Conservatives' Admiral Ackbar Moment
By Erick Posted in Congress — Comments (26) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Senator Jeff Session has been one of the leading opponents of the Senate's amnesty bill. He and Jim DeMint, with several others, have found the very good fight.
This Thursday, Senator Sessions will fly home to Alabama to attend a fundraiser for his Senate campaign with President Bush in attendance.
With every vote needed to keep the amnesty bill from coming to the floor of the Senate, guess, just guess which day Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid have agreed to vote on the bill.
Sadly too, it seems, several Republican Senators will vote for cloture and vote against the bill, knowing they can say they voted against it, with the assurances of its passage without their vote.
Jeff Sessions is not one of those. He opposes this bill. But abandoning his post for a fundraiser might be all the President's men need to get this bill passed.
You can call Senator Sessions and express your displeasure at (202) 224-4124.
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Conservatives' Admiral Ackbar Moment 26 Comments (0 topical, 26 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Not to be conspiratorial or anything, but a desperate President who really wants this bill passed is escorting a key Senator, who is opposed to the legislation, from Washington and ensuring that he is not present in the Senate that day to vote against its resurrection?
It reminds me of what they did to Jeff Smith in the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington when they passed amendments to the deficiency bill. They had Senator Paine's attractive daughter take Senator Smith out on the town so he wouldn't here about the dam being built.
This is all just surreal to me. Loathsome. Astonishing. If this thing passes I am through with the GOP. It has become rotted out.
Jeff Sessions is obviously smart enough to see what is going on here.....is this for real? I can't imagine him missing this vote - he has to know that it is being scheduled during his fundraiser.
On a side note.....how much leverage can Bush POSSIBLY have at this point? I can't imagine that he has much pull on Congress like he used to. Republicans would do better by distancing themselves from Bush on policies like immigration.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Bush is still the #1 fund raiser in Republican circles (don't know if this will change in the near future, but as of now it's still true).
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The CIA has better politicians than it has spies - Fred Thompson
Does he really need the money this far out in the cycle? I don't see that his job is truly endangered given that he will stand in a presidential year in a state that will likely go heavily for the Republican.
When the Senate is involved, no matter how many leaks, how much insider information spills forth to media, the blogs, and the general chattering class, the Senators themselves always know more about the "lay of the land" than any of us know.
I do not believe that Sen. Sessions needs the money or the President so much these days that he will leave Washington when the worst bill in recent memory comes to the floor again. Unless he knows, or believes that others can hold the fort. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if he makes his speeches earlier and then leaves. Only the cloture vote will occur Thursday (cloture allows for another 100 hours of debate after being invoked), so, as noted, a Not Present is the same as a No.
I don't think even in the wildest fantasies of the nutroots does Jeff Sessions face any serious challenges in Alabama. Looks like the former webmaster of www.sacksessions.com agrees.
Not voting is the same as voting "no" for cloture, right? I mean, if a cloture vote doesn't receive 60 plus yes votes, it would fail, correct? Or is there a rule, of which I am unaware, that allows fewer votes if there is a quorum?
IF that is the case, the primary reason to make sure Sen. Sessions is there, it would seem, has been his eloquent opposition to this ridiculous garbage. He has raised points, some of which often are obvious, others have been reluctant to do.
Sen. Sessions does need to be there, as it is. I don't think his absence would affect cloture (someone please correct me if I am wrong), but it would deny the Senate an important and reasonable voice amid the fraud and deceit.
You're right. Not voting has the same effect as a no vote on a cloture. The pro-amnesty side needs 60 "aye" votes in order to invoke cloture, irregardless if 100 or 51 senators are present.
That being said, Sen Sessions (along with Sen DeMint) are the best advocates I've heard or read against this bill and if he's able to be in D.C. during this vote, he could help the cause.
It would still be nice to have Sessions there for the debate but at least it's reassuring to be reminded that we're not getting scammed out of his vote.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
He could do a real old fashioned filibuster.
But he won't. This is indeed a cover.
You are exactly right about the scam here, Erick. The ploy is to have senators vote for cloture and then vote against the underlying bill so they can claim they didn't support it.
This needs to be made clear to the voters: a vote for cloture under the present circumstances is a vote for the underlying bill regardless of what your senator says and later does.
Rush Limbaugh just signed off and as a side note and announced that he was going to be out of town next week playing golf and not to worry about the immigration bill...
No, not a conspiracy nut but Sessions going to a fund raiser with the President and the #1 radio announcer going out of town...doesn't look good for those opposed to the Amnesty Bill.
That we don't know? Seriously, did he say "Don't worry"? As opposed to "Keep the calls, emails and faxes coming"?
He's a HUGE reason if not THE reason that this thing has been stalled.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Rush and Sean Hannity have been hammering the House on this bill. I don't think that he is selling out.
...you have an advanced case of IDS.
Run like Reagan!
And the young lady who answered was extremely polite and sympathetic. She said they had had several calls and the topic was being discussed as she spoke. Keep calling, folks! Not to threadjack, but I also called the Tennessee RNC about the bill and they could have cared less. Even when I reminded them that NO money would be forthcoming to them or the national committee from people like me--still bupkiss. Who ARE these people!!!!
Senator Jeff Sessions should secretly send a staffer to the fundraiser. That staffer should then tell POTUS and the audience that Senator Sessions sends "regrets" but he felt it more important to be in DC to lead the fight on the cloture vote. He is confident you'll understand and looks forward to personally thanking you for your support at the next best opportunity.
I don't know who's in the audience there but I think he might raise a couple of bucks that way.
There is no distinctly American criminal class - except Congress.
Mark Twain
Wasn't he the guy with the red fish-looking face (and large cranium) who helped lead the rebel's coalition forces to victory in The Return of the Jedi?
I don't think ol' Ackbar had very big role, except maybe running the gameroom while Lando et. al flew in...anyway, my question is,
what is an "Admiral Ackbar moment"?
and how does this relate to Jeff sessions and the debate over the immigration reform bill?
Thanks, just curious
Sessions is NOT the villain here
Sen. Sessions is Luke Skywalker. I guess that means Sen. Kennedy is Emperor Palpatine, and Pres. Bush is Darth Vader.
And Erick Erickson is Admiral Ackbar!
Run like Reagan!
Thank you for posting this information.