VoteKansas.org

Senator Lamar Alexander just took the Senate floor to complain about Democrats holding up a bill he introduced that would endorse the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance in English.

Alexander said that a Democrat had anonymously placed a hold on the bill.

He then moved to consider the bill on the Senate floor and Democrat Patty Murray objected on behalf of Democrats.

Alexander said "this proves my point." 

The Senate just voted to pass the "emergency" supplemental spending bill at a veto-level price tag of $109 billion. Passage of the bill at this level is a direct contradiction of President Bush's request.

Hopes amongst some conservatives in the Senate that the GOP had turned a corner on the spending issue have been dashed. Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran is on the floor right now declaring victory.

This Congressional Quarterly story says it all:

The appropriators are winning again — as it seems they always do.

Despite a growing outcry against their funding earmarks and some attempts by conservatives to curb their powers, members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees maintain an iron grip on the federal purse strings.

Defying President Bush’s veto threat and a promise by many Republicans to sustain such a veto, Senate appropriators fended off nearly every effort to reduce the cost of their $109 billion “emergency” spending bill (HR 4939) during this week’s floor debate.

By my count, the big spending bill received near 70 votes -- meaning at least some of the 35 members who promised to uphold a Bush veto threat voted for the bill. They will have to flip-flop should Bush follow through on his threat -- which he had better do or he risks looking completely powerless at the hands of politicians like Trent Lott (a pol we all know has no love-loss for the President). Roll call to come...

UPDATE: Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn who fought hard against the spending excesses in this bill explained why a vote in favor of the bill is wrong. His fine speech is in the extended section.

UPDATE: Majority Leader Bill Frist was one of the good guys who voted against this bill. On his blog he explains.