CNN's Keilar reported that "the Senate voted to stop debate" on DC voting rights bill -- but it was the Republicans
SUMMARY: CNN's Brianna Keilar reported, "Today the Senate voted to stop debate on a bill
that would have given Washington, D.C., residents their first ever
representative in the U.S. House." But Keilar did not note
that it was 41 Republicans
and one Democrat who voted to block the bill, denying proponents the 60-vote
supermajority needed to end their filibuster.
On the September 18 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, correspondent Brianna Keilar reported, "Today the Senate voted to stop debate on a bill that would have given Washington, D.C., residents their first ever representative in the U.S. House." In fact, the bill was filibustered almost exclusively by Republicans, which Keilar did not note. The September 18 cloture vote on the motion to proceed to consideration of the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007, which required a three-fifths majority for passage, failed on a 57-42 vote. Forty-seven Democrats, joined by eight Republicans, voted to bring the bill to the floor, while 41 Republicans and one Democrat voted to filibuster the bill. The two independents in the Senate, Joseph I. Lieberman (CT) and Bernie Sanders (VT) both voted to bring the bill to the floor, and one Democrat, Sen. Robert Byrd (WV) did not vote.
From the 7 p.m. ET hour of the September 18 edition CNN's The Situation Room:
KEILAR: The nation's Capitol will not be getting a seat in Congress for now. Today the Senate voted to stop debate on a bill that would have given Washington, D.C., residents their first ever representative in the U.S. House. Critics called the measure unconstitutional. Utah also lost out. The bill would have granted the state its fourth House seat, which it narrowly missed getting after the last census -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Thanks, Brianna, for that. Brianna Keilar reporting.
I seem to remember that when the Democrats were in the minority, they were labeled "obstructionists" if they used tactics like this.
Liberal media my butt.
Hello News Outlets !!
I monitor a wide variety of news outlets with my Direct TV Service and local stations.
Most of them are reporting the lowest approval rating of all time for this "Democratic Congress". They never explain how there aren't enough votes. They won't report what Republican's are busy doing in congress.
They report that the Congressional Democrats have failed to accomplish the mandate of the voters. Mostly it's about the "Stay The Course" issue. Our country wants out of The Iraq War Blunder.
It's all about them darn Democrats now in control of Congress.
I'm still waiting for the truth to arrive and be reported on at the major news outlets. I've seen just one fair report so far.
Please do what you can to get the truth out.
Footnote ...
That one truthful report was by Republican Senator Chuck Hagel. He was answering a question from Jack Cafferty on the CNN Cafferty File. A one hour special which aired yesterday.
Jack asked Chuck why the Democratic controlled House and Senate are failing to get things done?
Jack also asked Senator Hagel (Republican of Nebraska) why hasn't Nancy Pelosi with her control at the House of Representatives, cut the funding on the war?
Senator Hagel, a Republican, reported that the Senate Democrats don't have the votes they need. - - - And that Pelosi in the House must adjust her tactics and stategies to the realities of the lack of votes in the Senate.
For the life of me! ... Why can't news outlets just report the simple truth like Republican Senator Hagel does.
Another boobie-headed blonde...
Reading the cue cards handed to her by her corporate masters.
Hey I think you and Anthony Williams and Isiah Thomas would get along really well.
Since when does every Senate or House vote have to be broken down by the media with regards to who voted how? That is ridiculous, it is reported like this all the time, regardless of party.
This is quite a stretch, and aptly labeled WITH?
Good point, I think the Republicans Senators are in the Senate too.
Tommy,
The Republicans didn't want an up-or-down vote. It's that simple. Why? Because they're cowards.
They've set new records using the filibuster to block up-or-down votes. They hate Democracy.
The reporter clearly said the Senate voted to stop debate, that is accurate and her not breaking it down by party is perfectly normal media reporting.
Your slam against the Democracy hating Republicans deserves no dignified response.
It looks pretty simple...democrats and the usual group of rinos are in favor of enacting legislation that authorizes DC representation...which would most likely be challenged in court.
Republicans, while not necessarily opposed to the idea, think it requires a constitutional amendment...and would support that effort...and so would I.
Stopping racial discrimination in voting and granting women the right to vote...were all settled with Constitutional amendments.
which would most likely be challenged in court.
Right. Cuz Republicans never pass anything that might be challenged in court.
If this was such a good thing, then why wouldn't you be insisting that CNN say that it was the Republicans who saved us from this miscarriage of justice?
It's perfectly bad reporting, Tommy...
When the Democrats used the filibuster (and they used it much less than the Repubs have since 2006), they were constantly accused of being "obstructionist."
The media was constantly preoccupied with pushing this "obstructionist" framing. And the breakdown of votes by party, and the media attacks on Democrats were constant.
You're just wrong on this.
Exactly. Habeus Corpus and Webb's bill also were filibustered, and were shut down exclusively by Republicans (and Lieberman, of course). These are not bipartisan rejections, it's partisan obstructionism. If people aren't getting that full picture, then the answer to "why is this here" is obvious.
In 2008, all we'll hear about from Republicans is how this Congress never accomplished anything. If people aren't told the reason for that is right-wing obstructionism, then that helps the Republicans push that dishonest message. "The Senate failed to pass..."...boy that Democratic Congress can't seem to get anything done, can they?
I understand your point. However in this case by NOT adressing this, it misses the partisan aspect. Clearly a DC representative would vote democratically, THAT is why it was the GOP blocking it. By not addressing this the story was incomplete.
Since when does every Senate or House vote have to be broken down by the media with regards to who voted how?
Tommy, don't you WANT to know who voted how? Don't you elect these people? How are you supposed to know who is representing your interests and wishes if the media don't tell you? If you don't know who voted which side on each issue, how are you supposed to know whom to entrust the governance of your country when you go into the voting booth?
The DC/representative debate is weird. I guess they should have representation, but they're not a state and don't really operate as a state in many ways ( and they have crazy foreign statesmen running over people and not being arrested for it ), so I just don't know the right answer.
They're American citizens. Why shouldn't they have true representation?
Ummm, actually, when denying cloture, doesn't that reallymean that debate continues on the bill in question. A cloture motion is to end debate and allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote. But that requires 60 votes, and with the (relatively) new rules regarding filibusters, to deny cloture is to effectively kill the bill.
Later,
The Senate didn't "vote to do" anything. The way this was reported, it sounds like a majority of Senators voted to stop debate. Actually, a minority used a filibuster to stall the bill. Why didn't she report it this way? It would be interesting to go back and see how it was reported when Democrats used similar tactics.
The press made a big point about the Dems fillibustering when the GOP had control but now it's the Senate this and the senate that...big surprise.
The media follow the orders of their corporate pimps, newspeople should do the right thing and just resign in shame for what they have enabled to transpire.
That said the Dems need to defund the war period...60 votes are not necessary to say NO new funding WITHOUT timelines and measures.
The folks at MMFA really do live in a parallel universe of their own making. How about trying this for spin: CNN today refused again to acknowledge the effective use of the filibuster by the GOP, stating only that, "Today the Senate voted to stop debate on a bill that would have given Washington, D.C., residents their first ever representative in the U.S. House." Or this, "CNN again failed to credit the GOP's continued obstruction of the Democrat's agenda in the Senate today..."
Such silly little games you play....
All that's necessary is to say Republicans blocked it. The editorializing isn't needed.
If they have a good reason for all this blocking, then they can explain it. Otherwise, viewers can come to their own conclusions. But it's not some collective failing or bipartisan conclusion, and people should get that full picture.