Journalists Aren’t Helping, Gotta Watch Live

Not sure I understand C-SPAN’s writeup of where we are this evening. Journalists are really pretty useless in this day and age. Did the House vote again to delay the individual mandate a year? Is that a change from their previous position? Whatever, I suspect they’ll figure out a temporary solution by the time I wake up tomorrow, and we’ll have to go through this again in a month or so. Because that seems to be something this Congress likes to do. Put things off until later, I mean.

Well since I don’t understand the journalists, I guess I’ll sit here and watch C-SPAN for a while to see it first-hand.

Please, Senator Dick Durbin: STOP LOOKING AT THE CAMERA. That is so creepy.

Oh wait, I think the Senate is voting to table the House’s amendment right now. I like how the Senate floor is mostly empty. Where are these people voting from? I hear them calling names but I don’t hear anyone responding. Do they raise their hands from somewhere off camera? Do they have some fancy electronic vote-delivery system? Oh! I heard someone say, “Aye.” The role call is done. And the winner is … the lady is counting … 21-18 … … this is so exciting … 22-19 … … 23-22 … … 23-24 … … 27-26 … … Warner, aye … … (I think I missed Kaine) … 30-30 … 34-34 … 38-36 … 41-37 … 43-37 … Ayes pulling ahead now … 47-40 … really don’t understand the order that they’re calling these names … I wonder if they’re all standing around down there talking about their golf games … 49-43 … McCain, no … 52-45 … almost done … … and C-SPAN calls it, the Senate killed the House amendment. Time of death, roughly 9:22 PM.

Soooooo… what does that mean exactly? I can only assume that means the bill goes back to the House again for the absolute last possible chance of keeping the government open tomorrow.

(By the way, C-SPAN updated the text at that link so it doesn’t say what it said at the time I copied it anymore. I guess that first SEO part of the link doesn’t matter. Only the numbers at the end count.)

Final vote to table, 54-46. Guess it’ll be a late night for those guys. I don’t feel bad for them at all.