[...] Senate GOP Forces Reading of 767 Page Amendment Stalling Health Bill - Flopping Aces [...]

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@John Cooper: It’s been so long since I paid any attention to rules of order that I couldn’t tell you the difference between a call for “regular order” and “point of order.”

Correct me if I am wrong, but I’m getting the impression that you are looking for ways to be critical of our team. Even when they do what many have long demanded.

On the other hand, I prefer to stress what they have done RIGHT.

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Wooooo…Make my millennium: Reid threatens around-the-clock votes through Christamas if GOP won’t back down

Senate Democrats are threatening Republicans with midnight and crack-of-dawn votes if they continue to fight the majority on the health-care bill and defense spending legislation.

The Senate Democratic leadership office is advising lawmakers, staff and reporters that if the GOP does not yield back time on the defense spending bill now under consideration, a vote will be scheduled for Friday morning at 1 a.m., with final passage slated for 7 a.m. Saturday morning.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid would then begin votes on health care reform, but because Republicans are opposed, the three major components of the bill would first have to be filed with the clerk for a certain number of hours, with the first vote possible on Monday at 1 a.m., the second vote on Tuesday at 7 a.m. and the third and final vote on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

…Senate Republicans are already pledging to put up a fight, with Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., saying he will not consent to any of the legislation and will force Reid to have a Christmas Eve vote on health care reform. DeMint said he will also force Reid to bring the Senate back after Christmas to deal with the debt limit legislation.

Go Jim GO!

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Mike–

I’ve already posted that I thought a Point of Order should have been raised. I hate to refer to Wikipedia, but here it is:

“A point of order may be raised if the rules appear to have been broken. This may interrupt a speaker during debate, or anything else if the breach of the rules warrants it. The point is resolved before business continues.”

Now I understand that there were probably only two Senators in the room at the time – the President excepted – and maybe parliamentary procedure isn’t Coburn’s strong suit, but “POINT OF ORDER!” should have been the first words out of Coburn’s mouth after “regular order”.

From Roberts Rules of Order:

Point of Order

This motion permits a member to draw the chair’s attention to what he/she believes to be an error in procedure or a lack of decorum in debate. The member will rise and say: “I rise to a point of order,” or simply “Point of order.” The chair should recognize the member, who will then state the point of order. The effect is to require the chair to make an immediate ruling on the question involved. The chair will usually give his/her reasons for making the ruling. If the ruling is thought to be wrong, the chair can be challenged.

A point of order can interrupt another speaker, does not require a second, is not debatable, is not amendable, and cannot be reconsidered.

Once again, I’m not criticizing, just disappointed that available parliamentary options were not taken advantage of on our side.

IOW, we let them get away with it.

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@John Cooper: I heard the audio and Coburn’s objection was immediate.

Besides caning, what should he have done?

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@Mike’s America

I wasn’t watching CSPAN, so I didn’t see exactly what happened, but yes, Coburn’s statement seemed kind of limp to me. When the reading was interrupted and Sen. Sanders was granted the floor against all precedent, why not a “Mr. President, I object!”?

I suspect that the move was so blatant and unexpected that it simply caught Coburn off guard. If that’s the case, it’s more of a disappointment than a criticism. Coburn should have caned Sanders like the olden days (r, d, & g) .

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Completely Reckless, Completely Irresponsible
from the Office of Senator Mitch McConnell

Thursday, December 17, 2009

‘And here’s the most outrageous part: at the end of this rush, they want us to vote on a bill that no one outside the Majority Leader’s conference room has even seen. That’s right. The final bill we’ll vote on isn’t even the one we’ve had on the floor. It’s the deal Democrat leaders have been trying to work out in private’

Full release at:
http://mcconnell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=320943&start=1

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@John Cooper: You’re going to criticize him for saying “regular order” instead of “point of order?”

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I read the transcript of the Senate floor action yesterday, an if it’s accurate, the Republicans didn’t utter a peep when the Senate Rules were violated.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cardin). The Senator from Vermont is recognized.
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I withdraw my amendment.
Mr. COBURN. Regular order, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has that right. The amendment is withdrawn.
Mr. SANDERS. Pursuant to the 30 minutes that I—-
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Shaheen). Under the previous order, the Senator from Vermont is recognized for 30 minutes.

That’s when a “POINT OF ORDER!” should have been raised. Someone should ask Sen. Coburn why he just sat there and took it.

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@John Cooper: I linked to the story in the Wash Times on the Dem’s Senate rule break in comment #25:

http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/watercooler/2009/dec/16/demint-says-parliamentarian-was-democrats-back-poc/

Someone needs to tell Erick at Redstate that the Senate GOP didn’t need him yelling at them to get the job done. The problem here was one of strategy, not tactics. Again, had Coburn or DeMint used their objection earlier in the process it wouldn’t have amounted to much.

And McConnell has been on board all along. I’ve heard comments from him Thune and others saying they are in this all the way.

Perhaps I should do another update so Erick at Redstate will know what is really happening.

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