Update - Week of September 25th

[MannyIsGod]

So basicaly the chairman is telling Frist to go [censored] himself?

I'm just trying to make sure I read the hill-speak correctly.

[Berge20]

That's how I read it

[MannyIsGod]

Bravo for Warner. It makes me happy when our leaders kill a little bit of the cynic in me.

[Wynton]

I haven't read the AP article, so perhaps I'm not understanding the context of Warner's memorandum.

But is this really an unusual rebuke coming from a senior senator? I thought senators routinely deviated from the leadership, particularly when they've been around for awhile.

Is this rebuke more notable because it is public? Was the memorandum even intended for public consumption?

[Mr.K]

This rebuke is strong in part because it is so direct, and in part because it is (now) public... are we sure that is really his memo, though? I have been engaged in my real job and am not up to speed on this AM's developments. Frist is clearly losing his standing among the Senate Republicans, something that has been coming for a long time. This memo may or may not be a part of that.

[Mr.K]

Wednesday AM update:

CQ has a story about the bill today, and there is a TON of good material in there about where things stand on the DoD Authorization. Here are some excerpts:

Warner Says House Tactics Imperil Defense Bill

"A key Senate Republican has warned that House Republicans are jeopardizing enactment of the fiscal 2007 defense authorization bill — a high priority for a party eager to tout its security credentials to voters — by trying to attach unrelated provisions to it.

John W. Warner, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released Tuesday a letter he sent a day earlier to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., in which he warned there would be a bipartisan revolt in the Senate if immigration and courthouse security provisions were attached to the defense bill (HR 5122)."

Translation: I'm sticking to my guns on the way this bill is handled, and I am reinforcing my oppositon to nongermane add-ons -- or at least the two being pushed by Hastert. This is an important nuance, so don't you guys go leaving it out... Warner is NOT publicly saying he opposes attaching the gambling provisions, but he is specifically saying he opposes the things Hastert is pushing, plus other nongermane things generally. I gather if he didn't think it would slow his bill down, he would probably say ok to the gambling provision hitching a ride. Warner's priority is getting his bill done, and in the Senate, that means keeping it (mostly) clean from nongermane riders.

"Warner underscored the need for Democratic support if Congress is to have any chance of clearing the defense bill — which would authorize military pay raises, weapons purchases and a variety of military policies — before beginning its pre-election recess at the end of this week.

“Given the gravity of public concern for our service persons today, and their families, especially those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, I feel very strongly it is in the nation’s interest we continue this tradition of bipartisanship,” Warner wrote.

Analysis: Again, Warner is being realistic here in recognizing that the Senate will not, in its current situation with only a few days left and partisan tensions high, pass his bill unless it is very 'clean."

"Warner released his letter after House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and his House Republican allies held a news conference Tuesday to stress their position."

Analysis: you want to [censored] with me, Hastert? Ok buddy, I'm going to tell the world how I'm going to [censored] with you.


“The House Republican leadership stands ready to pass the defense reauthorization bill,” Hastert told reporters. “At the same time, we must ensure that while our men and women in uniform are serving overseas, they should not have to worry about their families that could be victims of violent crime gang members who are roaming our streets and neighborhoods and selling drugs on our street corners.”

Analysis: We will bring the DoD Authorization conference report to the floor if we can get the damned thing out of conference with enough signatures AND the language I am demanding be added in.

"The brinkmanship threatens to delay final action on the defense bill until a lame-duck session in November, if then, a risky outcome for Republicans facing tough mid-term elections in wartime.

Virginia’s Warner said that at least three Republican senators were likely to join Democrats in refusing to sign a conference report on the defense bill if it contained “out of scope” material."

Analysis: This has been covered by previous posts, but it shows that there is a real procedural hurdle between adding in at least some nongermane items and getting the conference report signed by a majority of conferees from the Senate. As long as that remains the case, this bill isn't going anywhere. But DO NOT be surprised if there is a breakthrough and all of the sudden there is a deal. I've seen these things move before, and hour to hour the whole world can turn upside down. Do not understimate Hastert's power to make deals and move mountains to get what he wants. Do not underestimate Frist's willingness to roll a chairman from his own party. The rules are different this week.

"Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and the top House conferee, supports including the Hastert legislation in the defense bill. But Hunter’s staff recommended in writing that he side with Warner, not Hastert, if the senator’s continued opposition jeopardized passage of the authorization bill."

Analysis: Hunter is between a rock and a hard place, and he may cave to Warner, but it'd be hard for him to do so, because if he caves, Hastert might retaliate by simply refusing to allow the DoD Authorization to come to the floor.

"Hunter acknowledged that supporting the Speaker’s priorities could put at risk his committee’s own defense bill."

Analysis: what I just said.


"Conferees Punt Prayer
Meanwhile, Warner successfully quashed a provision favored by House conservatives to give military chaplains more freedom to use sectarian prayers.

The prayer provision was prompted when the military services issued regulations in recent months that restricted chaplains’ use of sectarian prayers at official functions. The House responded by passing a provision that would allow chaplains to pray according to the “dictates” of their conscience. The conferees decided to delete the House language as well as freeze implementation of the controversial new guidelines, aides said."

Analysis: well phew, the nation can rest easy now that this unbelieveably important issue has *finally* been resolved. Kind of.

[Wynton]

[ QUOTE ]

John W. Warner, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released Tuesday a letter he sent a day earlier to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.,

[/ QUOTE ]

That's what I wanted to know. Pretty clearly shows that Warner is trying to take a public stand against Frist (not to mention Hastert).

Am I the only outside observer who is getting the impression that these guys actually hate each other?

[futuredoc85]

dont know if this is all that important or not, but FWIW, Jeff
Sessions (R-AL), a member of the conference committee, expects
an adjournment on saturday, according to ppl in AL who are fairly close with him. Guess that is pretty much middle of the road for us (better than sunday, worse than friday?), and i think Mr. K already guessed at that as well. Just like to have something to contribute now and again, thanks for the updates Berge, K, and No Lame DUck, helluva 1st post.

[spatne]

As an cognizant outsider, it seems to me that Frist has been steadily leaking mojo from the moment he took over for Lott.

Frist has won most of his battles with Reid (due in large part to the obvious advantages that come with majority status), but still somehow comes off as a bumbler and a goat. If he's really getting static with 5 days to go and a ton of [censored] to do, that seems like a major indictment of his status and leadership ablilities. Failing to pass critical election-year legislation because he couldn't work with his own party would make Frist the lamest of the lame ducks.

[Lawman007]

I think that, thankfully, we will have pretty much heard the last of Frist when his Senate term soon expires. There is no way in hell that this far right wing lunatic will ever get the Republican presidential nomination, much less be elected president. Stick a fork in him; he's done.

However, this does not mean that we can rest easy. Unfortunately, there are other idiots in Congress who also believe that they should be legislating morality, so we will probably always have the threat of an online poker ban hanging over our heads.