From the Webb campaign...this is truly unbelievable. Except it's true. Wow, no wonder why George Allen is "bored" in the "wounded sea slug" of a Senate. Which raises the obvious question: why on earth does he want to be re-elected to it? So he can steal other peoples' amendments? Ha.
(Perhaps He Thought We Wouldn+óGé¼Gäót Notice the One Word Difference +óGé¼GÇ£ Nice Work Skippy)Washington, DC +óGé¼GÇ£ U.S. Senator George Allen today stole a Department of Defense appropriations amendment written, printed and prepared by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill), and then announced the amendment as his own, moments before Durbin was prepared to introduce the amendment on the Senate floor.
The following is a chronology of what happened earlier this afternoon:
--At 2:30 PM this afternoon the U.S. Senate began debate of the Department of Defense appropriations for FY 2007.--Already on the docket was Senator Dick Durbin, who was scheduled to introduce an amendment to the bill providing $19 million in additional funding for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center program, which provides treatment care and research for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries. That meant that Durbin+óGé¼Gäós amendment had already been written, printed and prepared for introduction by Durbin.
--Yet, before Durbin could take the floor to introduce his amendment, George Allen entered the Senate Chamber and asked for permission to speak before Durbin. When permission was granted ahead of Durbin, lo and behold, Allen introduced an amendment to the DOD appropriations bill that, how could this be, was identical in language to Durbin+óGé¼Gäós bill with the exception of one word +óGé¼GÇ£ the word +óGé¼+ôwill+óGé¼-¥ was changed in Allen+óGé¼Gäós amendment and replaced with the word +óGé¼+ôshall.+óGé¼-¥ Other than that, the amendments were identical +óGé¼GÇ£ Durbin+óGé¼Gäós amendment had been printed and set to be formally introduced, Allen+óGé¼Gäós bill had not been written or been placed on the docket to be introduced.
When asked by Senators Stevens and Durbin if his amendment was the same as Senator Durbin+óGé¼Gäós, George Allen agreed the bills were identical.
So, what are the odds that George Allen had the exact same idea as Durbin, the exact same dollar figure as Durbin, the exact same language as Durbin (save one word)? And why did Allen seek special permission to speak before Durbin unless Allen was seeking to take credit for an amendment to which Durbin had already prepared and written?
+óGé¼+ôGeez, Senator, has it really come to this? Are you so bankrupt of ideas that you have to steal another Senator+óGé¼Gäós amendments and call them your own? It is clear you stole Dick Durbin+óGé¼Gäós language. There are no odds that you could have written an exactly identical amendment to Durbin+óGé¼Gäós, save one word +óGé¼GÇ£ I guess you thought this would allow you to call the amendment your own +óGé¼GÇ£ that it would have the exact dollar figure and that you would have to run down to the Senate floor and cut in front of Durbin (talk about cut and run, Senator) and introduce a virtually identical amendment. Did you think no one would notice?+óGé¼-¥ Jim Webb spokesman Steve Jarding said.
+óGé¼+ôAnd, what happened to the Senate working at the pace of a +óGé¼-£wounded sea slug? Apparently, when you are seeking to score political points, even if it means stealing another Senator+óGé¼Gäós bill, that ole sea slug heals up right quick. George Allen+óGé¼Gäós using government for his own personal and political gain is wearing very thin. This whole episode is shameful and not worthy of a sitting U.S. Senator,+óGé¼-¥ Jarding said.
[UPDATE: Here's a photocopy of the amendment, as modified borrowed stolen by Allen.]
Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.
I hope our great senator does try to use this in his campaign effort because as soon as he does he's going to get nailed by just about everyone.
Just more of that same pattern that Allen thinks he won't be held accountable for his actions. The macaca thing - Allen knew what he was saying and he was being video taped. And he said it anyway! Like he wouldn't be held accountable. He seemingly thinks he can do anything he wants and no one will be the wiser. These actions are on record (or on tape) - how on earth does he think he can sneak out of it without looking bad? Seriously, this guy must think he's in a different world than the rest of us.
P.S. Please tell me these people can't be this unethical, this desperate, and this dumb.
Need I post a snark flag as a newcomer?
