FiliBusted: Republican Goats And (Temporary) Democrat Heroes

Courtesy Chris Cilizza at WaPo, we have the vote count from today’s epic Senate #FAIL.
We note with interest that Mitch McConnell was as good as his word, and did NOT vote to bring the bill to the floor, whereas Kelly Ayotte, riding in McCain’s sidecar was convinced that it was “outrageous” to make life difficult for Democrats. That’s what being a “maverick” will do for you!

Thanks to McCain and his friend “The Snake from SC”, our erstwhile conservative senator found herself on the wrong side of the divide this afternoon, helping to bring to the floor a bill which will do nothing to prevent another Newtown or Aurora, but does contain the germ of expanded background checks, which can be used in the short term to rule increasing numbers of people “unfit” to bear arms, and in the long term to create a national gun registry – the favorite tool of tyrants for disarming the citizenry.

Adding insult to injury, Susan Collins of Maine helped to craft the bill, and Pat Toomey worked with Joe Manchin to draw up a set of barely acceptable expansions of background checks – something that “reasonable people” ought to be able to agree on – while forgetting that the long term goal of Democrats is tyranny over a disarmed populace, whereas the Republicans’ long term goal is tha rule of law.

From WaPo:

* Final vote count: 68 to 31. Ninety-nine senators voted, with one, Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), absent due to illness.

* Republicans who voted with Democrats to proceed: 16
Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.); Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.); Richard Burr (R-N.C.); Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.); Tom Coburn (R-Okla.); Susan Collins (R-Maine); Bob Corker (R-Tenn.); Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.); Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); Dean Heller (R-Nev.); John Hoeven (R-N.D.); Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.); Mark Kirk (R-Ill.); John McCain (R-Ariz.); Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.); Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)

* Democrats who voted with Republicans against proceeding: 2
Mark Begich (D-Alaska); Mark Pryor (D-Ark.).