So eager was Harry Reid to adjourn the Congressional session he once threatened to extend through January 5, he actually interrupted Sen. Mark Kirk, urging him to hurry along a speech explaining his opposition to the treaty. How thoughtless of Kirk. Who cares about his thoughts on missile defense and nuclear weapons when Barbara Boxer has a plane to catch?
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Stay tuned for details, including the roll. We'll let you know exactly which Republicans voted aye...
UPDATE: Shortly before ratifying New START, the Senate passed the 9/11 First Responders health bill by unanimous consent after a funding deal was struck. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) had been the primary hold out, but has since said he's satisfied with the compromise, which altered the bill significantly.
UPDATE II: The Washington Times' Eli Lake tweets that 71 votes is the lowest total of "ayes" an arms control treaty of this sort has received in the US Senate.
UPDATE III: Of the 71 ayes, 13 were provided by Republicans. The roster of ignominy:
Alexander (TN)
Bennett (UT) - retiring
Brown (MA)
Cochran (MS)
Collins (ME)
Gregg (NH) - retiring
Isakson (GA)
Johanns (NE)
Lugar (IN)
Murkowski (AK)
Snowe (ME)
Voinovich (OH) - retiring
Bravo to the Republican Senators who refused to sign on to this flawed treaty. Not a single Democrat voted no.
UPDATE III: The Cable contends that Republicans' negotiating efforts wrung meaningful concessions from the administration, and the notion of a GOP "collapse" is a myth:
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The myth of a "collapse" was created by the fact that almost no Republican senators would reveal their positions on New START until the final vote was imminent, except for supporter Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN). The seemingly unified GOP stance on the treaty for most of the autumn and the decision to totally defer to Kyl was a negotiating strategy -- one that actually paid off in the end, to the tune of $84 billion dollars, which the Obama administration promised for nuclear modernization. That's a relative victory, even though many will call the treaty's ratification a defeat for the GOP.
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