Lisa Murkowski Becomes Major Obama Ally

Was Gibbs was right?
TAPPER : So just to put a period on this, the president thinks that funding the government, passing Unemployment-insurance extensions "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal, the DREAM Act, Tax Cuts and START all can be done? GIBBS: Yes. TAPPER : In the next 18 days? GIBBS : Yes. TAPPER : Good luck. GIBBS : Yes. Well, thank you. (Laughter.) Yeah, you'll have a lot to cover. Well, it's been 22 days, but as the Lame Duck nears conclusion, lets bring you up to date. A two year extension of the Bush-era tax ...

Obama Finds Lame Duck Ally In Murkowski
One of Pres. Obama's biggest supporters in the Senate in the past week is not even a member of his own party: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Murkowski supported the president's position on the Senate's four biggest votes since last Wednesday. She and fellow Alaska Sen. Mark Begich (D) voted in favor of the Tax Cut Compromise and to invoke Cloture on New START Treaty, the DREAM Act and the Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Both senators also voted in favor of the final Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't ...

GOP Senate Moderates Back in Business
The moderate wing of the Republican Party was reborn Saturday in the United States Senate.  Eight Republicans — Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Richard Burr of North Carolina, John Ensign of Nevada, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Maine’s Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins — crossed party lines to vote with the Democrats to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”  If you add Senator Richard Lugar, who is leading the charg

START Vote Expected Today; Ratification All But Certain
Members of both parties said the White House now has enough GOP support to ensure ratification. All 58 Democrats appear set to back the agreement. “The question is not if it passes, but when it passes,” said Sen.  Bob Corker , R-Tenn., a supporter. Republican Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Johnny Isakson of Georgia said this afternoon they would vote to ratify the treaty.  Citing the support from five former Repub...

Why Republicans Dont Want the New Start Treaty
Has the President’s olive branch on extending the Bush Tax Breaks for the rich opened a new era in bi-partisanship? Doubtful. Anyone who isn’t worried about loose nukes - nuclear warheads that can travel long distances, and could find their way into Terrorist hands - should have his head examined. Russia and the U.S. still have thousands from the Cold War days. The old START Treaty began the job of reducing that number, with mutual inspections to verify both sides were fo...

New START Approval Expected Today
After months of wrangling on Capitol Hill, the Senate today is expected to deliver President Obama a decisive political win and approve the New START arms-reduction treaty with Russia. Treaty supporters are now confident they have more than the 67 votes required for approval despite lingering concerns among some Republicans that the accord could hamstring Missile Defense efforts or otherwise hurt the United States' strategic posture. MORE FROM NATIONAL JOURNAL: Christie Bandwagon Hits a Speed ...

START treaty passes a hurdle
The strategic nuclear arms treaty passed a key procedural hurdle on Tuesday when the Senate voted to bring the weapons pact between the United States and Russia to the floor of the Senate for a final vote. The Senate voted 67-28 to pass a Cloture motion, seemingly enough to assure final ratification. Eleven Republicans joined with 56 Democrats to pass the Cloture motion. It will take 67 votes to ratify the New Start pact, which would give the Obama Administration its top Foreign Policy goal in ...

A Pick Now Collector of Bones
Oh baby baby. While I see Rob's point, puh-leeze. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lashed out at fellow Republicans Tuesday for a "capitulation ... of dramatic proportions" to Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the lame-duck Congress. Republican senators have broken with the party's leaders on several key votes in order to advance some of President Obama's top policies during the lame-duck. GOP members defected to pass a Repeal of "Don't ask, d...

Senate poised to pass nuclear treaty, giving Obama a major victory
Reporting from Washington — A new arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia seemed headed for certain Senate ratification after Republican opposition crumbled Tuesday beneath a torrid campaign of White House pressure. Eleven Republican senators joined Democrats in cutting off debate over the treaty, and more could join when the Senate votes on the treaty Wednesday, giving the White House a major Foreign Policy victory. The Republican support for the agreement, known as ...

Senate poised to pass nuclear treaty, giving Obama a major victory
Reporting from Washington — A new arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia seemed headed for certain Senate ratification after Republican opposition crumbled Tuesday beneath a torrid campaign of White House pressure. Eleven Republican senators joined Democrats in cutting off debate over the treaty, and more could join when the Senate votes on the treaty Wednesday, giving the White House a major Foreign Policy victory. The Republican support for the agreement, known as ...

Senate poised to pass nuclear treaty, giving Obama a major victory
Reporting from Washington — A new arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia seemed headed for certain Senate ratification after Republican opposition crumbled Tuesday beneath a torrid campaign of White House pressure. Eleven Republican senators joined Democrats in cutting off debate over the treaty, and more could join when the Senate votes on the treaty Wednesday, giving the White House a major Foreign Policy victory. The Republican support for the agreement, known as ...

Senate Votes For Cloture On New START, Votes Are There For Ratification Tomorrow
Senate Votes For Cloture On New START, Votes Are There For Ratification Tomorrow The Senate just voted 67-28 for cloture on New START. This ends debate on the treaty and means a final vote is likely tomorrow. 11 Republicans voted for cloture and in a Press Conference after the vote, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) said three other senators Judd Gregg (R-NH), Evan Bayh (D-IN), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) are all for the treaty. Senator Kerry remarked, “In today’s Senate, 70 votes is yesterday&#...

