Frist's Priorities, Take Two

As I mentioned earlier, things are moving very quickly on the Senate floor today. I had to step away from the computer just before the roll call vote on whether or not to invoke cloture on the Defense Appropriations bill, but upon my return learned that the Senate voted not to invoke cloture on the bill (same as 1997). As he had earlier in the day, Senator Reid asked following the vote that the Senate continue with the DoD bill until completion, pledging that all work on the legislation could be completed by Thursday.

Frist didn't play ball though - he set aside the appropriations bill and immediately called for a vote to invoke cloture on the bill to grant liability protection to gun manufacturers and distributors. That motion passed 66-32, so now the Senate can spend a few days (maximum of thirty hours) debating this. In all likelihood, Frist and the White House will refuse now to bring DoD funding back until September, so that they can tar the Democrats with obstructionism for the next month - quite undeservedly, in this case. I am still waiting on the roll call from the DoD cloture vote, and will post info on that as soon as I can get it.

[Update: Got it. Roll call on the DoD cloture vote is now available here. The tally was 50-48, ten votes shy of the 60 needed to limit debate. Three Democrats (Kent Conrad (ND), Ben Nelson (NE), and Bill Nelson of Florida) voted to end debate (with 47 Republicans); seven Republicans (Wayne Allard (CO), Susan Collins (ME), Lindsey Graham (SC), Trent Lott (MS), John McCain (AZ), Olympia Snowe (ME), and John Thune of South Dakota) voted to keep debate moving forward. Craig and Rockefeller did not vote.

Bill Frist's priorities are now crystal clear. Scoring political points is more important than passing a bill to fund our troops fighting around the world, and protecting gun-makers from lawsuits is more important than moving forward on meaningful stem cell legislation or the energy bill (or any number of other worthy pieces of legislation). -- 1:42 p.m.]