Is anyone surprised? Obstructionist republicans used a procedural move to block discussion of the American Jobs Act of 2011:

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 112th Congress – 1st Session

Vote Summary

Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 1660 )

Vote Number: 160 Vote Date: October 11, 2011, 06:34 PM

Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Cloture Motion Rejected

Measure Number: S. 1660 (American Jobs Act of 2011)

Measure Title: A bill to provide tax relief for American workers and businesses, to put workers back on the job while rebuilding and modernizing America, and to provide pathways back to work for Americans looking for jobs.

Vote Counts: YEAs 50

NAYs 49

Not Voting 1

Blunt (R-MO), Nay

McCaskill (D-MO), Yea

[emphasis added]

Even Joe Lieberman voted for discussion.

Yep, that’s right, republicans use their arcane Senate rules to stop a discussion that a majority of senators want to have. It’s not like the Senate has been burning the candle at both ends and there’s no time to fit it in.

Must be in the 99%. Definitely not in the 1%:

“A PBS mind in a Fox News world.” and “What Schools Need is a Moment of Science”

Ah, yes, the Faux News Channel effect has been documented quite well:

….The frequency of Americans’ misperceptions varies significantly depending on their source of news….Variations in misperceptions according to news source cannot simply be explained as a result of differences in the demographics of each audience, because these variations can also be found when comparing the rate of misperceptions within demographic subgroups of each audience….

An article in The Hill today details the subterfuges of the Democratic quislings who seem to want to go bat for the Republican election effort next year by voting “no” on the President’s jobs bill. The list includes most of the usual suspects – with one wonderful exception:

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), another election-year target who has attempted to distance herself from Obama, has spoken favorably of the bill. Her office did not respond to questions on Monday, but on Tuesday said she would vote for it.

Looks like McCaskill’s been paying attention. As Greg Sergent reports, pollster Stanley Greenberg contends that not only is it important, politically speaking, for Democrats to attempt to to draw a distinction between themselves and Republicans with this vote, but that Democrats who shy away from doing the right thing could be undercutting themselves as well as the President:

“They reduce their risks for reelection by showing support for a jobs bill that’s going to be increasingly popular as voters learn more about it,” Greenberg said. “They have to be for something on the economy, and this the kind of proposal they should support. If I were advising them, I’d say you want to be backing a jobs bill with middle class tax cuts paid for by tax hikes on millionaires. Moderate voters in these states very much want to raise taxes on the wealthy to meet our obligations.”

But now is not the time to let up on the pressure on McCasilll. Keep those letters and phone calls coming; let our Democratic Senator know how important we think this jobs plan is and how enthusiastic we will be about those Missouri politicians who support it.

UPDATE:  After last night’s vote, don’t forget to call Senator McCaskill and thank her for standing with the real Democrats yesterday. The President’s bill got a majority even though it couldn’t breach the Republican filibuster, but as Greg Sargent explains, getting a majority was vitallly important.

Yesterday, at the Missouri Ethics Commission:

C091068 10/09/2011 HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE INC Menlo Smith 15009 Manchester Rd #284 Ballwin MO 63011 SunMark Capital Group Chairman of the Board 10/7/2011 $12,500.00

[emphasis added]

Why, that could pay for a lot of robocalls.

Look what the HRCC did in the past:

HRCC robocall in the 121st Legislative District: desperation and homophobia (October 27, 2010)

….

Female voice: This is an urgent alert for all Christian families. Before you vote you should know that state representative candidate Courtney Cole has taken hundreds in campaign donations from a representative of the hard core pornography industry, including gay pornography. By allowing her Democratic campaign to be funded by those who are involved with and support hard core pornography Courtney Cole clearly does not share our Christian family values. On election day stand up for what’s right and decent by voting no on Courtney Cole. Paid for by House Republican Campaign Committee, Inc.

….

Nice, eh?

Previously:

The Occupation of Kansas City: Day 9 (October 8, 2011)

Occupy Kansas City (October 8, 2011)

The picture I didn’t take (October 8, 2011)

Occupy KC, Day Ten: The day the occupation came to me (October 9, 2011)

Occupy Kansas City: a concert, a few speeches, and a march (October 9, 2011)

A few more photos from yesterday’s Occupy Kansas City rally and march:

People were using the solar charger (bottom, right) for their cell phones and cameras.

