August 03, 2007
Democrats Cheat? We Report. You Decide.
Emphasis mine. Decide for yourselves.
In a massive flare-up of partisan tensions, Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for them.The rancor erupted shortly before 11 p.m. as Rep. Michael R. McNulty (D-N.Y.) gaveled close the vote on a standard procedural measure with the outcome still in doubt.
Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance. Democrats, however, argued the measure was deadlocked at 214-214 and failed, members and aides on both sides of the aisle said afterward.
One GOP aide saw McNulty gavel the vote to a close after receiving a signal from his leaders....
When Democrats finally moved to consider the spending bill as the last vote of the night, furious Republicans left the chamber en masse to protest the maneuver. The House eventually recessed at 11:18 p.m. But Republicans quickly discovered that there was no longer any record of the controversial vote and immediately charged Democrats with erasing the bad result.
“Obviously, the Democrats don’t want to stand up against illegal immigration – so much so that they’re willing to cheat in order to win a vote,” Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) said in an e-mail. “They’re desperate – and it shows.”
The official House website did not show a record of the vote as of 1 a.m. Friday.
Democrats cheat? Say it ain't so.
I particularly like one comment to the article from frank, who is obviously a Democrat:
Whine on, Republicans but remember: elections matter.
I didn't know that elections gave the Democrats a right to cheat. Maybe the Democrats should keep that concept in mind the next time they accuse President Bush of something.
In Old news:
Posted by Woody M. at August 3, 2007 08:40 AM | TrackBackNational Review notes that this is a step down from the already shady similar actions of Tom Delay a few years back. This has been a pattern since the beginning of this Congress. Something happens which seems outrageously abusive of procedure. Closer examination reveals that it has been done before, though not so badly.
I grant that these provide a fig leaf for the Democrats, who can justifiably claim that their actions are not entirely without precedent. I grant that this is not a black-and-white issue of Republicans good, Democrats bad. But do we really want to keep trading for darker shades of gray, which is what the Democrats have seemed to be doing?
Posted by Assistant Village Idiot at August 3, 2007 09:06 PM
AVI:
...though not so badly.And maybe not so BALDLY either.
Posted by GM Roper at August 4, 2007 08:06 PM
