The Senate Vote

The Republicans, using the 60 vote rule managed to "filibuster" the motion. On the vote to end the filibuster, seven Republicans actually sided with the Democrats. The names are no surprise if you have been following Congressional votes. For a review of some of the ones I thought were important, click the Congressional Votes link below.

Anyway, the seven Republicans who voted for cloture are:

• Norm Coleman of Minnesota


• Susan Collins of Maine


• Chuck Hagel of Nebraska


• Gordon Smith of Oregon


• Olympia Snowe of Maine


• Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania


• John Warner of Virginia

The total vote was 56 to 34, with 10 either absent or abstaining. When the Senate updates it voting records, I will update this post with a link to the vote.

Who wants to support the trops?

As Scott Ott at Scrappleface has nailed it,

Moments after Republicans in the senate blocked a Democrat attempt to vote on a non-binding resolution expressing disapproval of a U.S. troop surge in Iraq, Majority Leader Harry Reid hailed the non-vote as “perhaps the greatest Democrat military accomplishment of the past 40 years.”

Reid is upset because the House did what he could not get the Senate to do, pass a non-binding resolution of support for the enemy. Oh, no, wait, that's not how it was worded. Here is the text of the House Resolution 63, Disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq:

Disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That--

(1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and

(2) Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.

The results were almost predictable. With 231 Democrats out of the 435 total representatives, the majority was guaranteed along party lines. What was not quite so predictable was that 17 Republicans sided with the majority. They are

1. Michael N. Castle of Wilmington, DE
2. Howard Coble of Greensboro, NC
3. Tom Davis of Vienna, VA
4. John J. Duncan Jr. of Knoxville, TN
5. Phil English of Erie, PA
6. Wayne T. Gilchrest of Kennedyville, MD
7. Bob Inglis of Travelers Rest, SC
   
8. Timothy V. Johnson of Urbana, IL
9. Walter B. Jones of Farmville, NC
10. Ric Keller of Orlando, FL
11. Mark Steven Kirk of Highland Park, IL
12. Steven C. LaTourette of Concord Township, OH
13. Ron Paul of Surfside, TX
14. Thomas E. Petri of Fond du Lac, WI
15. Jim Ramstad of Minnetonka, MN
16. Fred Upton of St. Joseph, MI
17. James T. Walsh of Syracuse, NY
    

Also surprising was the fact that two Democrats actually opposed the resolution:

1. Jim Marshall of Macon, GA
2. Gene Taylor of Bay St. Louis, MS
   

Was the President's decision to send more tropos correct? I have mixed thoughts about this, but General Petraeus seems to think so. He also thinks the resolution will in fact, accomplish two things:

1. Demoralize our own troops
2. Give aid and comfort to the enemy
   

But since the left values feelings over results, that's just what the doctor ordered.
Rant off.

What the Troops Deal With

Read the entire report.

Pat's thoughts on the troop excerpts

Why are the uninformed in reality...those who have not served their country in the armed forces or are not even informed on the conditions faced by them... making the laws that govern military conduct on the battlefield. Those who are unable to help a drowning young woman out of a sinking car, the ones who are calling for American servicemen to be prosecuted for fighting and preserving their lives and those of their fellows, those who would not volunteer to fight for this country if they were still of the appropriate age...those who would pee themselves if confronted with a single thing that our brave men and women and for cripes sake...the Iraqi civilians, face every day of their lives. How is it that things can be so frightfully turned around so that the Deviants are making decisions for those who at least strive to be righteous and upstanding??? It is so wrong that the laws governing how the war is to be fought should be made by 'politicians' who have one if not both eyes on the requirements of getting elected again for the next term, not what is right. Men and women are living and dying according to the policies made by the underbelly (politicians) of American society. People who have no conscience nor moral fortitude...why are laws made by many who don't even obey the basic laws of being a responsible and God ( oh...the 'word') fearing human being.

We had better, each and every one of us, be in prayer for the way and means of making a difference in turning this country back to what it was originally meant to be...while we still can make a difference.

Oh well...pardon the rant. I really do hate to talk about politics, brings out my more colorful language...political thoughts really can ruin the illusion of a 'good' day.

Another View of the War on Terror

There is a report that consolidates the perspectives of actual people engaged in the fight (as opposed to the talking heads and politicos) over at Free Republic.  Click here for the full report.

 

Here is a summary:

Please go read the whole report.

Then you might want to visit another site for background:  World Threats.

 

Global Warming Ravages Carolinas, Georgia

As February marched onto the calendar, Atlanta weathered an ice storm, in spite of the fact that man-made global warming is indisputable.

By 9 p.m., temperatures across the metro Atlanta area had dropped below freezing and were still falling. Light rain -- most of it not reaching the ground -- was observed on radar moving eastward into far western Georgia.

The Carolinas were also hit, mostly with snow.

A winter storm rushed across the Southeast Thursday, closing schools and grounding flights a day after coating roads with deadly ice in the Plains.

A winter storm warning covered the western Carolinas and northern Georgia on Thursday afternoon, and more than 4 inches of snow fell in spots.

This, in spite of the fact that Global Warming is virtually indisputable.

An international panel of climate scientists said yesterday that there is an overwhelming probability that human activities are warming the planet at a dangerous rate, with consequences that could soon take decades or centuries to reverse.

If you listen closely, you can hear the residents of West Yellowstone, Montana yelling "Bring It On".

Bitterly cold air poured southward across the nation's midsection Wednesday, dropping temperatures to record lows from Montana to Illinois.

The mercury dived to a record 45 below at West Yellowstone, Mont., the frequently cold spot at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, the National Weather Service said. The old record for Dec. 7 was 39 below, set in 1927.

Also

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY
0718 AM EST FRI JAN 26 2007

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT KENNEDY...
Swimsuits, anyone?