It Looks Like We Win!

[RED333]

Whadda ya say we send an email thanking Corker and Alexander for voting correctly today. Goodness knows we're on their hind ends about this and other things. A word of encouragement may or may not help, but it sure couldn't hurt.

I will, in a few days.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Why? They were doing their job, for once. But it wouldn't hurt.

[gregintenn]

Why? They were doing their job, for once. But it wouldn't hurt.

It lets them know we are actually watching their actions if nothing else.

[superduty]

Yes

[Oh Shoot]

Never mind, I see the 60 vote was a procedural deal so all amendments could be voted on one after another, without debate for each one. Conventional way would have only required 51 votes for each, but could have drug out for weeks.

 

I was wrong about it being "cloture" at this point. This explains it well for anyone else who didn't quite grok it:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/17/the-gun-amendments-need-60-votes-to-pass-but-why/

 

And as far as the whole background check thing apparently shot down, at least for the rest of this calendar year, let me say I've never been happier to have been wrong!!

 

- OS

 

Ah, but there's one more quirk  to this saga I'm discovering.

 

The 60 vote deal was actually still technically also considered a vote to break filibuster on all the amendments to the original Schumer background check bill.

 

Which means both the original bill and all the amendments stay on the calendar and can be brought back up any time during the 113th Congress, without having to be resubmitted to committee and whatnot. Reid claims that somebody on the majority voting side had to vote contrary for this to happen, so I don't know about that, but he wasn't the only one as four others voted no before him, so that's kind of moot.

 

So if, for some alignment of reasons before the end of 2014, the Dems think they have the votes to carry any of those things voted on today, this same deal could crank up again on a moments notice.

 

I realize this certainly seems to be unlikely, but sometimes certain pols' "conscience" seems to change toward election year. In general, this has worked in our favor on gun rights in  the Republican world, and also of course a good bit in the Dem one also. Just hope those polls don't start convincing them otherwise closer to 2014.

 

- OS

Edited April 18, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[seez52]

Harry's got to keep his high grade rating from the NRA you know..

[npgunner]

I just can't seem to get too excited. It will come up again and again and again until it is passed. May take a while, but it will happen.

Democrats will eventually have a majority, it is folly to think otherwise. Then the game is up.

Celebrate the victory today by gearing up to continue the fight. I agree this isn't over.

... Harry put this on the back burner for a reason. Just waiting for the next big gun tragedy to happen. Now he doesn't have to get it thru committee. This thing will be on the fast track to vote the day after the next thing goes wrong.

... and I for one believe they would construct a tragedy just to pass this thing. (upgrading my tinfoil)

[Guest sL1k]

Strange, if you remember the high cap mag ban bill that they tried after the Colorado shooting Harry voted against it too.

[Worriedman]

Whadda ya say we send an email thanking Corker and Alexander for voting correctly today. Goodness knows we're on their hind ends about this and other things. A word of encouragement may or may not help, but it sure couldn't hurt.

I will see him Saturday night, will pass on your thanks at that point...

[Titansfan]

Yes, this vote is a win but like others have pointed out, this fight is not over. 

 

What I am concerned, what can Obama do as an Executive Order?

[gregintenn]

I will see him Saturday night, will pass on your thanks at that point...

Yu know what? I've not done it yet, but have been meaning to sincerely thank you in particular for all the hard work you do for our cause. :usa: Thanks a lot, and keep up the fight.

[mikegideon]

Yu know what? I've not done it yet, but have been meaning to sincerely thank you in particular for all the hard work you do for our cause. :usa: Thanks a lot, and keep up the fight.

 

Ditto

[Guest Cami]

Already thanked them for doing what is right by their constituents...  I will be watching them very closely.  Do thank them for me in person, for actually doing the right thing, although they did it to get re-elected is my guess.  They just didn't expect us to wear out their email, websites and facebook accounts... Too darn bad for them.  They need to hear about this on a regular basis...

[Oh Shoot]

Great day to watch MSNBC.  They've really been able to concentrate on the gun vote from yesterday, combination of vitriolic attack on Senate and crying in their beer.

 

Loving it.

 

- OS

[Blitzen]

Watching the Dems face defeat was a pleasure. We deserve to celebrate for one day. The people won this one, period. It's proof that "90% of Americans want tougher gun laws" is a lie. I would like to know how many pro-2nd Amendment e-mails and calls the Republican Senators received this week. I fully believe that "We the People" prevailed and that the Democrats refuse to acknowledge that publicly, but behind closed doors they know it. When you get your shirt handed to you it doesn't take a sledgehammer to drill it home. The fight may not be over but we won this battle, for sure.

[knewcomb]

Executive orders can only be enacted on laws already on the books hence his tantrum yesterday.

[Oh Shoot]

.... The people won this one, period. It's proof that "90% of Americans want tougher gun laws" is a lie. ...

 

Well, no,  it doesn't prove that one way or the other.

 

The truth is that we do not have majority rule in the nation, beyond the elections themselves, and thank gawd for that. The Constitution is supposed to be adhered to, regardless of public opinion. If the majority of the people want to change that Constitution,  there is a process to do it.

 

Also, Senators, as opposed to Representatives,  are supposed to represent the best interests of the individual states, and not necessarily the majority opinion of the states' residents. Sometimes those coincide, sometimes not.

 

One other thing is that the Senate really does show the square off in state by state Red/Blue since unlike the House, each state gets two senators rather than x number of Reps based on population -- every state gets the same amount of clout in the Senate.

 

- OS

Edited April 18, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Worriedman]

Yu know what? I've not done it yet, but have been meaning to sincerely thank you in particular for all the hard work you do for our cause. :usa: Thanks a lot, and keep up the fight.

That is gracious, and I am honored.  Thought sometimes I feel like I am spinning my wheels, I just can not let go and quit.

 

Alexander is going to be at the Madison County Regan Day Dinner, I intend to "instruct" him in so far as I can.

[JR2ATN]

Whadda ya say we send an email thanking Corker and Alexander for voting correctly today. Goodness knows we're on their hind ends about this and other things. A word of encouragement may or may not help, but it sure couldn't hurt.

 

Done and done!   :up: