Throughout the last year, it has been very difficult to nail down how many Senators are opposed to ratification of New START. Too many Senate Republicans have kept their powder dry as they deferred to Senator Jon Kyl to negotiate on their behalf. This has been a fundamental mistake, because it has precluded the opponents of the treaty from winning the public debate based on its flaws.
Thankfully, we now have some semblance of a whip list to work off over the next week or so. Senators John Ensign, Kit Bond, and Jim DeMint have circulated a letter with 22 signatures (including their own) that basically amounts to a public hold letter, objecting to any unanimous consent agreement in the Senate to expedite ratification. The letter can be found here.
There are 42 Republican Senators in the lame duck. New START needs 67 votes to be ratified. If all 58 Democrat votes stick together, the Obama Administration needs 9 Republican votes. Below the fold is the universe of Senate Republicans who have not signed the Ensign-Bond-DeMint hold letter and need to be nailed down between now and next week. Here is the main number for the Senate switchboard: 202-224-3121. Call away!
Lamar Alexander (TN), Republican Conference Chairman
Robert Bennett (UT)
Scott Brown (MA)
Saxby Chambliss (GA)
Thad Cochran (MS)
Susan Collins (ME)
Bob Corker (TN), voted for the treaty out of committee
Lindsey Graham (SC)
Judd Gregg (NH)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Johnny Isakson (GA), voted for the treaty out of committee
Mark Kirk (IL)
Jon Kyl (AZ), Republican Whip
George LeMieux (FL)
Richard Lugar (IN), voted for treaty out of committee and a main proponent
John McCain (AZ)
Mitch McConnell (KY), Republican Leader
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Olympia Snowe (ME)
George Voinovich (OH)
It is also worth calling some of the Democrats. Ben Nelson (NE) supports ratification, but has said that START can wait until next year. Kent Conrad (ND), Joe Manchin (WV), Claire McCaskill (MO), and Jon Tester (MT), must all face the voters within two years and should hear from their constituents.
Caleb Howe
Jeff Emanuel
Moe Lane
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Will you look at that list - a perfect who's who of RINO primaries
fpete13527 (Diary) Friday, December 3rd at 2:12PM EDT (link)I’m calling LeMieux the RINO now
Yep
scorpio0679 (Diary) Saturday, December 4th at 4:14AM EDT (link)And he is quietly spreading the word that he will run for the Republican nomination to face Bill Nelson in 2012. Not if I have anything to do with it.
Draft (Jeb) Bush 2012 (for FL-SEN)!
Lemieux is supposed to not be running.
mirac777 (Diary) Monday, December 6th at 5:18AM EDT (link)He said that was why he didnt run in 2010. Don’t tell me he got a taste of DC and now wants to be the next flaky Charlie Crist! ( who appointed him) I agree , Lemieux has shown some Crist-like tendacies.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that state Senate President Mike Haridopolos visited Washington on Monday and Tuesday “for a short trip aimed at raising his profile — and potentially some bucks.” Might get my vote.
Ahh Geez, from SENATUS: But why is LeMieux in a rush, as a short-timer, to be so productive? Florida Democrat Bill Nelson is up for reelection in 2012, and LeMieux is thinking about making a real run for the Senate.
“I love being a United States senator,” he said. “I’m not going to hide that fact. Yes, I’d love to serve again.”
Oh HELL NO! Looks like you are right, Scorpio and fpete.
United we stand…. Divided we fall.. into the pits of Socialism.
Haridopolos sounds promising based on his recent statements
scorpio0679 (Diary) Monday, December 6th at 5:31AM EDT (link)but to be perfectly honest I don’t know much about him. We’ll find out a whole heck of a lot more in the 2011 and 2012 Florida legislative sessions, both of which occur before the 2012 primary. Completely unobstructed, our leaders in the state house and senate will show their true colors, for better or for worse.
There is a good video of Haridopolos talking about the upcoming legislative session at The Shark Tank blog/news site . . .
Yes
fpete13527 (Diary) Monday, December 6th at 6:08AM EDT (link)The Florida legislature will be very telling in the next few months.
Haridopolos and Cannon seem to be willing to work together with Scott to build a more conservative working team.
We’ll see if the Florida legislature was infected beyond immediate repair, by the Crist regime, or if it will come around immediately.
I believe it will come around. We’ll see.
Yes - LeMieux is chock full of ____
fpete13527 (Diary) Monday, December 6th at 6:00AM EDT (link)Le Mieux gave a LENGTHY tour around Florida to the Republican Executive Commitees over the last three months professing his true awakening to conservatism and away from RINOism. It was pure BS.
