WASHINGTON D.C. (YBH.ME) – On Thursday, Senator Joe Lieberman needed another 30 seconds to finish a floor speech. As presiding Chairman, Senator Al Franken said no. A stunned Lieberman asked if he could request his fellow Senators if he could finish. Again, “no.” He settled for having his remarks read into the record, if not uttered on the floor, to which Franken agreed.
Franken Says Lieberman Out of Time
Senator John McCain, whom Lieberman supported for President in 2008 to the anger of his party, rose to say:
I must say that I don’t know what’s happening here in this body, but I think it’s wrong. And so I — it’s fine with me that it be 10 minutes, but I’ll tell you, I have never seen a member denied an extra minute or so, as the chair just did.
Collegiality among Senators has a long tradition, in danger of erosion by partisan acrimony over hot button issues. Franken’s office defended the action, stating “time limits were being enforced by Senate leaders rushing to finish a defense spending bill and get to the health bill.”
Related posts:
- Romney Denies Being Republican During Reagan Era (Video)
- Your Moment of WTF: Wisconsin Judge Denies Basic Property Rights and Fuels Outrage
- Indiana Voucher Program Likely To Be Upheld, Judge Denies Block
Laura spent years as a Hollywood story analyst, did a big 180, and is now an entrepreneur focused on web marketing and analytics. She's also a mom of one.Laura Glendinning article archive.
