L.A Times Falsely Tells Readers That Democrats Didn’t Have the 10 Republican Votes Necessary to Pass the Auto Industry Bailout
The L.A. Times story on the failure of the bailout blamed it squarely on Republicans, in a story titled Senate Republicans kill auto bailout bill:
Republican opposition killed a $14-billion auto industry bailout plan in the Senate on Thursday night, putting the future of U.S. automakers in doubt and threatening to deliver another blow to the economy.
. . . .
Senate Democrats couldn’t bring the measure up for a vote without the support of at least 10 Republicans. Ultimately, they were seven votes short.
But wait! Via Instapundit, John McCormick at the Weekly Standard points out that Democrats had 10 Republican votes — enough votes to defeat the filibuster.
Of course, I wasn’t willing to accept that some Weekly Standard blogger got this right and the vaunted fact-checkers at the L.A. Times got it wrong. So I checked the actual votes at the Senate.gov website for myself. Here is the list of 10 Republican Senators I found voting “yea”:
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
(I was initially confused by the title of the vote, which on its face seemed to be for an alternative minimum tax proposal. But it turns out that Sen. Reid had simply used HR 7005, a previously-passed House tax bill, as a “placeholder” for the legislation — a common procedural move in these situations.)
Democrats had the votes, just not enough to provide political cover. So they offered a dishonest spin: that they simply didn’t have the votes.
And the L.A. Times was happy to repeat this false spin to readers.
Time for an e-mail to the Readers’ Representative.
Knowing the LAT would go along with the lie, Reid & Co. just made up their cover story.
Patricia (ee5c9d) — 12/13/2008 @ 3:32 pmPrediction: In the unlikely event that the LA Times chooses to correct this, they will correct it by saying that the Democrats needed 17 Republican votes to invoke cloture, but they only got 10. There will be no mention of the fact that the reason they needed 17 Republican votes is that 4 Democrats did not vote and 4 voted against cloture (one of whom voted no for procedural reasons to allow the vote to be reconsidered).
Joshua (9ede0e) — 12/13/2008 @ 3:36 pmBTW I found a picture of the vaunted fact checkers and editors at the LAT: Hear no Evil…
Patricia (ee5c9d) — 12/13/2008 @ 3:38 pmCut the Los Angeles Times a break. It’s on its death bed and the dying throes of a metropolitan newspaper coughs and spits spasms of inaccuracies. To quote it as a news source these days is to source Cliffie at ‘Cheers’ on snipe hunting.
The LAT has its own obit ready to run.
DCSCA (d8da01) — 12/13/2008 @ 3:53 pmHow can anyone possibly blame the Republicans, when the leader of the Democrats in the Senate votes against it [Reid (D-NV), Nay]?
Sean (dfb8dd) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:01 pmMy guess is that Harry Reid voted No for a procedural reason, such as preserving his ability to raise the legislation at a later time.
But why did Cornyn vote No? The only reason I can think of is he has national political ambitions but I don’t see that happening.
DRJ (b4db3a) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:02 pmGOP karma- ‘The truth is, these aren’t very bright guys. And things got out of hand.” — All The President’s Men, 1976
DCSCA (d8da01) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:04 pmCut the Los Angeles Times a break.
You do know what site you are on, right?
It’s on its death bed and the dying throes of a metropolitan newspaper coughs and spits spasms of inaccuracies.
Problem is, there is a years-long history of “coughs and spits spasms of inaccuracies,” dating to before the “death bed.”
GOP karma- ‘The truth is, these aren’t very bright guys. And things got out of hand.” — All The President’s Men, 1976
The Donkeys are running the Senate, buddy boy.
Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (152589) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:13 pmThey didn’t have the Democratic votes. Two D’s voted against it, and there were only 85 Senators in the chamber when the vote was held. That’s why, even with 10 R’s voting in favor they still couldn’t muster 60 votes in favor of cloture.
Steven Den Beste (99cfa1) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:26 pmPerhaps the LAT is angling for its own bailout.
Perfect Sense (9d1b08) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:28 pmWhere would the Democrats be without a party organ?