After listening to him speak, I wanted to give him some credit, acknowledge him, and even consider some endorsement. It turns out he lied and was faking it. He absolutely did not deserve the slightest acknowedgement.
After his big epiPHONY speech he then immediately goes ahead and votes for the Food Police Bill and START, and he takes three weeks to make up his mind about DREAM amnesty (in other words he wanted to vote for it if he could get away with it). Pathetic.
Le Mieux should never again be considered for any Republican office in Florida. His voting here shows that he has not abandoned his buddy’s (Christ’s) principles. It actually shows he is probably worse than his buddy.
We do however need to replace Nelson as quickly as possible. Nelson is less than worthless. I would like the replacement for Nelson to be a clone of Allen West. IMO, that is type of candidate that we need here in Florida.
LeMieux should be ashamed of himself.
Correction meant "Crist's" as in Charlie
fpete13527 (Diary) Monday, December 6th at 6:17AM EDT (link)Jeb Bush
GenEarly Monday, December 6th at 11:18AM EDT (link)Please NO More Bushie’s! Jeb is a PROGRESSIVE just like his brother, and daddy. Big Government solutions,with Big government Pork to the Elite Republican Establishment. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. No to Bush, Le Mieux, Mack, and other Elitist Republican politicians. Vote in a CITIZEN who will follow the Constitution.Just for example: GW Bush had No Child Left Behind, and Jeb had his Florida First to support the Education Unions and Government Schools. You are sending your children to the Government, for “education”. PRIVATIZE! ALL of education and it will be messy and confused (like it’s not a disaster now), but YOU will control the money and will support the Best Buy for YOUR CHILD.
Maybe as Florida Counties DEFAULT there will be an opportunity for people to create their own schools.
Jeb Bush ain't a progressive
scorpio0679 (Diary) Monday, December 6th at 4:59PM EDT (link)Your statement about Jeb Bush being a progressive because of his policies on education . . . isn’t education a state issue? wasn’t Jeb implementing state policy?
Jeb isn’t a progressive. However, I would prefer to get some new blood but no O’Donnells please.
Email addresses
erp617 Friday, December 3rd at 2:22PM EDT (link)Anyone have a list of email addresses????
I've found e-mails don't get read till much later ....
fpete13527 (Diary) Friday, December 3rd at 2:52PM EDT (link)….but here is web page with both e-mails and phone numbers http://bit.ly/3UAs
Nice work RV - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine (Diary) Friday, December 3rd at 4:23PM EDT (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com and Charlotte Observer columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson
Better not stop with just the ones on the list.
wolfeman Friday, December 3rd at 5:21PM EDT (link)I called both of mine today. ( Richard Shelby & Jeff Sessions ) Niether of them will disclose thier stance on the issue yet. That bothers me a little bit. I think Sessions will do the right thing but it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if Shelby sold out for a big ole juicy earmark.
The Georgians are a surprise..the others are not -nt-
ladyimpactohio (Diary) Friday, December 3rd at 7:42PM EDT (link)We the people tell government what to do, it does not tell us.–Ronald Reagan in his farewell speech
Has anyone ever explained how START was signed in April
bk (Diary) Saturday, December 4th at 5:26AM EDT (link)but then it suddenly became an emergency to get it approved during the lame duck session? It didn’t even get delivered to the Senate for over a month, then they piddled with it in hearings for 5-6 months, then ignored it for over a month before the election.
If this thing was such a dire emergency, why didn’t it take precedence over some of the other terrible things the Senate did? The way they’re handling is enough reason to vote no and revisit it come January.
Good point.
mirac777 (Diary) Monday, December 6th at 5:27AM EDT (link)Create a crisis, then they can swoop in and “Save us.” Right out of Rules for Radicals. Word is it really didn’t get looked at in Committees, due to the fact that the W/H is not releasing all of the negotiations and background on START.
Just like the H/C bill, the tyrants in our gov’t refuse to do their jobs and proper research before voting on things. And just what are they hiding, that this MUST BE passed right now? Bottom line is that our Senate needs a serious cleaning out in 2012. I,m availiable right now to start working on primary candidates here in FL, if any true conservatives will step up.
United we stand…. Divided we fall.. into the pits of Socialism.