Republicans Have Their Lieberman, And You Can Thank The Tea Party
by Stuart Shapiro I’ll let Steve Benen explain: Quick quiz — only one Republican senator has sided with Democrats on DADT Repeal, the tax deal, New START Cloture, and the DREAM Act in the lame-duck session. Who was it? The obvious guesses would likely be Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine), or Scott Brown (R-Mass.). But the truth is a little further north. Now no one expects Lisa Murkowski to become a Democrat, but she clearly feels reduced loyalty to the GOP.  Joe Mi...

Non-Stop START
Washington — New START moved one step closer to ratification Tuesday, as the Senate voted 67–28 to end debate. A vote on final passage is expected Wednesday. Eleven Republicans voted for Cloture — Sens. Dick Lugar (Ind.), Bob Bennett (Utah), Scott Brown (Mass.), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Susan Collins (Maine), Olympia Snowe (Maine), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Bob Corker (Tenn.), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), and George Voinovich (Ohio). Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.), t...

Senate Moves START Treaty Forward
(NewsCore) - The New START Treaty, which would cut the number of US and Russian warheads by a third and resume on-site inspections of Nuclear Weapons facilities after a one-year suspension, overcame one of the last remaining procedural hurdles in the Senate Tuesday in a 67-28 vote. Fifty-four Democratic senators and two Independents voted to limit debate. They were joined by 11 Republicans -- Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Bob Corker of Tennessee, Lisa Murkowski of Alas...

Lame duck? For Obama, it could be the golden goose
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's success this week in pushing the New START nuclear arms treaty to the verge of Senate passage is but the latest of an extraordinary string of victories he's won in the seven weeks since Republicans gave his Democrats a "shellacking" in the Nov. 2 midterm congressional Elections. His biggest win was shepherding passage of an $858 billion Bipartisan Tax Cut package tailored to help The Economy rebound along with his political stature....

HuckaMcCain?
First there was Huck’s support for the recent Compromise on taxes that the president signed into law, and now this. While Huckabee’s actual words on the subject of a healthy diet are much more complex than the headline suggests, it’s the headline that folks are going to read. And yet the author of this purposely sensational headline does have a point: this is, after all, the second time this month that Huckabee has sided with someone named Obama over someone named Palin. Is t...

Today in Congress
In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader: FLOOR SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2010 House Meets At: 11:00 a.m.: Legislative Business First Vote Predicted: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Last Vote Predicted: Evening ***Members are advised that further information about the schedule will be announced as it becomes available "One Minutes" Possible Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 847 - James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (Rep. Maloney - Energy and Com...

Why Dont I Feel Any Safer Knowing START Will Pass the Senate?
Yesterday the Senate moved one step closer to approving the New START Treaty President Obama has been pushing for. It is expected that full approval will pass the Senate today and the deal with the Russians will be ratified shortly. After months of wrangling on Capitol Hill, the Senate today is expected to deliver President Obama a decisive political win and approve the New START arms-reduction treaty with Russia. Treaty supporters are now confident they have more than the 67 votes required fo...

Orrin Hatch Calls Vote On Immigration Bill He Once Co-Sponsored A Cynical Exercise
Back in 2003, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) sponsored S.1545 — the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. Back then, the bill attracted co-sponsors like Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John McCain (R-AZ), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sam Brownback (R-KS). All of those Republican senators voted against a more conservative version of the same bill this past Saturday. Hatch simply didn’t bother to show up. Yet, Hatch couldn’t just leave it at that. The Deseret News re...

Obama signing 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal
WASHINGTON — Fulfilling a campaign pledge, cheering his party's downcast liberals and striking a blow for what he sees as basic Human Rights, President Barack Obama is signing a landmark law Wednesday that tells America's armed services to let Homosexuals serve openly for the first time. So many Gay Rights and Democratic Activists were expected at the signing ceremony that the White House booked a large auditorium at the Interior Department. "This day has come!" said an elated Mike Almy,...

Gratitude Begins Where My Sense of Entitlement Ends
Susan Stamper Brown, FloydReports.com An apropos saying, “Gratitude begins where my sense of entitlement ends” was recently tweeted across the cyber world of Twitter, but apparently the message did not connect with entitlement-loving Democratic Party Progressives currently unhinged over the recent proposal to extend Bush Tax Cuts. In a rare moment of self-mutilation, the Democrats have begun to eat their own in their condemning of Obama’s tax Compromise rather than indulging in their usu

Passage imminent for New START
WASHINGTON — A new arms-reduction treaty between the United States and Russia seemed headed for certain ratification after Republican opposition crumbled Tuesday beneath a torrid campaign of White House pressure and persuasion. Eleven Republican senators joined Democrats on Tuesday in cutting off debate over the treaty, and more could join when the Senate votes to ratify the treaty today, a snowballing effect that would hand the White House a rare major foreign-policy victory. Republican s...

Passage imminent for New START
WASHINGTON — A new arms-reduction treaty between the United States and Russia seemed headed for certain ratification after Republican opposition crumbled Tuesday beneath a torrid campaign of White House pressure and persuasion. Eleven Republican senators joined Democrats on Tuesday in cutting off debate over the treaty, and more could join when the Senate votes to ratify the treaty today, a snowballing effect that would hand the White House a rare major foreign-policy victory. Republican s...

Passage imminent for New START
WASHINGTON — A new arms-reduction treaty between the United States and Russia seemed headed for certain ratification after Republican opposition crumbled Tuesday beneath a torrid campaign of White House pressure and persuasion. Eleven Republican senators joined Democrats on Tuesday in cutting off debate over the treaty, and more could join when the Senate votes to ratify the treaty today, a snowballing effect that would hand the White House a rare major foreign-policy victory. Republican s...