The most conservative Senate Republicans — along with a handful of liberal Democrats who think it went too far — voted against the debt bill.

One senator who didn’t fit that category was moderate Democrat Ben Nelson, who also voted no, but he’s up for re-election in 2012.

Here’s the full list of the 26 senators who voted against the bill:

Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Dan Coats (R-IN)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Dean Heller (R-NV)
Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Mike Lee (R-UT)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Rand Paul (R-KY)
Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
Pat Toomey (R-PA)
David Vitter (R-LA)

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In light of last Tuesday’s White House ‘Snub’, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has again sent another invite to President Barack Obama to meet on solving the debt ceiling debate. Read Full Story ‘McConnell rallies, invites Obama to Hill again’ at Politico – Click Image to open link in a new window/tab

Further Reading: Obama debt ceiling taunts draw fire from Republicans - Politico.com

A majority of American voters continue to favor repeal of the health care law passed by Congress last year and the number who expect repeal has reached a new high.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely Voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law, while 39% at least somewhat oppose it. This includes 40% who Strongly Favor repeal and 29% who are Strongly Opposed.

Fifty-three percent (53%) also believe that it is at least somewhat likely the law will be repealed. That’s a seven point jump from a month ago and the highest expectation of repeal yet measured. As with all such jumps, it remains to be seen whether this is the start of a new trend or merely statistical noise. Only 30% consider repeal unlikely, while 17% are not sure.

Still, the overwhelming sense about whether the law will be repealed is uncertainty. Only 17% say repeal is Very Likely and 6% believe it is Not At All Likely. That means three-out-of-four Americans (77%) are less certain of the outcome.

The numbers concerning the health care law have changed little since it was passed last year. A majority of voters have favored repeal every week but one since it was passed and even in the one exception a plurality favored repeal. The number of voters supporting repeal has ranged from 47% to 63% in that time period.

The dynamics have remained the same as well, with most Republicans and unaffiliated voters favoring repeal while most Democrats are opposed.

Older voters are more supportive of repeal than younger voters. The number who Strongly Favor repeal has consistently been higher than the number of Strongly Oppose it.

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Twitter Catches Another Politician Showing His True Colors (Pun Intended)

What a circus American politics has become. Barnum and Bailey can’t top what goes on under the Capitol rotunda on almost a daily basis.

Another zany Liberal has shown that he has just as much integrity in dealing with women as he does with the poor, beleaguered taxpayer. Use them for what ever selfish and corrupt end result you have in mind and then lecture them on what you believe THEIR character faults are.

What a hypocrite! Weiner was arrogant and condescending in every interview I ever saw him doing and all the while this horn dog was out there marketing himself as being available for something other than representing the people of his district.

These folks have got some world class chutzpah when they go “tsk, tsk” if a Republican goes south but expect the country to be “understanding and forgiving” when one of their big spenders gets caught in his jockey shorts.

Well, as I sometimes end my phone calls with Solid Principles Co-Founder, Craig Edwards, we’ll just have to wait and see what new outrage tomorrow will bring!

~~John Cronin~~

This story first appeared in RollCall.com, Roll Call on June 9, 2011.

By STUART ROTHENBERG

The last major party candidates nominated while they were in the House or just after they had left the House were William Jennings Bryan (D) in 1896, Garfield in 1880 and Horace Greeley (Whig) in 1872.

As a general rule, few House Members run for president, and those who do usually fare poorly. (By comparison, Senators frequently run for president, with a record four of them seeking the Democratic nomination in 2008.)

During the past 50 years, only a few sitting House Members have been regarded as serious contenders for a presidential nod: Democratic Reps. Dick Gephardt (Mo.) in 1988 and 2004 and Mo Udall (Ariz.) in 1976 and Republican Rep. Jack Kemp in 1988. Illinois Rep. John Anderson ran a credible race for the GOP nomination in 1980 until dropping out to run for president as an Independent.

Other House Members have sought a major party nomination, but they have usually been either long shots hoping lightning would strike, such as California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter (2008) and Illinois Republican Rep. Phil Crane (1980), or ideologues with a vocal but very narrow following, such as Ohio Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich (2004 and 2008), California Republican Rep. Bob Dornan (1996) and Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul (in 2008 and again in 2012).

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