To quote Joseph Welch's question to Senator Joe McCarthy – “Have you, at long last, no shame, Sir?â€Â
Thanks
A quote from Mr. Galanti about Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill):
"Your remarks comparing Guantanamo to the regimes of Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot are outrageous. I tried to think of why a rational human being could make such an outlandish statement but I keep coming up short. I thought I'd seen it all when Howard Dean performed his infamous scream in Iowa but your diatribe yesterday eclipsed Dean's moment of Hannibal Lecter lunacy. And your moment of pique will be infinitely more damaging to members of our Armed Forces serving in harm's way.… You, sir, for having aided and abetted the enemy in time of war, have been relegated in my mind to the status of Jane Fonda and your colleague, John Kerry as contemptible traitors."
From my recent diary about Mr. Galanti, Swiftboater for Allen:
What I want to know is what was said on the senate floor after this stunt was pulled. I'm am curious as to who reacted and what they said.
I'd love to spread this tid-bit around, but would like to get a better "bead" on the source before I do, so as not to end up with ketchup on my face, should it prove to be a phantom accusation. So far, the tid-bit seems to have been travelling in a circle -- Webb campaign, RK (with the item flagged by Lowell in both instances) and Daily Kos. Then the Daily Kos story takes us right back to RK...
"Round and round we go" and "the more times you've heard it the more true it is, even if it's a lie" may be an acceptable standard of disseminating "news" for Swift-Boating Rethugs, but I refuse to be tarred with the same brush.
Having a photocopy of Durbin's printed ammendment, with the date of its submission and the date of the scheduled unveiling (and, possibly, the invoice for the printing -- gotta cover our butts from all angles
Otherwise, we'd have to wait for Durbin to squeal and he might not want to; Dems have had so many of their ideas appropriated by the Rethugs (though, granted, never so fast as to actually *pre-empt*
Just look at the documentsIt's actually a bit more damning than Kos mentions. As the uncorrected caption at the top of the amendment reveals (sloppy staff work) allen had one of his classic "fake earmarks" that made available "up to $12 million dollars" for brain injury research. To those of us in the real world this is actually a cap on how much the President may spend, but it's entirely discretionary. Durbin's amendment requires spending $19 million -- an actual earmark. Allen simply scribbled out "up to," "may," and the 2 and substituted "shall" and "9". When Durbin asked Allen about it on the floor he was clearly stunned (Durbin had tried to do an amendment for brain injury research back in July before the recess) but eventually welcomed the bipartisan support.
It was all on CSPAN2 and you can read the documents for yourself. No need for a conspiracy theory.
by DCMike on Tue Sep 05, 2006 at 06:06:04 PM PDT
I have nothing to add, this nails it...
Webb needs to nail his ass to the wall if Allen attempts to refer to this as taking care of veterans -- you couldn't even have your own staff work on it, you tried to steal the amendment of a Democratic senator whom one of your campaign staffers smeared --- connect both items in the hit back
and I hope someone is prepping Webb for the debate, both as to Allen and as to to Timmeh (aka Pumpkinhead). He CANNOT go into this cold, without having been through some practice sessions. He's bright, but it is a different kind of thing.
Get some videos of
- any debate Allen has been in (versus Robb in 2000)
- debates that Russert has moderate, the more recent the better.
Do you mean to tell me that Allen took the Durbin document (I assume the Durbin document had been passed to everyone in the Senate so people could read it and think about it?) and simply scribbled over it?!?!?!? How absolutely, brazenly, fantastic!
Interesting to see that, even as he was "borrowing" an idea from someone else, he was unable to stop himself from trying to pinch pennies on it (19 became 12). Not surprising though, because the ammendment would be something that's not likely to benefit him except, possibly, at the voting booth.
We need to have both documents -- pristine and "corrected" versions -- photographed, side by side. And promote Allen as a "no ideas of his own Allen" ("caca-all ideas Allen" would be my preference, but I dare say coarse language would not be acceptable to Webb campaign
And I wonder... Is there any way to present this as *yet another* instance of his Janus (two-faced) personality? Because he also tried to present himself as a "reformed racist" through voting (vide the Marshall Thurgood award he had to pass on recently)
This is from the Congressional record; Note that Durbin calls it
"Senator Allen's Amendment"
MR. DURBIN: I'M GOING TO ASK FOR UNANIMOUS CONSENT, BUT I'M ALSO GOING TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IF THERE'S ANY MODIFICATION AT A LATER POINT THAT SENATOR ALLEN SUGGESTS, I'D BE GLAD TO WORK WITH HIM ON THIS. I THINK THIS IS OUR UNDERSTANDING BASED ON THE COLLOQUY WE HAD ON THE FLOOR. AND THAT IS THAT THE AMENDMENT 4883, SENATOR ALLEN'S AMENDMENT, BE SHOWN AS THE ALLEN-DURBIN AMENDMENT, AND THAT MY COSPONSORS ON MY AMENDMENT BE ADDED AS COSPONSORS ON THIS AMENDMENT. AT THIS POINT MY AMENDMENT, 4884,
SENATOR ALLEN'S AMENDMENT 4883 ARE IDENTICAL.
