The magic number of 60 Democrats
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With Al Franken now a Senator, the number 60 has been bandied about as game changing, enabling the Democrats to pass any and all sorts of legislation, since they have the White House and the House of Representatives.
Except, it's actually 58 Democrats and 2 indepents, Joe Lieberman (Connecticut) and Bernie Sanders (Vermont). Sure, they vote with the Democrats now, but Lieberman has been known to hang out with Republicans when he felt it was right. As to 58 Democrats, that's technically true, but Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd have been ill lately and missed votes. Add in that the Democrats don't march in the same line and I'll be surprised if we see all 60 voting along party lines more than once or twice, if that much.
Still, 60 Democrats makes a nice soundbite doesn't it? Especially to Republicans eager to point fingers.
Except, it's actually 58 Democrats and 2 indepents, Joe Lieberman (Connecticut) and Bernie Sanders (Vermont). Sure, they vote with the Democrats now, but Lieberman has been known to hang out with Republicans when he felt it was right. As to 58 Democrats, that's technically true, but Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd have been ill lately and missed votes. Add in that the Democrats don't march in the same line and I'll be surprised if we see all 60 voting along party lines more than once or twice, if that much.
Still, 60 Democrats makes a nice soundbite doesn't it? Especially to Republicans eager to point fingers.
Posted by brandonb at 10:33 AM on July 2nd 2009
There's no magic number. Just negotiating prowess. And Rahm Emanuel's meanness.
Where all sixty have to agree, any one Senator can hold back, and wait to be bought off, knowing that the larger block absolutely needs his or her vote to make that number. It'd be different (maybe) if there was a margin of error, but as it is, the motivation to disagree with each other couldn't be greater. I can't see any cohesion coming out of this at all. Quite the contrary.