Okay so about 10 days ago Idaho Senator Larry Craig - R was reported to have
plead guilty to disorderly conduct in the mens room at Minneapolis International airport.
Okay, so within a couple of days, the GOP Leadership stripped him of his committee assignments.
Sen. Larry Craig went on vacation with his wife Wednesday, according to aides, as calls for his resignation intensified, Republican leaders stripped him of his committee assignments, and support in his home state appeared to be eroding.
Um, Look, i'm no fan of a GOPer as a rule, and gee, the bathroom flitty stuff is creepy, but
isn't it illegal to strip him of his committee assignment???
More after the jump
Look, I'm no senate parliamentarian, hell for that matter, i'm no parliamentarian,
but the US Senate is organized by a senate resolution
In this caseSR.28 ( put in SR.28 in the box)
Mr. MCCONNELL submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
RESOLUTION
To constitute the minority party's membership on certain committees for the One Hundred Tenth Congress, or until their successors are chosen.
Resolved, That the following shall constitute the minority party's membership on the following committees for the One Hundred Tenth Congress, or until their successors are chosen:
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Specter, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Bond, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Craig, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Allard, and Mr. Alexander.
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES: Mr. Domenici, Mr. Craig, Mr. Thomas, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Burr, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Corker, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Smith, Mr. Bunning, and Mr. Martinez.
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS: Mr. Craig, Mr. Specter, Mr. Burr, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Graham, Mrs. Hutchison, and Mr. Ensign.
SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING: Mr. Smith, Mr. Shelby, Ms. Collins, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Craig, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Corker, and Mr. Specter.
now this resolution was passed by Unanimous Consentof the Senate. but it is a binding resolution, nothing i saw in that said, subject to the
whims of political unrest,ill-conduct, etc.
So, The next question is :
Do senate rules allow a member to be stripped of committee assignments, automatically???
lets see
Rule V of the senate
Any rule may be suspended without notice by the unanimous consent of the Senate, except as otherwise provided by the rules.
rule XXIV
the Senate, unless otherwise ordered, shall by resolution appoint the chairman of each such committee and the other members thereof.
and
When a chairman of a committee shall resign or cease to serve on a committee, action by the Senate to fill the vacancy in such committee, unless specially otherwise ordered,
Rule XXVIcovers committee procedure, and it's pretty complex, but i didn't see anyhing in there about changing the assignments,
now the post does report
Senate GOP leaders said that Craig "agreed to comply" with their request that he step down as the ranking Republican on the Veterans' Affairs Committee and two subcommittees while the ethics committee assesses his case. The move, they said, was for "the good of the Senate."
but that's him agreeing to this, they sure can't take his assignments without a
vote, and gee, they need UC, so it's going to have to be floored.
Frankly, the dems should vote to leave him in place until final adjudication, or force the
GOP to come up with something as a trade to toss craig over.
My main point is the senate committee appointment is by the whole of the senate, and it's up to the
senate to decide, not what mcconnell wants.