While taking part in a Firedoglake diary entry, a poster ("Pow-wow") posted a little gem about how it appears that even those who voted "no" on the FISA bill in the house were NOT good guys. Not a single person, when given a chance, objected to a unanimous consent call on the Senate FISA (ie, the Enabling Act) bill. Follow me below the fold for the posting and a link to the record.
First, here is Pow-wow's post:
It seems to be even worse than I imagined… It appears that it didn’t take more action from the Rules Committee to effect a simple majority vote on the Senate FISA bill (S. 1927)… It took a unanimous consent request on the floor of the House by Steny Hoyer, which didn’t receive a single objection. Not one Democrat (or Republican) said a word, to at least force the Rules Committee into some gymnastics to force this through:
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
(1) that the House hereby concurs in the Senate amendment to H.R. 3311; and
(2) that it be in order at any time on the legislative day of August 4, 2007, to consider S. 1927 in the House under the following terms:
All points of order against the bill and against its consideration are waived except those arising under clause 10 of rule XXI;
The bill shall be considered as read;
The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill to its final passage without intervening motion except: (a) 1 hour of debate equally divided among and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the committee on the Judiciary and the chairman and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and (b) one motion to recommit; and
(3) that it shall be in order at any time on the legislative day of August 4, 2007, for the Speaker, as though pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3222) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes;
There you have it. Even the "no" votes were merely symbolic. Pelosi, in her secret squirrel pre-FISA lunch with Bush, like Reid before her, plotted the fix and came back to her sheep in the Congress and shut them down. The votes and speeches against the FISA bill were hollow and without substance. They were just words as the fix was in to begin with. Besides the fact that Pelosi could EASILY have prevented the Senate atrocity from hitting the floor for a vote, substituting a superior, though still flawed, Democrapic-authored Enabling Act interim bill and forced a conference committee to work them out, she simply let the Senate Enabling Act become the only bill.
To read the record yourself, here is the Link.