My Visit to the Capitol and Up-Close Observations During the FISA Votes

by Deb Cupples |    I was in our nation's capitol from July 3 - 10.  Among the highlights of my week-long visit was coffee at the Mayflower Hotel with NQ's Larry Johnson.  It was even more fun conversing with him than reading his blog posts.

Another highlight was watching the FISA votes from the Senate visitors' gallery at the capitol. Senators Clinton and Obama were there, as were Leahy, Dodd, Webb and Specter.  It was my version of a star-studded movie premier.  Sadly geeky, I know.

As we all know, the three amendments against Telecom Amnesty failed and the FISA bill passed -- complete with Telecom Amnesty. One result: we taxpayers may never find out the extent to which telecom companies and the Bush Administration had violated our nation's laws. 

Not only was Wednesday's vote a blow to the Constitution's Fourth Amendment, it was also a blow to government accountability.  But I digress.

I went to the Senate gallery about an hour before the voting was scheduled to start.  Being alone, I was able to change seats numerous times as visitors came and went.  Just before the voting started, I managed to get a seat with the broadest view of the chamber.

I'd expected an efficient voting process: i.e., that all senators would take their seats and push buttons that electronically record their votes.  It wasn't like that.

Instead, Senators trickled into the chamber, most of them not punctually.  Even before the chamber filled up, a lady at the dais slowly and repeatedly read the list of all 100 senators' names, in alphabetical order, trying to record a vote for each one while most senators were gathered in  clusters, chatting with each other.

It looked like a cocktail party, minus the open bar, though I can't swear that none of our senators were carrying concealed flasks of hooch.

The gallery visitors were mostly silent until Sen. Barack Obama entered.  Incidentally, he's as handsome in person as on TV.

Unfortunately, Sen. Obama was chomping on a wad of gum as he made his way around the chamber floor, stopping every few feet to give enthusiastic hand shakes and shoulder pats to his visibly senior, mostly graying colleagues.

Sen. Obama didn't exactly swagger: it was more like a studiedly relaxed gate -- like a high school athlete walking into an awards dinner. 

I was surprised, because Sen. Obama comes off as dignified -- even elegant -- on TV.  His air was nearly the opposite in person that day.  I half expected him to deliver elaborate, frat-boy handshakes.  I was relieved that he did not.

My advice to Sen. Obama's handlers: tell him to lose the gum, as it undermines his image among people who are -- how shall I say it --  concerned about dignity and maturity.

A few minutes later Sen. Hillary Clinton arrived, and the gallery crowd stirred even more.  I'd hoped that she would glance up to the gallery, so I could wave a subtle hello in her direction.  She did not.

Oddly, Hillary and Barack did not interact during the floor votes -- even when they were 10 or 15 feet apart. I didn't even see them look at each other.  They just kept chatting with other people.

Admittedly, I don't know what they were thinking, because my mind-reading skills are still in New England, protesting Florida's oppressive humidity. 

The only interaction I saw between them for what seemed like nearly an hour was when Sen. Obama was getting ready to leave. As he headed for one of the four exits, he made a pit stop in front of  Sen. Clinton, formally shook her hand, and patted her upper arm. 

Sen. Clinton and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) also chatted briefly.  The interaction didn't look unpleasant, but neither of them made efforts to smile.  McCaskill, as you may recall, has been parroting misleading sound bites in favor of Telecom Amnesty since at least February.  Hillary has been against it for months.

Sen. Obama and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WVA) -- who led cheers for Telecom Amnesty-- briefly interacted, both sporting smiles. 

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who has repeatedly spoken against Telecom Amnesty, interacted with Sen. Obama twice.  Once, Leahy's back was toward me, and Obama was smiling.  Once, when Obama was talking to two other senators, Leahy approached and tried to say something but couldn't seem to find a place to interject.  After a few moments, he walked away.  I have no idea what that was about because I don't have bionic ears, but Leahy didn't look particularly jovial.

Soon thereafter, Leahy approached Hillary.  They talked and smiled for a few minutes.  Leahy was one of the Party Elders who publicly endorsed Obama early this year, urging Hillary to drop out of the race. 

I wonder if Sen. Leahy now regrets that gesture, given that Sen. Obama  ended up opposing Leahy's strong stance against the FISA bill and Telecom Amnesty, while Sen. Clinton ended up voting with Leahy.

That's it for my people watching. I don't know what to make of my observations: I just thought I'd share them, for whatever they're worth.

Incidentally, I was also at the Senate gallery on Tuesday (July 8) to hear debates about the FISA bill and Telecom Amnesty. 

An actual debate never really happened.  It was more like individual senators taking turns making speeches.  Except for the people at the dais, including a gaggle of interns or pages (I don't know the difference), the chamber was almost empty.

When I first arrived, Sen. Chris Bond (R-MO) was speaking.  At least I think it was Bond: the reason I'm not sure is that in person he looks about 20 years older than he does in his website photo. 

Many other senators also look different in person than on their websites.  My advice: update your photos, so that visitors can recognize you more easily. Don't worry: we taxpayers are the ones paying the photographers.

