive debate on the bill or something:

http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00220

[stevenleser]

4. Reid usually does this if something is going to fail. Its a procedural thing. It allows him to

bring the issue up again at a time of his choosing.

[backscatter712]

7. Indeed. Reid counts as a virtual yes.

He wants to bring up the bill again in the future, and you're only allowed to do that if you voted no.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. It's just so unbelievable. The GOP will do absolutely nothing. It's never been this blatant before.

[FiveGoodMen]

5. "The illusion of freedom [in America] will continue...

... as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater."

-- Frank Zappa


We've reach that point.

[dtexdem]

6. Force them to actually fillibuster.

Better yet, do invoke the nuclear option.