This morning, according to the official House website, there is no record that this vote ever even took place. The Democrats have expunged it from the records. This is the kind of stuff commonly seen in banana republics and third world dictatorships. Winning elections doesn't mean you get to ignore the rules.In a massive flare-up of partisan tensions, Republicans walked out on a House vote late Thursday night to protest what they believed to be Democratic maneuvers to reverse an unfavorable outcome for them.
The flap represents a complete breakdown in parliamentary procedure and an unprecedented low for the sometimes bitterly divided chamber.
The rancor erupted shortly before 11 p.m. as Rep. Michael R. McNulty (D-N.Y.) gaveled close the vote on a standard procedural measure with the outcome still in doubt.
Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance. Democrats, however, argued the measure was deadlocked at 214-214 and failed, members and aides on both sides of the aisle said afterward.
One GOP aide saw McNulty gavel the vote to a close after receiving a signal from his leaders – but before reading the official tally. And votes continued to shift even after he closed the roll call - a strange development in itself.
The GOP needs to fight back and fight back hard, and if it means shutting down the House to do it, so be it.
Perhaps it's stuff like this that has led to Congress' 3% approval rating on how they handle the war in Iraq. That's right, 3%. As many problems as the President has, he still gets 24%.
UPDATE - Michelle Malkin reminds us of this famous quote:
"This leadership team will create the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history” – Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Press Release, November 16, 2006Yeah....right.
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