Should John Kerry Resign the Senate?

[khirkhib]

Tip to Keystone and Nixon if you really want to make a rucus about Kerry not doing his job and that he should resign you should create a new user account, home state Mass and make it a democrat.  If I heard a Democrat from Mass upset that Kerry wasn't representing me than maybe I would care.  But republican wing of the republican party from any other state doesn't matter.   Your not one of his constituents and he is serving them better by defeating Bush than he would be by sitting in for roll calls.  Now starting January 2005 you can complain all you want that he isn't President Kerry isn't doing his job.  I mean you were probably upset that between Jan 2001 and Aug 2003 Bush had taken over 250 days off (166 days down at the ranch).  Just make sure you focus your anger on the appropriate slacker.

[MODU]

Tip to Keystone and Nixon if you really want to make a rucus about Kerry not doing his job and that he should resign you should create a new user account, home state Mass and make it a democrat.  If I heard a Democrat from Mass upset that Kerry wasn't representing me than maybe I would care.  But republican wing of the republican party from any other state doesn't matter.   Your not one of his constituents and he is serving them better by defeating Bush than he would be by sitting in for roll calls.  Now starting January 2005 you can complain all you want that he isn't President Kerry isn't doing his job.  I mean you were probably upset that between Jan 2001 and Aug 2003 Bush had taken over 250 days off (166 days down at the ranch).  Just make sure you focus your anger on the appropriate slacker.

Now how many of those days was he truly on vacation?  A President is almost always at work for the 2,100,000 minutes of their term . . . give or take a few for bathroom breaks.

[Keystone Phil]

The President is still the President on vacation. He still works. Kerry misses 90% of his Senate votes which means he isn't doing his job. You say that our opinion doesn't matter because we are Republicans and from out of state well I guess you don't throw in your opinions about elections in other states (examples: Senate, Congress, Governor...?)

[Lunar]

The President is still the President on vacation. He still works. Kerry misses 90% of his Senate votes which means he isn't doing his job. You say that our opinion doesn't matter because we are Republicans and from out of state well I guess you don't throw in your opinions about elections in other states (examples: Senate, Congress, Governor...?)

Kerry's job is to represent the people of Massachussetts, not to cast votes.  This isn't like showing up to work late.  He can ABSTAIN FROM EVERY SINGLE VOTE, and as long as the people of Mass. feel he is still representing them, then everything is ok.

I think the people of Mass. are more interested in getting a local into the Whitehouse, thus he's still representing them out on the campaign trail.

[Keystone Phil]

I think the people would prefer someone that does the job they're elected to rather than not vote or show up for debate. I agree that the people (of MA) are probably more concerned with Kerry winning the Presidency but this is a question of what Senator Kerry should do. He knows he was elected to the Senate to represent MA by being present and heard in DC. He should also be voting, too. That's his duty. Now look, Kerry not being present for debate or votes HELPS the Republicans but we have a Senate composed of 100 Senators, not 99. He knows he isn't there to fulfill his duty. He should resign.

[MODU]

Well, if he's representing Mass., I guess all the unemployed Mass. people have no rights to complain that their benefits weren't extended . . . after all, he is representing them.

HAHAHA (not that unemployment is anything laugh about)

[khirkhib]

The President is still the President on vacation. He still works. Kerry misses 90% of his Senate votes which means he isn't doing his job. You say that our opinion doesn't matter because we are Republicans and from out of state well I guess you don't throw in your opinions about elections in other states (examples: Senate, Congress, Governor...?)

Hey you and I can have all the opinions in the world. For example, my opinion is that Senator Santorum is a homophobic hatemonger (check out www.spreadingsantorum.com ) but being an Oregon constituent I am personally more concerned with the actions of Senator Smith and Wyland and if Smith was missing votes that would be great and if Wydon (yeah)  was missing roll call because he was trying to get the Neocon Bush out of office I wouldn't mind at all.  This whole, he should resign thing, is an artificial issue contrived by Limbaugh and his ilk and spread by ditto heads in an effort to increase Kerry's negative issues and it is about as about as Genuine as a Kerry staff member making a web page called "Greens for Kerry". There are already plenty of important issues that are worth discussing on the table - you guys don't have to make up issues that really don't matter.

[Keystone Phil]

Wyland? You mean Wyden, right?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I was listening to a radio station in DC today that was interviewing Kerry (93.9 WKYS if you live in that area) and a caller asked Kerry why he has been missing so many votes. Kerry essentially said that his one vote would not make a difference on way or the other. I wonder if he forgot about the 59-40 vote on unemployment benefits a month back.

That was true.  Kerry said he would go to D.C to vote on the bill again if the votes would have remained the same.  Regardless this bill would have never made it past the House

And I doubt that would be the case.  If Kerry had been there I do not doubt that the Republican leadership would have either twisted a few arms a bit harder or told a senator to vote for the motion so that if Kerry had been there the vote would have been either 61-39 or 59-41 so that Kerry wouldn't have been able to make political hay over being there when it counted most by making the vote be 60-40.   Instead, they have been able to make political hay out of a 59-40 vote on a measure the House would have blocked anyway.

For all those who think Kerry should resign, should Bush have resigned as governor of Texas in 2000?