#8- Paul- re- Senate- count again.
Not until January 20 will the majority vote rules be effectively reworked and even with that, they’ll need a GOP boost depending on the rule base. The GOP Karma is virulent and alive… ‘The truth is, these aren’t very bright guys. And things got out of hand.” — All The President’s Men, 1976
re- LA Times. Yes, cut the fishwrapper some slack. It’s been a tomb for years. Very 20th Century. Why waste energy sourcing it in a 24/7, 365, every 4 hour news cycle. Next you’ll be sourcing Paul Harvey– “Standby… for ‘neuhughes'”!
DCSCA (d8da01) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:41 pmWhy were they skipping class? Does the answer just reinforce the original contention that there wasn’t enough political cover? Or is there another reason?
ras (fc54bb) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:51 pmSome democrats voted against the bill and several ‘voted here’. They had the votes, they just stuck it to the Auto workers/UAW and convinced them it wasn’t knife in the back but a kiss on the a**. As usual the democrats weren’t smart enough to figure it out. Now tell me again why they can’t build a good vehicle and make money.
Scrapiron (ce69ff) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:54 pmWhy were the Democrats skipping the Senate session? They had an auction to attend in Illinois.
SPQR (26be8b) — 12/13/2008 @ 4:55 pmThis is simple. There are 48 Senate Democrats, plus 2 independents (Sanders and Lieberman), plus 49 Republicans. So 48 Democrats plus 2 independents, plus 10 Republicans equals 60, enough for cloture–but they didn’t get enough Democrats.
Official Internet Data Office (d9ff6d) — 12/13/2008 @ 5:12 pmNot until January 20 will the majority vote rules be effectively reworked and even with that, they’ll need a GOP boost depending on the rule base. The GOP Karma is virulent and alive…
So what? Who’s the Senate Majority Leader and which party is he in?
re- LA Times. Yes, cut the fishwrapper some slack. It’s been a tomb for years. Very 20th Century. Why waste energy sourcing it in a 24/7, 365, every 4 hour news cycle.
So you are admitting that the LA Times, as an organization, is incompetent?
Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (152589) — 12/13/2008 @ 5:13 pmPart of the bailout money goes to pay the Duke University’s Lacrosse team lawsuit, through AIG’s commitments. This gets more insane every day.
http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/daily-brief/2008/12/12/aig-caught-up-in-the-duke-lacrosse-case
The Feds should let GM and Chrysler die. Ford, a better run company, will come out the other side a much stronger company.
Wesson (3ab0b8) — 12/13/2008 @ 5:15 pmWell, with the Obama seat vacant and Teddy so ill, they really only have 49 Ds (and 49Rs). T0 get to 60 they needed 10 Republicans AND Teddy, or 11 Republicans — and all the Democrats.
Someone ought to ask why this wasn’t important enough to unions for Teddy to come in. And what the heck were Kerry, Biden and Syman doing not voting?
Oh, wait: 3 Democrats were voting “no.” The traitors. No wonder no one bothered — it was hopeless.
Kevin Murphy (0b2493) — 12/13/2008 @ 6:04 pmI am not a medical professional, but I would strongly advise you to not hold your breath.
Hoystory (08dea2) — 12/13/2008 @ 6:20 pmI guess the Dems are taking lessons from Obama and just voting “present” in hopes of translating that into the presidency.
Patricia (ee5c9d) — 12/13/2008 @ 6:38 pm#16- Paul- RE LA TIMES
Admitting? Laddie, you be slow on the up take.
Labelling the LA TImes a newspaper is an insult to ink and calling it incompetent is slandering incompetents and other conservatives, currently in govrenment.
DCSCA (d8da01) — 12/13/2008 @ 7:16 pmAdmitting? Laddie, you be slow on the up take.
And you didn’t answer my first question.
Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (152589) — 12/13/2008 @ 7:30 pmThe LA Times has no credibility or journalistic integrity, just like all the other liberal news organizations. They purposely still hold the video tape of Obama cavorting with Ayers and the muslim Jew haters. There has to be a reason they continue to sit on it! Furthermore, let’s face it, the Zogby poll of Obama voters and then later of McCain voters (done because of liberal whining) proves that the liberal news organizations purposely keep their viewers ignorant and Fox News viewers are far more informed! As far as killing the auto deal, there shouldn’t be any bailouts! The government is printing and borrowing money at an alarming rate with trillions more promised by Obama. This is the German Weimar republic all over again, the dollar is going to crash and with it the economy. Take a look around, it’s already happening. This isn’t sustainable and these worthless lying liberal news organization continue to lie everyday to support their masters the Democrats. They have no integrity left! The only hope for this country is in true conservatism. If we continue on the liberal path, then we are doomed!
CrusaderPatriot (3dd6e2) — 12/13/2008 @ 8:44 pmAnd LAT wonders why they are circling the drain? Hacks, liars and buttkissers as the go down the bowl. SO glad they are on the brink. Can;t wait til the go under so we can have a celebration party
Jackie R. (225c23) — 12/13/2008 @ 8:45 pmThe LAT must know their only remaining readers are idiots who believe lies. Oh, and a few bloggers faithfully covering the death throes of what once upon a time may have been a newspaper.
Peg C. (48175e) — 12/13/2008 @ 8:47 pm[…] want the public to believe the Republicans were to blame for the auto bailout. Evidently, the Los Angeles Times does, too. Despite the […]
LAT continues to toe the D line | skewred.com (86aa12) — 12/13/2008 @ 8:54 pmOnly on days ending in “y” does the LA Times lie.
Hey, that rhymes!
Mitch (67a183) — 12/13/2008 @ 9:18 pmIt should have been ‘Inept Dems Lose Auto Bailout Vote‘ because with the 10 Republicans who voted for the bill, if the 7 dems who defected or did not vote had cast their votes for the bill, then the measure would have passed.
Ron Robinson (3f083d) — 12/13/2008 @ 9:35 pmGood things the dems are more into fingerpointing than they are at lining up their votes.
I emailed the reporter from the LAT and this is the response I received.
Thanks for the feedback The White House and the Democrats knew they would not get every Democrat, just most of them, which is why they needed significant help from the Republicans. Without that help, the bill failed. That was the whole point of all the negotiating going on all week, to get enough Republican support to pass the White House-backed bill. That’s why the vice president and White House chief of staff spent two hours on Tuesday with the entire Senate Republican caucus trying to wrangle votes. When a group is the focus of efforts to pass the bill and they do not agree, they are the main reason the bill didn’t pass. Not the only reason, but the main reason.
Independent (42704a) — 12/13/2008 @ 9:38 pmPatterico, its even more dishonest than that. The vote was 52-36. By my calculations, they needed just one more vote. And Harry Reid voted AGAINST cloture. He is claiming he did so for “procedural” reasons so he can bring up the issue again this session, but this session only includes 20 more days (the next session begins Jan 5) and if he voted for cloture he wouldn’t NEED to bring it back up. Or am I missing something?
Sean P (4e644b) — 12/14/2008 @ 12:09 am“a common procedural move in these situations.)”
Now in a criminal case such would equal obstruction of justice, right?
TC (0b9ca4) — 12/14/2008 @ 1:22 amThey haven’t finished re-writing history on Ayers yet.You know,where instead of being a marxist terrorist that led a group that was involved in over 22 bombings,killings of cops,and the overthrow of the US government into a academic freedom fighter that was only guilty of a little “vandalism”.
Baxter Greene (8035ae) — 12/14/2008 @ 2:07 am
[…] Via Patterico, this story stinks even more: The L.A. Times story on the failure of the bailout blamed it squarely […]
Bloodthirsty Liberal » Carjackers in Pinstripes [UPDATED] (cb2f3f) — 12/14/2008 @ 3:52 am[…] Passes Along Donk Lies as Fact L.A Times Falsely Tells Readers That Democrats Didnt Have the 10 Republican Votes Necessary to Pas… The L.A. Times story on the failure of the bailout blamed it squarely on Republicans, in a story […]
LAT Passes Along Donk Lies as Fact - Southern Maryland Community Forums (3c7ee8) — 12/14/2008 @ 4:20 am#29
So the headline could have been:
“Dems No Longer Saving UAW Bacon?”,
with sub-head
“Reid not sure bill is right medicine without 1/3rd of GOP Senators onboard”.
