“Pair Between Senators”

[I B Hankering]

Interesting Senate procedure that allows Daines to attend his daughter's wedding without costing the Republicans a vote, while Murkowski attempts to initiate a healing process.

Why Murkowski, still opposed, will be marked 'present' on Kavanaugh

The Republican senator from Alaska said she hopes the gesture will remind people of the value of respect amid a bitter fight.

More than a 1,000 miles from Washington, wedding bells in Montana on Saturday will cause one Republican senator to change how her vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is tallied.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Friday she ultimately will be marked as "present" rather than a "no" when the Senate is expected to confirm Kavanaugh to the nation's highest court. She will be using the "pair between senators" procedure so that Republican Sen. Steve Daines can walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day.

Murkowski said on the Senate floor that she is still a 'no" on Kavanaugh.

"It will not change the outcome of the vote," Murkowski said. "But I do hope that it reminds us that we can take very small, very small steps to be gracious with one another. And maybe those small, gracious steps can lead to more."

Murskowski broke with her own party in voting against cloture Friday morning, which moved the Kavanaugh confirmation process further. She said she would be recorded as "present" after calling for greater respect and civility in a Senate that has been riven by one of the most bitter confirmation battles in modern history.

"While I voted no on cloture today, and I will be a no tomorrow, I will, in the final tally, be asked to be recorded as 'present,'" she said.

The procedure is called a “pair between senators,” according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. The senator who is on Capitol Hill would announce how the absent senator would have voted, and the present senator would announce they voted in the opposite way, but that vote is withdrawn and they are recorded as present, according to McConnell’s office.

Daines, a firm "yes" vote, was ready to travel back to Washington after the wedding if his vote was needed, the lawmaker's office said. U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, had offered Daines his private jet for the trip....

Republicans appear to narrowly have enough votes to confirm Kavanaugh, with Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia saying that they would vote "yes."

Murkowski in Friday's remarks on the Senate floor said that she believes Kavanaugh is “a good man” and she said “he’s clearly a learned judge.”

"But in my conscience — because that’s how I have to vote; at the end of the day is with my conscience — I could not conclude that he is the right person for the court at this time," Murkowski said.

She said the decision was agonizing.

(NBC)

[dilbert firestorm]

looks like McConnell is leaving the senate vote open until that montana guy returns sunday to cast the final vote.


it was a gracious move to do that.

[Jackie S]

Murkowski is between a rock and a hard spot.

She has a huge voting block if Native Alaskans who want her to vote a certain way, and her Republican colleagues in the Senate who are depending on her to do the right thing and stand up to The Anarchist.

She is trying to have her cake, and eat it too. Only the voters in Alaska will decide if she is able to do that.

I was not impresses with her speech last night. It was a lot like Comye's announcement when he decided not to recommend charges against Hillary. He first laid out a very strong case for indictment, and then said, "but what the heck, she's Hillary"

Murkowski did the same thing. She laid out a very good case for why Kavanaugh should be on the Court, and then said she was voting "no" for a reason that I can't quite figure out. "He is not the right man at this time"

What the fuck is that suppose to mean?

[Yssup Rider]

Jackie, who is the anarchist?

[oilfieldace]

Jackie S it means the bitch is an idiot and should be kicked out of the Senate.

[Yssup Rider]

I’d like to know how “the bitch” should be kicked out of the Senate. If you mean defeated in a re-election bid, then I recommend you get involved in an opposing campaign. If you mean something else, please let us know what charges you’d bring.

It’s still legal for Senators to vote any way they please. Right?

[lustylad]

"Pair between Senators"? Is that something kinky?

[lustylad]

Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Jackie, who is the anarchist?

Go buy the fucking book and find out!

[tannana]

So, if she votes "no," Kav is confirmed by a single vote largely because the dems forced this shit to a date which overlapped Daines' daughter's wedding. Because it doesn't change the outcome, she voted present so Kav was confirmed by 2, since one of the "yes" votes (Daines) wasn't present. On Murkowski--she won a write in election a few years ago for the freaking Senate. This won't cost her the seat.

[Austin Ellen]

-

Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

I’d like to know how “the bitch” should be kicked out of the Senate. If you mean defeated in a re-election bid, then I recommend you get involved in an opposing campaign. If you mean something else, please let us know what charges you’d bring.

It’s still legal for Senators to vote any way they please. Right?

I thought so until I saw those paid democratic protesters trying to disrupt everything.
Did you not see that...they tried to force senators to vote a certain way...shame...

[dilbert firestorm]

Originally Posted by tannana

So, if she votes "no," Kav is confirmed by a single vote largely because the dems forced this shit to a date which overlapped Daines' daughter's wedding. Because it doesn't change the outcome, she voted present so Kav was confirmed by 2, since one of the "yes" votes (Daines) wasn't present. On Murkowski--she won a write in election a few years ago for the freaking Senate. This won't cost her the seat.

that 2010 write in vote, that was a blatant example of an "entitled woman". she thought she was entitled to her daddy's seat which is why she ran as a write in.


she didn't win easily the last senate election in 2016.

she didn't get 51% of the vote. she is not popular.