ROLL CALL: English is now the national language of the US Govt?

WOW. This slipped under the radar of the NYTimes and the AP. An amendment by Inhofe (R-OK) to make English the national language of the United States. And another amendment to strengthen English by Salazar (D-Colorado.)

Just like before, pres. candidates in bold, those voting against party starred.

Inhofe Amdt. No. 1151; To amend title 4, United States Code, to declare English as the national language of the Government of the United States, and for other purposes.

YEAs ---64
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) *Baucus (D-MT) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) *Byrd (D-WV) *Cardin (D-MD) *Carper (D-DE) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) *Conrad (D-ND) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC)	Dole (R-NC) *Dorgan (D-ND) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) *Klobuchar (D-MN) Kyl (R-AZ) *Landrieu (D-LA) Lincoln (D-AR) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) *McCaskill (D-MO) McConnell (R-KY)	*Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) *Nelson (D-FL) *Nelson (D-NE) *Pryor (D-AR) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) *Tester (D-MT) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) *Webb (D-VA) *Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---33
Akaka (D-HI) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Cantwell (D-WA) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) Domenici (R-NM) Durbin (D-IL)	Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT)	Menendez (D-NJ) Murray (D-WA) Obama (D-IL) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-MI) Whitehouse (D-RI)

Not Voting - 2
Dodd (D-CT)	Johnson (D-SD)

Wow. Not sure what some progressive stalwarts like Amy Klobuchar, James Webb, Jon Tester are doing voting for this crappy bill. Wow, I officially feel sick, nauseated by the lack of backbone that the US Senate has. That some so-called progressive Senators have. I feel pretty betrayed by the faith that so many people have in the system, and I want to wash my hands of all electoral politics for the evening. I guess you could say that this is the last straw. I don't want this bill. I don't want this bill passed at all, i don't want it with its poisonous sides (amendments), I don't want it with green eggs or ham. I hope this bill dies.

Salazar Amdt. No. 1384; To preserve and enhance the role of the English language.

YEAs ---58
Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) *Bennett (R-UT) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Brownback (R-KS) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) *Coleman (R-MN) *Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) *Domenici (R-NM) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL)	Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) *Hagel (R-NE) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) *Lugar (R-IN) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) *Murkowski (R-AK)	Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Obama (D-IL) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) *Snowe (R-ME) 8Specter (R-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Warner (R-VA) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---39
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Bond (R-MO) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) *Byrd (D-WV) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID)	DeMint (R-SC) Dole (R-NC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) Lott (R-MS)	Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) *Pryor (D-AR) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH)

Not Voting - 2
Dodd (D-CT)	Johnson (D-SD)

Guessing from how partisan the voting was, this was probably the softball amendment that is intended to somewhat ameliorate Inhofe's amendment. But the roll call won't link to the full text of the amendment until a few days later, since they only voted tonight.

ROLL CALL: Other family reunification amdts defeated, guestworker sunsets

Ending guestworker after 5 years (Dorgan Amdt):

YEAs ---49
Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) *Bunning (R-KY) Byrd (D-WV) Cardin (D-MD) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) Conrad (D-ND) *Corker (R-TN) DeMint (R-SC) *Dole (R-NC) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL)	*Enzi (R-WY) Feingold (D-WI) Harkin (D-IA) *Inhofe (R-OK) Inouye (D-HI) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE)	Obama (D-IL) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) *Sessions (R-AL) *Shelby (R-AL) Stabenow (D-MI) *Sununu (R-NH) Tester (D-MT) *Thune (R-SD) *Vitter (R-LA) Webb (D-VA) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---48
*Akaka (D-HI) Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Burr (R-NC) *Cantwell (D-WA) Carper (D-DE) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID)	Crapo (R-ID) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) *Feinstein (D-CA) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Isakson (R-GA) *Kennedy (D-MA) *Kerry (D-MA) Kyl (R-AZ) *Lieberman (ID-CT) *Lincoln (D-AR)	Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) *Pryor (D-AR) Roberts (R-KS) *Salazar (D-CO) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) *Whitehouse (D-RI)

Not Voting - 2
Dodd (D-CT)	Johnson (D-SD)

This is a muuuuch more interesting one - here you see where Democratic members of the bipartisan coalition fall - Kennedy and Kerry, both amongst the most progressive members of the Senate based upon voting records, and Kennedy a liberal lion who is the "go to" guy for labor unions, has voted AGAINST ending a guestworker program that labor vehemently objects to. Innnnteresting...additionally, Kerry's vote indicates he probably doesn't have a hope or thought of running for national office again. Other Dems who voted against this are members of the bipartisan coalition - Feinstein, Cantwell, Salazar. Akaka is definitely going to have to explain this to his constituents and to her supporters, some of whom are unions. Lieberman is a pro-free trade Dem, but will also have to explain this to the unions, including the CT AFLCIO who backed him against Ned Lamont. Sheldon Whitehouse - this is a pretty gutsy vote for a first-term Senator from a very blue state. Lincoln is a Dem in a red state. The immigrant vote should mobilize and clean house with some of these so-called progressive champions (California and Massachusetts, I'm looking at you.)