{15:39:52 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT } THE PRESIDING OFFICER: IS THERE OBJECTION? WITHOUT OBJECTION.
{15:39:57 NSP} (MR. DURBIN) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }
MR. DURBIN: IF SENATOR ALLEN WANTS TO CHANGE THIS IN ANY WAY, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. AND I SUGGEST THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
I assume you will know update your post. Actually, no I don't.
Yes, Durbin does call it "Allen's Amendment". That's because Allen had already introduced it and therefore it officially existed and was Allen's. To call it anything else would be incorrect.
Further proof that something was amiss - Durbin, as he states, had to have his name appended and his co-sponsors added. If Allen and Durbin had agreed to this before hand, why wouldn't those names already be on the amendment?
All the evidence points to Allen jumping in front of Durbin to offer Durbin's amendment. gesh
Allen's excuse maker, er, campaign manager, Dick Wadhams provides a solid explanation:
The theft allegation "is a preposterous notion," Allen campaign manager Dick Wadhams shot back. He pointed out that Allen's amendment was numbered 4883 and Durbin's, 4884, indicating Allen's was filed first.
So there you go. Dick tells us Allen must be innocent because he got in line first. Actually, he didn't, but Dick doesn't address that one. So Allen's amendment is lower numbered, therefore he submitted it first, therefore Durbin must be copying Allen.
Hmmm... that's kinda like if someone stole a car, was pulled over by the police, and the thief said "I'm driving it, so it must be mine".
Of course the explanation/excuse is a bunch of crap.
If this is true, this is PLAGAIRISM!! BY A US SENATOR!!!
This makes me ABSOLUTELY SICK!! And as someone who regards himself as a thinker....it makes me sicker than I was about MACACA!!!!
What the hell is wrong with this UTTER FAILURE OF A SENATOR!???
When I began to learn English (Brit version) as a child, 50 yrs ago in Poland, when to use "shall" and when to use "will" was considered extremely important; by the time I reached University (40 yrs ago), we were encouraged to use the contracted form (I'll) wherever acceptable and, if using the expanded form, "will" was considered sufficient for all occasions.
PS I loved the comment after the above one (if you need Stevens... you're in trouble, or words to that effect). I'd have rated it... If I only knew how to...
Plus, I really don't think this hurts Allen as long as he avoids any real charges.
Unfortunately, none of them will speak up.
Durbin, hell even Kennedy doesn't want the attention.
I hope to GOD I am wrong. Why won't these dem senators want to come out and embarass Allen?
Come on, let's work the phones people.
I myself will Call Kennedy's office ASAP!
Had it been a paper delivered by a couple of W&L students, both would have been called to sort it out (who did what and when, with proof), then the "copier" would have been booted out (W&L still operates on honor system. I think; it's been some years since my husband retired).
Whole books have been pulled off the market for less -- just a paragraph or a sentence copied here and there -- fairly recently and with a great fanfare (can't quote, because my memory is like a rusted sieve, but there was a man whom Oprah took to task publicly and a college girl who "borrowed" from some chick-lit book. I'm sure others will remember the cases in more detail)
I'm glad to see from the You-Tube clip (many thanks for that, BTW!) that (Durbin's co-sponsor) Kennedy at least tried to make waves and brought some attention to the subject; hopefully, by-and-by, the story will reach wider audience.
Would be even nicer, I think... If Durbin (or whoever did all the donkey work on the amendment) sued Macaca for misappropriation of intellectual property.
After Kennedy asks him what is different between the two proposals (a very simple and direct question) Allen starts blathering on about adding 'blast mitigation' to the bill (which is not in the pdf) until Stevens interjects that the Allen version changed will to shall.
Felix wasn't even familiar with his own proposal (and its not like it is all that long or complicated).
Just sad...
I am in California, but have fwd this to those out in your state that are working on Accountability in the White House.
I see a connection here. Maybe just coincidental, but in connection to when Durbin appoligized for comparing the actions of American soliders to Nazi's. See, as of now The Executive with all of its heads are calling any dissenting voice a Nazi, Durbin attempting to make things right for the troops has again had his message stolen and distorted.
Peace
Matthewg
http://www.afterdown...