[Keystone Phil]

I knew that point would come up soon and my answer is no. As a Governor in 2000, Bush returned back to Texas to DO HIS JOB, review legislation... And on the campaign trail, you can still make decisions on issues facing your state. While as a Senator, you have to be in Washington to cast the votes, debate, etc.

[MAS117]

I knew that point would come up soon and my answer is no. As a Governor in 2000, Bush returned back to Texas to DO HIS JOB, review legislation... And on the campaign trail, you can still make decisions on issues facing your state. While as a Senator, you have to be in Washington to cast the votes, debate, etc.

If anyone Dennis should resign, hes still on the trail, hasnt been to DC in so long.

[MODU]

I knew that point would come up soon and my answer is no. As a Governor in 2000, Bush returned back to Texas to DO HIS JOB, review legislation... And on the campaign trail, you can still make decisions on issues facing your state. While as a Senator, you have to be in Washington to cast the votes, debate, etc.

If anyone Dennis should resign, hes still on the trail, hasnt been to DC in so long.

Huh?  He has been the only one that actually returns on a regular pattern in order to do his duty.  The link for the attached article is a bit dated (trying to find the House's voting record), however it clearly makes the point:

http://www.hillnews.com/news/052003/gephardt.aspx

- Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) led the entire pack of Democratic hopefuls by missing only one roll call vote.
- Sen. Bob Graham, (D-Fla.), who announced his candidacy earlier this month, has missed six percent of votes, a figure that does not include 16 votes in January from which he was absent due to heart surgery.
- Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) has been absent from 12 percent, or 22 votes.
- Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) has missed 22 percent, or 40 votes this year.
- Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) failed to add his voice in 63 instances this year, 34 percent of Senate votes.
- Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) has missed 162 votes in the House this year — 85 percent of the total — prompting Republicans to charge that he has abandoned his congressional duties in his pursuit of the presidency.

[Keystone Phil]

Are you serious about him being defeated? He received over 70% of the vote in 2000 and 2002 and is from the Cleveland area where, economically, they love him. While I would love to believe you are right when you say he'll be defeated (IF you're being serious) I just don't see it happening.

[© tweed]

Absolutley. He has been to the Capitol maybe twice since February. He will be soundly defeted in his re-election bid as a result.

LOL!  Not in his socialist Cleveland district.  He got 75% in 2000 and 74% in 2002.

[khirkhib]

To make Kerry and Edwards look bad they could have orchastrated the amendment to title 18, United States Code, to prohibit profiteering and fraud relating to military action, relief, and reconstruction, so that Kerry and Edwards could have been the decisive vote.  
Grouped By Vote Position but maybe they didn't want to let this issue get to much press attention.

[link] http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=2&vote=00120#position [/link]

YEAs ---46
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Breaux (D-LA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Clinton (D-NY)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Daschle (D-SD)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
 Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (D-FL)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hollings (D-SC)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
 Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)
 
NAYs ---52
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Chafee (R-RI)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeWine (R-OH)
 Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
 Miller (D-GA)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nickles (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
 
Not Voting - 2
Edwards (D-NC)
 Kerry (D-MA)
 

[khirkhib]

And while we are on the issue of who's voting for what.  Shouldn't voters be more upset at these Republican Sentators who voted against extending Unemployment Benefits
NAYs ---40
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
 Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
 Lugar (R-IN)
McConnell (R-KY)
Nickles (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thomas (R-WY)
Warner (R-VA)

And Shouldn't Miller (D-GA) who also voted nay get chased out of Senate with a pitch-fork.  I mean if Miller and Kerry had voted for it than not even Cheny's tie breaker would have mattered.

Oh Kudos goes to
Bond (R-MO)
Talent (R-MO)
Collins (R-ME)
Snowe (R-ME)
DeWine (R-OH)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
McCain (R-AZ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Smith (R-OR)
Specter (R-PA)
That were the republicans that voted for the measure but it doesn't seem like it is Kerry that should be taking the brunt of the blame.

[link]http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=2&vote=00088[/link]

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Use [ url]  [ /url ] instead of [link][/link]

[khirkhib]

Kerry Cancels Trip to New Mexico
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=15&u=/ap/kerry

You happy, you satisfied now.  Missing important events in a major swing state to vote on critical legislation.  

But wait, you'll say he is a flip-floper now, "Kerry wasn't voting in Senate and now he is voting in Senate."

NO HE IS DOING HIS JOB, HE IS ACTING IN THE WILL OF HIS CONSTITUENTS.

[??????????]

Kerry Cancels Trip to New Mexico
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=15&u=/ap/kerry

You happy, you satisfied now.  Missing important events in a major swing state to vote on critical legislation.  

But wait, you'll say he is a flip-floper now, "Kerry wasn't voting in Senate and now he is voting in Senate."

NO HE IS DOING HIS JOB, HE IS ACTING IN THE WILL OF HIS CONSTITUENTS.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=15&u=/ap/kerry


KHirk hit quote on my post to see how the linking works.

[MODU]

This isn't the right thread for it, but I would have voted against extending the unemployment insurance for another quarter as well.  It had already been extended once before to provide 13 more weeks for people to find work.

[khirkhib]

Both links worked for me. Yours and mine.