Profiles In Contrast

Profiles In Contrast

"This is a rare Saturday vote. We’ve had only a handful of votes on Saturdays in the last 20 years. Even though I had to cancel a couple of speeches in Iowa, this is the place to be because the War on Terrorism is the most important issue facing Americans"
-Chuck Grassley, speaking today in Washington DC

John McCain in Des Moines today blasted the Democrat-controlled Senate leadership for calling a Saturday session to debate a "meaningless resolution" of disapproval for President Bush's Iraq war strategy.

"It's insulting to the public and our soldiers to pretend we're discharging our responsibility in any meaningful way."

Thanks to O. Kay for pointing this out and pushing the objectivity envelope.

Vote was 56-34, but needed 60. Ten absent, including McCain. Washington Post adds to his sense of false priorities (i.e. me, me me):

Most Democrats were already seated at their desks when the roll call began shortly before 2 p.m. The only Democrat who missed the vote was Sen. Tim Johnson (S.D.), who is recovering from brain surgery. Democratic Sens. Robert P. Casey Jr. (Pa.) and Max Baucus (Mont.) canceled plans to visit Iraq this weekend and were present on the floor. Their traveling companions, GOP Sens. Jon Kyl (Ariz.) and Bob Corker (Tenn.), went ahead with the trip and missed the Senate action.

All actual Democrats voted to stop the surge - Joementum, of course, showed his true colors and voted like a Republican. But seven GOP senators defected from the Bush line:

Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and John Warner of Virginia. All but Snowe and Specter could face the voters in 2008.

Norm Coleman. How will his vote affect me, Al Franken?