''Team of Rivals" is also an America ''coming-of-age" saga. Lincoln, Seward, Chase et al. are sketched as being part of a ''restless generation," born when Founding Fathers occupied the White House and the Louisiana Purchase netted nearly 530 million new acres to be explored. The Western Expansion motto of this burgeoning generation, in fact, was cleverly captured in two lines of Stephen Vincent Benet's verse: ''The stream uncrossed, the promise still untried / The metal sleeping in the mountainside." None of the protagonists in ''Team of Rivals" hailed from the Deep South or Great Plains. _______________________________ From a review by Douglas Brinkley, 2005
I don't think many Americans even knew Maine was a state in the union until now, but Olympia Snow has made everyone take note. I can only imagine the furor she has caused within the Republican Party.
ReplyDeleteThe vote was 14-9. If she had voted nay it would have been 13-10 . . . wouldn't it have gotten out of the committee for that as well? Jon Stewart made a point of that on his show Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin Ginny is senior aide to Olympia Snow. Since Republicans are giving Sen. Snow grief lately, I think she should change party, even just to be independent. Republican Party is simply a disgraceful, narrow pit these days.
It showed she is willing to break ranks on the bill, which should prove key in the full Senate vote.
ReplyDeleteI liked one of the comments at the NY Times: "I didn't vote for Olympia Snow to run the country."
ReplyDeleteI doubt very much that any Republicans will follow her on this. She's known for being the moderate in the bunch.
ReplyDeleteThere are others as well like Collins of Maine and Lugar of Indiana who could go against the Repugs on this bill, since their states went with Obama and I would think their constituents are watching this bill closely.
ReplyDeleteOf course, there are a couple of Dems who might go against the bill like Nelson of Nebraska and Landrieu of Louisiana, which I imagine the Repugs are actively courting. Nelson is on record as being against any form of public option and the bill in general.
Still, I think the bill will pass and the Republicans will be forced to eat this one.
Next up the even more contentious Energy Bill.