Kerry speaking now in Senate about pensions / Ney / Cunningham

I so agree and have been waiting for this from someone!

On the Earmark Amendment from Sen. DeMint. In sum, the weaselly Senator from SC found the language that Nancy Pelosi used in the House version of the Ethics Bill on getting rid of earmarks and inserted it into S.1 Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell's "bi-partisan" bill to reform ethics rules in the Senate. DeMint is calling the Democrats bluff on real ethics reform.

What a massive screwup. Senators did not recognize the langauge as belonging to Nancy Pelosi. So, Sen. Durbin came to the floor and talked against this reform language as not really vetted and not well thought out. Of course, DeMint revealed this as Pelosi's language and accused the Democrats of putting in reform in name only.

A vote was called to table the DeMint amendment because Reid doesn't really want earmark reform. The ridiculous spectacle of having Democrats voting against a Democratic reform amendment followed. The motion to table failed, 51-47 when 9 Democrats voted NOT to table. Usually, after something like this, a voice vote takes place that approves the amendment. Durbin objected. The vote is, essentially, being held open so that Reid can twist Democrats into voting against the DeMint Amendment.

What a freaking screwup. How did Harry Reid allow this to happen? Democrats are now in the position of opposing Nancy Pelosi, opposing real earmark reform and look like utter fools. We have hard-core Rethugs like DeMint championing reform in the Senate, while good Dems like Durbin, Kennedy and Boxer voting against a Sunshine Law that represents some real reform. Sigh!

Sounds like a definite lack of communication, though DeMint acted underhanded. What's new? That's the rethug trademark, isn't it. This isn't the first time they've stooped so low; I think they're lazy, but yes, the Dems do have egg on their collective faces.