Anyway, Sen. Bond made misleading statements about Telecom Amnesty, saying that telecom companies would refuse cooperate with governmental efforts to track terrorists in the future if they could be held legally liable for doing so. 

Apparently, Sen. Bond wasn't aware that if the government presents a telecom company with a valid warrant, the telecom company would have to cooperate and couldn't be held liable for doing so.  I found his apparent unawareness stunning, because Sen. Bond graduated from law school at the top of his class.

I stuck around for a half hour or so and got to hear Sens. Arlen Specter and Leahy argue against Telecom Amnesty.  Wanting to leave on a high note, I departed shortly thereafter.

Comments

[Danny]

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/straw-poll

Have you seen these results?

[Deb]

HI Danny,

Thanks for pointing it out.

[Danny]

Hi Deb,

I enjoyed reading your post. I could visualize the scene easily and would have loved to be there too and focused the way you were able to, like a bird perched in a tree above the action below.

The closest I ever came to President Clinton and Hillary was one of there stopovers in AK - it was a beautiful cold snowy evening and a group of about 50 maybe fewer of us stood outside the Anchorage museum of Art to greet them and show support as they came out of a gathering with local Democratic leaders and supporters.
I stood back on a small 2 ft fall above the side walk about 12 ft from the President as he walked the line and shook hands – it was not noisy at all infact I could hear everything he was saying to people like in a living room - so he could hear me easily when I said to him “YOUR’RE AWESOME MR. PRESIDENT!” (I had just turned 30). He looked up at me and said “Thank you! Thank you very much!” very humble and giving with a million watt smile to boot. I was smiled back feelin so good and later like I was walking on air.
It was so very surreal with the snow falling quieting everything down. With Secret Service everywhere but no check points. Then Hillary came out of the museum to get into the car, she was wearing a full length black wool coat – I loved that coat! It was so cold out, but being Alaskan I was used to cold wheather and prepared for it. I was alson jazzed with adrenalin and just how neat it was for me to see the Clinton’s in person. So Hillary was hurrying to the car waving to all of us as she walked out, the back door of the car was opened for her to get in and then I yelled loud enough for her to hear me “WE LOVE YOU HILLRY!” she was already ducking her head and reaching her hand up to hold the door as she maneuvered into the warmth of the car but she heard me and so looked up and saw me not being that far away maybe 35 ft she reversed her momentum to get in and instead stood up turned to me and everyone and with this Smile as Bright as the Sun said thank you and waved. I thought that was extremely nice and showed how great her personality is. It felt so good that we had the President and First Lady Hillary Clinton in the White House! Doing the work of the people for with all of America’s best interests at heart.

Who best to reverse the damage and move this country forward than Hillary? No One.

Glad you are back I enjoy reading your posts. Very informative and well researched with the right amount of emotion.

P.S. On another note.
Donna Brazil endorsed Hillary for VP today on ABC this week?! I about fell over. It was weird how they bleeped out Hillary’s name when Donna said it – The replay was so edited for the West Coast viewers . Did you happen to catch that on the East Coast?
Donna looks haggard – So when I saw that It became very interesting to me that she brought up and discussed that there is in fact the deep divide in the Democratic party. That Democrats are finding it very hard to support Obama! AND then I found it amusing that she thinks that Democrats that don't support Obama now will come around by November? They are severely in denial (complete asshats). I'll never vote for Obama - Can't and won't do it!

[lanikai]

Seriously a man running to be president needs handlers to tell him to ditch the gum! Didn't he go to elementary school. Jeez

[Deb]

Danny,

Brazile actually admitted that Dems are having trouble supporting Obama?

[Danny]

Deb - You'll have to try to watch the replay on line. I cannot remember exactly what she said but that She deffinatley said that Hillary's supporters were not coming around as fast as they thought they would and that some Democratic fundraisers or something to that effect were split or divided in some way - she also said that she was with Jesse Jackson in some way. I don't know what she meant by that (wants some nuts)? I was surprised at her candor admitting that Demcocrats were not getting on board but I have to say she then went right into well it's only a matter of time?! No it's not Donna.

[Danny]

Hey Deb - Alright I was wrong - I guess it was the telephone game I was playing - I repeted what I thought I heard her say.
I went to ABC and watched the replay. What she said was that there are disgruntled Democrats out there who are not coming around because they support Hillary and just in case they want her name thrown in the hat at convention just in case or some shit like that and then goes on to say "I don't know if that will happen." I suppose because this is a changed party and we don't have other candidates on the nominating ballot any longer. Fuck them.

You can watch it here. If you have time or even want to. Other interesting tidbits George Will said that Obama should be doing way better than he is and tehy all thought that Jacksons comments were a "gift" to Obama. HUH? That just does not compute to me. Oh - So if Jackson say's I want to cut Obama's nuts off some how white people will see that as a gap between Jackson and Obama and Obama then looks White enough to vote for?! RETARDS would think like that. Do they really think white democrats are that retarded? I mean really - was this a gift. Please visit the subject and tell me how.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5364939

[Danny]

The other thing is the video online is severly edited! You don't get the same show that was on this morning. I think she may have said that the democrats are divided. I do.

[Deb]

Danny,

thanks for the link!