Why did the Dems seek power again? Was it really to whine that Republicans are big meanies that don’t understand that now that the Democrats are in charge the minority must be assimilated?
East Bay Jim (802704) — 12/14/2008 @ 4:56 amThe LA Times – like every other left wing newspaper – is a SINKING SHIP. I hope the Editors and staff members have other plans for employement because the lifeboats are being lowered.
ILonaE (a5fc28) — 12/14/2008 @ 5:48 am[…] But alas, it really was NOT Republicans at large who blocked the bill as many Republicans voted FOR IT. […]
Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » UAW and Detroit Three HAVE FAILED (e7cd22) — 12/14/2008 @ 6:42 amFor the record, here’s the Dems who voted against it:
Baucus (D-MT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Reid (D-NV)
Tester (D-MT)
Here’s the Dems who didn’t vote:
Biden (D-DE)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Wyden (D-OR)
Wait-a-minit. 52 yays, 35 nays, and 12 no shows. Since DCSCA likes math lessons: 52+35+12=99, not 523,512.
A missing vote? Nope.
The 100th vote is, of course, is the
auctioned offopen voting seat left by Barack Obama, who, indicated by his voting record, would likely have voted present.That’s nine Dem votes against or MIA. For the benefit of DCSCA: 52+9=61, not 529.
Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (152589) — 12/14/2008 @ 7:36 amWhy should we expect any more from the Times than from any other house organ of the Democrat party? This is a self-correcting problem, in that the LA Times, Washington Post, NY Times, and others of that ilk will soon terminate their paper versions, go 100% web-based, and then go under anyway.
Sharpaxe (d4bcea) — 12/14/2008 @ 8:39 amEmail Pres Bush, NO TO THE BAILOUT…
comments@whitehouse.gov
Heidi (aac68f) — 12/14/2008 @ 9:47 amThe greedy racist Rethuglicans spewing hatred on this site obviously don’t share the LAT’s world view that espouses Kumbaya and being pro-little man. At least Chomsky, Soros, Mayor Daley, Pelosi, Reid and Franks care deeply about hard-working union people and the much abused domestic car industry.
Look at how Salon’s Koppelman and Madden characterize the issue: Meet the GOP’s wrecking crew. Why did a small group of Republicans turn the auto bailout into a demolition derby? Introducing the senators who hate unions and love foreign cars. So we learn that Corker, Shelby, Demint and McConnell are all senators whose bread is buttered by the foreign car makers? Big effin’ whoop. The left wants to keep that union vote and union money. Why is it that, as others here have rightly pointed out, the libtard twats of the Senate want and need political cover to do what they see as the right thing? And why does Bush bend over backwards to kiss liberal senate ass? Let Obamafuehrer and his minions take responsibility. The last headline at yahoo claims Bush’s legacy is wrapped up in a very unpopular war. Why does he even give a shite about pleasing assclowns who stab him in the back repeatedly?
madmax333 (0c6cfc) — 12/14/2008 @ 9:49 amI was also surprised to learn that the Republican’s opposition to this bill is “putting the future of U.S. automakers in doubt.” I was previously under the impression that a combination of many interrelated internal and external factors were placing the continued viability of this industry in jeopardy — irrespective of the outcome of the bill in question. Thanks to the crack reporting of the L.A. Times, I now know the fault lies squarely on the shoulders of Republican senators.
JDBlackaby (5102d8) — 12/14/2008 @ 10:29 amPelosi and Reid care about working Americans? That’s pretty funny. Why don’t the corrupt New Direction Democrats bring in their Illegal Alien chuntes to do the UAW jobs? That would solve everything, wouldn’t it? Si se puede!
DfD (076eb3) — 12/14/2008 @ 10:38 amL.A Times Falsely Tells Readers That Democrats Didn’t Have The 10 Republican Votes Necessary To Pass The Auto Industry Bailout…
Surprise: LA Times lies to readers about GOP support for bailout
On the Right (516879) — 12/14/2008 @ 11:44 am…
From one of the side artical.
