Cornyn Shakes the Money Tree Instead of Voting on Economic Recovery
No one doubted last night that the Senate's stimulus bill would clear the 60-vote hurdle it needed to move towards final approval today. But while cancer-stricken Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) summoned the strength to cast his vote, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was the only active senator who missed the boat entirely.
As Ben Smith explains, Cornyn was in New York charming a group of conservative bigwigs -- and likely donors to the Senate GOP's 2010 campaign effort, which Cornyn is leading.
Cornyn's decision to prioritize donor outreach over Senate business is a pretty stunning display of chutzpah. Here's why ...
Cornyn rarely misses a chance to blast Democrats for mixing politics with policy-making. During the U.S. attorneys scandal, he took the lead in lambasting Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for participating in the investigation while serving as the Democratic campaigns chief.
When then-Sen. Obama skipped a vote two years ago on a Cornyn resolution criticizing MoveOn.org, the Texas Republican clucked judgmentally that it had been a chance "for every senator to declare, with not only their voices but also with their votes, that they fully support our troops." So what was the stimulus vote that Cornyn missed? An opportunity for every senator to declare their beliefs on how to fix the economy ... unless there was a previous engagement?
Or, as one source put it to me, "Can you imagine if this was a Dem leader? The right-wing echo chamber would be all lit up by now."
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
Tin Ears, and holes where their hearts should be....
Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore.
February 10, 2009 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
As crazy as it may sound, I'm starting to believe the repugs really don't think there is a financial crisis - it's an overactive Democrat reaction to a subtle market adjustment that only requires they decrease the business tax burden in order to get the economy to spring back to life.
February 10, 2009 10:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why are we upset about this? He's basically saying "McConnell's got the whole caucus on a kamekaze run and I'm opting out."
February 10, 2009 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not upset at all, rather quite amused by the anitcs of this Rump Party.
February 10, 2009 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
"antics", sorry.
More coffee, STAT!
February 10, 2009 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
What would be great would be if someone taped his remarks to the donors, like what happened to obama. What do you think he was saying to get them to contribute cash?
Obama is going to fail and we will block his every move and we need your financial help to finance our trouncing of the dems in 2010 based on our obstructionism. It's not about the american people, its about you keeping more of your cash in tax cuts and screw the people. Do you want to keep more of your money? Then donate to the cause.
Or something like that.
February 10, 2009 10:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
You don't think he said something poignant about how he loves guns and religion?
February 10, 2009 10:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good points indeed! There being a bunch of Catholics up in New York, he may have also added some moving anti-abortion message, and for the Kahanists, some inspirational Arab-bash dog-whistling. He may also have indignantly denounced activists on the bench (the unstated exception, of course, being the noble banana-republic-style intervention by Scalia +4 in Bush v. Gore, um, for the good of the country and all).
February 10, 2009 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nah all that stuff is for the ignorant masses, not the money people. All the money people care about is money. They don't care about that stuff, especially in new york of all places. Tax cuts and more money in their pockets is all they care about.
February 10, 2009 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm actually with ya on guns and the pro-forma tear jerker about activists judges: that ain't a New York state of mind. The rest of it all, at least briefly addressed, might still touch some tender, yearning hearts.
February 10, 2009 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
Republicans feel that they have no responsibility for helping the country, because it will help Barack Obama. So, they will instead try to cash in on every handout, while crying how unfair Dems are for not providing them with custom pacifiers!
February 10, 2009 10:15 AM | Reply | Permalink