1:46 John Boehner is pushing the spying bill and denouncing contempt as a political stunt that detracts from protecting Americans from TERRORISTS WHO WANT TO KILL THEM. Pelosi, he says, has reached the height of irresponsibility. The president will delay his trip to Africa and the Republicans in Congress delay their vacations (excuse me, district work sessions) in order to get immunity to criminal corporations. (Talk about obvious bluffs!) Boehner asks Republicans to not vote on the contempt rule and instead to get up and leave.
1:48 The elephants are all filing out, followed by a crew with brooms and giant dustpans. "How can you not vote?" says some bewildered female Democrat on microphone.
1:49 Louise Slaughter quotes Boehner from 1998 on the need to end stonewalling and allow the American people to find out what happens in THEIR White House. The American people have a right to know, the early version of Boehner insisted.
1:51 Hoyer is talking about upholding the law. (How about proceeding with the vote?) And he's denouncing the Republicans for their maneuvers on the FISA bill in the Senate and House. (What about CONTEMPT, Steny? Why have you changed the subject to what the jerks who left the room want you to talk about?) Steny says every single member of Congress wants to keep Americans safe. The Dems cheer for him. (But do those who support the occupation of Iraq which is making us so much less safe win Steny's approval too? What about those who ignore global warming? Why do Democrats ONLY know how to play defense?)
1:58 Dreier still in the room interrupts to debate the spying nonsense with Hoyer. Hoyer replies to him that there is no urgency re FISA because the law has been on the books for 30 years. The Democrats cheer.
2:00 Slaughter is talking about the Constitution, and calls the question. It passes on voice vote. Republicans request recorded vote. They did not request a quorum, but the question of whether there will be one remains. C-Span keeps shutting off the microphone, as the room is full of talking and shouting.
THE VOTE STARTS
2:02 A 15-minute vote begins. The Republicans are outside holding a press conference. Pelosi is holding one as well.
NOTE: While Congress has had no option other than impeachment available to it for a long time, it may have to face that fact more quickly than we thought. An endless court battle might delay some congress members' hunts for their missing spines. A failure to get a quorum today coud speed up the process. Impeachment cannot be vetoed or signing statemented and does not depend on a bipartisan quorum. John Conyers alone can get it underway.
PELOSI DOES PRESS CONFERENCE ON REPUBLICANS' CHOSEN TOPIC
2:04 Pelosi's press conference: she is talking about everything but contempt, including TERRORISM and FISA. She is speaking exactly as the minority wants her to on the topic they have chosen for her. She's giving an academic discourse on FISA details and "respectfully disagreeing" with Bush's dictatorial assertions. (Where is your passion, Nancy?)
2:07 Pelosi gets to topic of contempt. Lots of regret and reservation and last resort talk, which inspires nobody.
2:09 She shifts seemlessly into talking about valentine's day and heart disease and the American Heart Association.
2:10 media questions to Pelosi on FISA. She gave them that topic, so I can't blame them.
2:12 still FISA questions, focused on Bush delaying his Africa trip. Pelosi stutters her uneloquent and uninspiring nitpicking responses.
2:13 a reporter asks why Republicans walked out on contempt vote. Pelosi, to her credit, says "Why don't you ask them what their point is," and then makes her point and goes back to quotting Mickey Edwards.