All the Dem presidential candidates voted yes, except for Dodd who might not have been present on the floor (perhaps at a fundraiser?) And if so, this is still a cowardly move. Not befitting the leadership expected of a president to duck out on such an important issue as immigration.

As for all the Republicans who voted for the bill, I'm not sure - there are some pretty hardcore Republicans up there, not all of whom are voting yes just because they hate the idea of more immigrants entering this country. Could it be that they are strategizing to vote for certain poison pills that might make the coalition fall apart?

The other pro-family reunification amendments (defeated):
YEAH, I'm calling out all you turncoat Democrats, especially the ones who could afford to vote FOR family reunification. As before, pres. candidates in boldface, those voting against party lines starred.

1) Obama's amdt to reinvestigate employment-based immigration after 5 years as opposed to 14.

YEAs ---42
Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) Conrad (D-ND) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL)	Feingold (D-WI) Hagel (R-NE) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ)	Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Obama (D-IL) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---55
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) *Cardin (D-MD) *Carper (D-DE) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC)	Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) *Feinstein (D-CA) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) *Kennedy (D-MA) Kyl (R-AZ) Lincoln (D-AR) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ)	McConnell (R-KY) *Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) *Pryor (D-AR) Roberts (R-KS) *Salazar (D-CO) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA)

Not Voting - 2
Dodd (D-CT)	Johnson (D-SD)

All presidential candidates voted for family reunification, except Dodd who either wasn't there (lame) or didn't want to take a stand (lame) or wasn't there because he didn't want to take a stand (most likely, and lame.)

All the yes votes were Dems, so let's skip to bashing the Dems who voted no. Cardin and Mikulski of Maryland - both could have voted yes with no problems - Maryland is one of the states with the highest number of immigrants, many of whom are Asian American and who benefited from family reunification. Hell, Mikulski's retiring after this term, she could have voted her conscience.

Carper of Delaware, I don't know what his deal is, since his colleague Biden voted yes. He is a moderate Dem. Pryor and Lincoln are conservative Dems from a red state.

Kennedy, Feinstein, Salazar are part of the bipartisan coalition. Immigrant rights activists in California and Massachusetts should feel incredibly betrayed by their representatives.

2) Clinton Amdt. No. 1183, As Further Modified; To reclassify the spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents as immediate relatives.

YEAs ---44
Akaka (D-HI) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) Conrad (D-ND) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA)	Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) McCaskill (D-MO) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD)	Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Obama (D-IL) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-MI) Webb (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---53
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) *Baucus (D-MT) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) *Byrd (D-WV) *Carper (D-DE) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Corker (R-TN) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID)	Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL)	McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) *Pryor (D-AR) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) *Tester (D-MT) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA)

Not Voting - 2
Dodd (D-CT)	Johnson (D-SD)

I'm tired, and brokenhearted. No good reason to be, since everyday Congress doesn't live up to someone's hopes or wishes. This was a pretty straight party vote on the yes side, so I'd just like to ask much ballyhooed grassroots icon Jon Tester - what do you have against reuniting family members? Against reuniting children with their parents and wives with husbands? Same goes for Baucus, Byrd, Carper and Pryor?

Fuck, I mean JOE LIEBERMAN managed to vote the right way, the compassionate way on each and every single one of the pro family amendments. And he's always crying about how he's going to join the Republicans and complete his party-change operation for once and all.

Someone save me, I'm writing from a place of anger and frustration, but I don't understand why our elected Democrats are willing to settle for a bill that is going to be so harmful. Why our community leaders aren't doing more to stand up to this nonsense. Why we as citizens don't raise more of an outcry. Lord, sometimes it feels so lonely. It feels like it did in the early days of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, cold and rainy and miserable, a lone voice.

Mike Honda is opposed to these amendments, and continues doing the right thing and fighting for families and immigrants.

Rep. Honda (CA-15): "As it stands, the Senate immigration bill veers away drastically from our nation’s longstanding tradition of family-based immigration," said Rep. Mike Honda (CA-15), Chair of CAPAC. "I commend Senators Clinton, Dodd, Hagel, Menendez, and Obama, who are taking critical steps to uphold our nation’s commitment to family values in immigration. I urge the Senate to support their amendments throughout the week. Other amendments would dangerously rollback the scant due process protections currently available to immigrants."

Why can't other members of Congress get a spine? There's 20,000 other things I got on my plate, and this is the only thing that engrosses me, that keeps me up at night, that has my stomach tied in knots. I need to find a new job.

