“Democrats smell victory on climate vote”, according to the Politico.
Capitalism, we hardly knew ye.
Update (3:15 PM PDT): Fillibuster?
Update: (3:55 PM PDT): Much to their likely chagrin, the above Politico headline now reads, “GOP filibusters climate-change vote”:
The House neared a roll call vote on a sweeping climate-change measure Friday – but not until House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) slowed passage by reading page-by-page through a 300-page Democratic amendment before allowing a roll call vote.
It was a House version of a Senate filibuster – and a way to protest the addition of the 300-page managers’ amendment at 3 a.m. Friday.
Republicans say Democrats are ramming their climate-change legislation through the House without enough time for members to read the bill — let alone to understand it — all in violation of their promises about creating a more transparent legislative process.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), running the debate for his party, asked repeatedly Friday afternoon if there was even a copy of the current version of the bill anywhere in the House chamber. Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher – sitting in the speaker’s chair although she’s already been confirmed as Obama’s undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security — repeatedly dodged the question.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), one of the bill’s sponsors, finally rose to say that a single copy of the current version of the bill was available at the speaker’s desk and on the Internet, which members would have to leave the floor to access.
But that wasn’t enough for Boehner, whose move delayed the vote by an hour – on a day that had already seen hours of contentious debate.
The Politico also notes, “As Friday’s debate dragged on, Republicans asked the House to observe a moment of silence for Americans who would lose their jobs as a result of the bill. Democrats objected.”
Well, not everyone is Michael Jackson.
At Hot Air, Allahpundit adds, “How long can Boehner keep talking tonight? Stay tuned. Click the image to watch.”
Update (4:06 PDT): Allah’s boss adds, “Well, the ‘filibuster’ was a mini-filibuster. Boehner should have read entire bill. Then read entire suppressed Carlin EPA report. We are headed to vote on final passage…”
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