On Saturday night I was watching the vote to proceed to debate on the Health Care Reform in the Senate, or Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 3590 as it’s officially called. Is that a proof that I need to get Life 2.0? I don’t know. However, I was stunned by the lack of drama. The clerk called roll and everybody said yea or nay as predicted strictly along the caucus lines. The only exception is Sen. Geaorge Voinovich, who chose not to vote, but that took me some time to figure out. After a brief pause the clerk then read out the names of the people for and the people against, and then the presiding senator, Chris Dodd, asked if anybody wanted to change their vote, and then that was it.
Compared that to the house vote. There you heard a buzz on the floor, and applause as the 218 threshold was passed. In the Senate. Nothing. No wonder that C-Span is the only channel that broadcasts these kind of things live. The normal cable 24-hour news cycle people just don’t have time for these kind of drawn out, quiet affairs. I’m so glad there is a C-Span (or three).