Looks like START is pretty much a done deal now.
wolfeman Saturday, December 4th at 8:31AM EDT (link)Our illustrious Republican leadership is going to give the President and the Dems START in exchange for an extension of some of the Bush tax cuts. Nothing like serving up a big victory for the Prez to help him out in his bid for re-election in 2012. A victory that weakens our national security no less. I’ve come to the conclusion that if this happens, there’s absolutely no hope for the brain-dead Republican leadership.
I see George LeMieux (FL) on there.
mirac777 (Diary) Monday, December 6th at 5:09AM EDT (link)I dont know why he isn’t on board for taking the proper time to read this treaty and make sure we aren’t getting duped. After all, that is their job! An interesting note is that I read that DeMint says they haven’t been made privilege to ALL the negotiations. Big fat red flag right there. Would it kill these Tyrants to be on the up and up just one time? W/H is stalling them from getting all the background information.
Everything is a big, huge emergency with these radicals today. Hurry hurry,, we will find out whats in it after you dummies vote on it!
George? Expect a call today, so I can once explain to you how to do your job. Gosh this stuff is getting old.
United we stand…. Divided we fall.. into the pits of Socialism.
START
GenEarly Monday, December 6th at 11:47AM EDT (link)The State Department has made “side agreements” which aren’t officially listed in the treaty but will be implemented upon passage. UN Gun Ban? Who knows what these Obama-RINO One Worlders are doing! Just say NO until the 2011 Congress is seated.Then there is a slight chance our National Integrity can be saved, but Be Prepared.
Side Deals? DC if full of "off the wall"
boxedquad Tuesday, December 7th at 7:16PM EDT (link)It is impossible to know what the Lame Ducks would do if left to their own rules. They have worked till the last minute before and are set to do the same this year, for some their last HURAhhhhh, Thank God.
Kill it or Table it till Next Congress, and hold Hilary hearings on what she knows and says she does not know.. do remember the ?Rose memo stuff? Her head has always been in a blender..
Too many Rino’s in the list…Let’s see what the new congress really set itself up to do and what they mean to all of US. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Change the laws and rules, when elections are in Mid-December and congress is closed from election day to Jan.2 every year we will have no lame duck sessions, period, and no President appointments or adds to the laws or rules. If you cut out the congress, you must curtail the power of the President. We have no horse drawn carts.. well maybe…forget it .
I
gunslingr45 Monday, December 6th at 8:11AM EDT (link)Have been telling you people at redstate (my whole membership time here) that if you think talking to Lugar to get him to change his mind your the one thats crazy.
The reason I know this is that he is almost as Liberal as Carson. Ask anyone from this state (who is not a rino.)
Will Redstate help take him down in 2012? It is your lot in life to get rid of Liberals and their bedpals RINO’s is it not?
Fight Team Fight
godot Monday, December 6th at 8:49AM EDT (link)Good luck getting my Senator (and former UT cheerleader) Kay Baily to publicly commit to anything. She just doesnt do it.
RHINO's among us: Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander
towerclimber Monday, December 6th at 2:12PM EDT (link)I called Bob Corker’s office and let that nice lady know that I think Bob Corker ought to speak for Tennessee when it comes to the START treaty, instead of letting Jon Kyl do all the talking.
I also spoke with Lamar Alexander’s aide. That one didn’t go as well as that young man hoped.
I called and identified myself as a constituent and explained my problem with the START treaty and then I laid into him about S. 531.
I asked him to explain that bill to me in such a way as to make me a believer in it, to make me want to support it.
He said “well, there have been a food scare that has prompted the Senator to become a co-sponsor of this bill but the tester amendment will exempt personal gardens..”
I thought to myself “yeah, IF they pass that amendment”…
I replied “SO, you’re saying that a ‘food scare’ has prompted my senator to sign on to a bill that outlaws even a back yard garden and gives the FDA the power to walk onto someone’s property with automatic weapons, scaring women and children, in order to search a freezer for contraband vegetables??”
At this point, the aide became nervous and said “That won’t happen sir”, to which I replied “It already has son! This law simply gives the government license to do this without an avenue of legal redress!”
At this point, the aide knew the jig was up and that I was pretty irate about it, and instead of explaining how exactly it would benefit me, he quickly said that he would relay my opinion to Sen. Alexander and disengaged himself from the conversation….
That’s a polite way to say that the fella started crawfishing hard and then hung up.
Yeah. Not a chance in hades that he’ll tell Alexander my view. It’s something that Alexander doesn’t want to hear.
That’s ok, he’ll hear me loud and clear when he comes up for re-election.
“The ultimate result of shielding man from the effects of his folly is to fill the world with fools.”
Herbert Spencer