“Automakers fail to cash in on big GOP donations
By Ken Bensinger
December 12, 2008
By standing in the way of an auto industry bailout, GOP senators appear to have bitten the hand that fed them.
Over the last decade, General Motors has given $1.50 to Republican candidates for every $1 it has given to Democrats””
Hum shouldn’t this article be titled
“Republicans can not be bribed with $.50”
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-fi-gopcars12-2008dec12,0,233571.story
Dschoen (211384) — 12/14/2008 @ 12:34 pmNot until January 20 will the majority vote rules be effectively reworked and even with that, they’ll need a GOP boost depending on the rule base. The GOP Karma is virulent and alive…
So what? Who’s the Senate Majority Leader and which party is he in?”
That would be Reid, dem, one of 3 dems voting ney.
Reid (D-NV) Tester (D-MT) Lincoln (D-AR)
Another interesting thing on the vote count.
Vice President elect Biden (D-DE) didn’t even bother to vote. Guess it just wasn’t all that important to him.
Along with Kerry (D-MA) Wyden (D-OR)
And Senator/President elect Obama also didn’t vote, or perhaps he voted “present”
Kennedy (D-MA) also didn’t vote but I give him a pass due to his brain tumor.
Dschoen (211384) — 12/14/2008 @ 1:23 pmDschoen:
Obama’ seat is currently open, why is why Blagojevich tried to sell it.
Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (152589) — 12/14/2008 @ 1:43 pm46- what way did sec.of state designate Hillary go? Hill, Obama, Biden, Emanuel and others are still active members of Congress, no? What bugs me is Bush doing another end around against the wishes of the GOP and the American popular opinion. Wouldn’t mind so much if it were the right thing. He may be an honorable man, but why bend over endlessly for libtards? Funny how Emanuel is said to be such a macho stud enforcer and now he needs Depends?
madmax333 (0c6cfc) — 12/14/2008 @ 2:13 pmOne might ask a simple question: why is Joe Biden still in the Senate? Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D-DE) has already appointed Mr Biden’s successor for his Senate seat, and the appointee is Ted Kaufman, a close friend and advisor to Mr Biden. If Mr Biden and Mrs Minner wanted a real “caretaker” senator, so that his son, Joseph R “Beau” Biden, the state Attorney General who is currently on active duty as a National Guard captain deployed to Iraq, could run for the seat in 2010, a better selection could not have been made. The seat will remain in Democratic hands.
So, why is the senior Mr Biden still in the Senate? Why hasn’t he resigned his seat? If he were actually doing his job as a senator, no one could complain that he hadn’t resigned, but he isn’t doing that job; he’s working on setting up his staff as the incoming vice president.
The Dana who used to live in Delaware (556f76) — 12/14/2008 @ 4:07 pmBecause he is not [censored] and he feels no need for the made-up dignity of The Office of Vice-President-Elect. He is Senator Biden until he is sworn in as Vice-President Biden — two offices which are real.
nk (094d4d) — 12/14/2008 @ 4:22 pmFor you esteemed contracts lawyers out there, Malkin site has the links to the Ford 2007 contract with the UAW, all 2215 pages of it.
Libs are running the show and they STILL need political cover and/or fear actually taking responsibility for anything? What a bunch of girlie men.
madmax333 (0c6cfc) — 12/14/2008 @ 8:02 pmEighteenth century technology, part 5: Rob Kall’s solution…
Maybe Rob Kall’s notion of the government propping up the journalists who will be let go by the Times would be a better one if they were better journalists.
Common Sense Political Thought (73d96f) — 12/16/2008 @ 3:40 am……
Mark Steyn had a great point on NRO here.
His point was that we’ve already seen what happens when government bails out automakers under the pretense of “saving” jobs – in Britain. And it was a failure that did nothing but damage the value of the car brands in question. Turning them into jokes. Chap 11 is really the best alternative for everyone in the long term.
SPQR (72771e) — 12/16/2008 @ 9:47 am