gilly54

Here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2003Jul16.html

I see the GOP doesn't want the American Taxpayer to even know the cost of the Iraq war that we are paying for? How arrogant!

Isn't the Appropriations Committee the one controlling the purse strings? So whatever Georgie and Dicky want, Georgie and Dicky get?

Notice that on each of these crucial votes, five or six Senators were missing.

Bill

Note that the missing senators are almost ceratinly all Democrats; and most likely, all Democrats running for President.

== Bill

gilly54

Hi, Bill,

You're right.

I'm not very good at chess or figuring out political manoeuverings so why would it be to their advantage to not vote on these proposals?

Darwin26

Who are they and why didn't they vote?

Arken

Plausible deniability. No matter which way the vote swings, they can say "Don't blame me. I wasn't there."

gilly54

But, how would these absent Dems know that there might be a Republican or two who might vote for the proposal and if they were there, the vote might carry?

I would also like to know who wasn't there to vote, Darwin. Can't Congress people vote by proxy if they know they can't be there for a critical vote?

LeftCoast

Nope, they must be physically present to vote - no proxies, human or otherwise allowed. There are several cases where senators have been wheeled into the chamber on a hospital gurney in cases of very close votes.