ROLL CALL: Akaka and the war

So I think I'm going to start doing semi-regular roll calls on votes of import, and why and how strategic Congresscritters voted. This isn't the first, but I'm starting an official series with this one. -P&P

Seems like there's trouble brewing in paradise - the Honolulu Advertiser has an article about how he was one of the 80 Senators (including most Dems) who recently voted on the Iraq War, sans pullout deadline:

Such passions against the war in Iraq were key to Akaka's victory. Many reform Democrats and independents who normally would have gravitated to Case backed Akaka because he voted against authorizing the war in the first place and unequivocally supported a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops, while Case insisted on talking about the complexities involved in winding down the war.

It's funny that we've barely heard a peep from these folks now that Akaka had his chance to vote to end the war — and flinched.

Akaka, along with Hawai'i's senior Sen. Daniel Inouye, voted with an 80-14 Senate majority to provide $95 billion to continue funding the war. The bill was stripped of any language to set a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces after an earlier veto by President Bush.

Well, Akaka did just get Filipino veterans grandfathered/included in the prospective immigration reform bill, but one wonders what votes he had to trade, and if the Iraq vote was one of them. Then again, it's not like he was a swing vote when it's 80-14. Definitely not a good thing to have headlines in one of your most populous cities blaring that you turned your back on a campaign promise this soon in a 6 year term.

Akaka and Inouye could take solace that the bill, laden with pork that Democrats forced on Bush if he wanted his war funding, contained nearly $40 million earmarked for Hawai'i projects, primarily disaster relief related to the October earthquakes.

But it seems unbecoming for them to even mention such crumbs to justify votes on a matter of war and peace, with thousands of American lives and countless billions of dollars in spending at stake.

This is not to suggest it was an easy vote; it's always politically untenable for lawmakers to vote to deny funding to support the forces we've deployed.

The point is that it was Case's argument — not Akaka's — that the war is complicated. For Akaka, it was a simple matter of setting timetables to begin withdrawing U.S. troops.

It shouldn't go without note that when push came to shove, Akaka cast the same vote to continue funding the war that Case probably would have.

And speaking of who voted against, here's the long, luscious list...including three very staunchly conservative repubs who voted no on principle - opposed to the social programs (minimum wage increase, etc) that helped Dems slide this thing down their gullets.

NAYs ---14
Boxer (D-CA) - remembers that she represents one of the most progressive states once in a while
Burr (R-NC) - crazy wingnut

*Clinton (D-NY) - had to for the Dem base voters. Probably would have voted yes otherwise. vacillated plenty beforehand. Voted to go to war originally. While this may appease her base some, it doesn't really help her credibility on a little thing called principles. If anything, this vote reinforces the meme that she is willing to vote whichever way the wind blows. In this instance, it was a lose-lose proposition. If she had voted yes, she would have pissed off the base mightily, and perhaps lost precious donors. As Ben Smith suggested, she isn't going to get huge points for this from the antiwar left, but she also isn't going to lose huge points, except for leadership points to Edwards and Dodd on this issue.

Coburn (R-OK) - crazy wingnut

*Dodd (D-CT) - presidential candidate. pretty middle of the road from the Insurance and HMO State who is trying to run to the left of the frontrunners on this one. Smart play.

Enzi (R-WY) - wingnut
Feingold (D-WI) - true progressive leader, a champion on this issue. I wish he were still in the presidential race.
Kennedy (D-MA) - progressive champ on this issue. On immigration, we need to talk.
Kerry (D-MA) - thank god he found his spine again. I like him so much better when he's not running for President.
Leahy (D-VT) - true progressive

*Obama (D-IL) - same as Hillary, had to do it for the base, otherwise he would be viewed as inconsistent, having voted against the war to start with. Could have used less hemming and hawwing beforehand though. Again, in my opinion he lost some points to Dodd and Edwards by waiting to declare his position on this issue, which polls as the single most important issue for voters

Sanders (I-VT) - a real fighter for the little guy
Whitehouse (D-RI) - better than chafee would have done
Wyden (D-OR) - consistent with earlier vote against military authorization

Not Voting - 6
Brownback (R-KS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Hatch (R-UT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Thomas (R-WY)

So basically this means that Senate leadership like Durbin (number 2) and Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, voted for the thing. If I'm disappointed in anyone, it's Durbin, because he is pretty progressive. Schumer not voting is a classic avoidance technique - this way he doesn't really have to be held accountable by rabid, angry NYers. same weasl technique that Coleman (R-MN) is using because the MN senate race is coming up and he needs some political cover in that purplish-blue state. I'm also a little surprised that California Sen. Feinstein didn't vote with her compatriot. Usually on major bills like this Senators from the same state, same party vote together to provide political cover for each other. (Witness Akaka and Inouye.)

Well, that's it for this edition. Happy June folks.