There were a number of Guy Fawkes masks and references to the movie V for Vendetta.

Crooks in pinstripes.

Marching out from Penn Valley Park.

Remaining silent isn’t an option.

On Broadway.

“Wall Street stole my retirement fund…”

Obviously didn’t mind waiting in traffic.

On Broadway. “Here is the outrage! Where is the justice?!”

Previously:

The Occupation of Kansas City: Day 9 (October 8, 2011)

Occupy Kansas City (October 8, 2011)

The picture I didn’t take (October 8, 2011)

Occupy KC, Day Ten: The day the occupation came to me (October 9, 2011)

Occupy Kansas City started out the day in Penn Valley Park, across from the Federal Reserve Bank, with music and a few speeches and continued with a march down Broadway to the Plaza. Approximately five hundred people participated in the march.

Approximately five hundred individuals with Occupy Kansas City marched south on Broadway toward the Plaza.

The band set up in front of John Salvest’s “temporary public monument” IOU/USA.

About an hour before the march started I was standing toward the back of the crowd engaged in a conversation with a print reporter (not working this story and on his own time). A young man, probably high school age, approached us with a pen and notebook and started asking me questions. He had seen my credentials. He explained that he had been involved in the protest via Twitter and had decided that he wanted to report on the story. I asked him if he had a blog. He told me he started one this morning. He handed me his video camera and asked me if I could tell if it needed a charge. He had just checked it out from his school. I couldn’t help him. After the nice young man left to charge his camera the print reporter and I commented on the various ironies of this new continuum. We’re moving up the food chain.

Listening to the music in Penn Valley Park before the start of the march.

Contrary to the sniffing of the pundit class, the Occupy folks had their act together when it came to the logistics for dealing with a larger crowd:

Hotflash, this picture is for you.

The water station.

Staffed by a volunteer nurse.

There were a number of Guy Fawkes masks. Doesn’t some corporation own that trademark?

Nope, no DFHs here.

Throughout the afternoon there were small groups of individuals, sometimes from different backgrounds, sharing their views on a number of political subjects:

Painting a sign before the march.

A common refrain throughout the afternoon.

Access to education was another common refrain.

Working people.

The marchers line up to leave Penn Valley Park.

Marching up the hill past the Federal Reserve Bank complex.

At one point in the march I was on the west side of Broadway photographing the crowd as they marched south on the east side of the street. An individual from old media, seeing my credentials, said, as he was setting up his equipment, “Half these fuckers don’t even pay taxes.” As if that individual is in the top one percent? Right. Corporate propaganda certainly has reach. I didn’t reply and I continued walking south.

Filming b-roll for the evening news?

Taxpayers marching.

Even more taxpayers marching, at Broadway and Armour.

Working people.

Crossing Broadway, stopping traffic.

The vast majority of the marchers were well disciplined and stayed on the sidewalks except when crossing at intersections or to cross the street.

A few youngsters in the street.

As the march proceeded down Broadway people stepped outside of businesses, restaurants and bars to watch and take pictures with their cell phones. Some asked questions as we passed. “What’s this about?” “Occupy Wall Street.” “Yeah, I heard about that.” Drivers of passing cars sounded their horns and some waved in support of the marchers.

A peace sign from an apartment balcony.

Approaching the Plaza.

Throughout the march there were individuals passing out leaflets to bystanders and to passengers in cars stopped at traffic lights.

Leafleting on 47th Street, heading into the Plaza. His sign reads, “One day the poor will have nothing to eat but the rich.”

will be along with real coverage soon, he came up and covered the rally and march. I stayed home and wrote a paper.

But we live in a totally kick-ass universe, and it always manages to deliver for me.

About twenty minutes after Michael and our friend Dennis, the editor of a small newspaper in Central Missouri, left my house, about 250 people came marching down my street, chanting and waving signs and making their voices heard.

Like I said, Michael will be along with much better coverage in a bit, but until then…

I heard them coming

Michael estimated the original march south to be about 500-strong. I would guess that about 250 came marching down my street on their way back to the camp at Penn Valley Park, behind the KC Fed.

It took between five and ten minutes for the entire group to go past.

I’ve done a bit o’ marching in my day, and any 30-block march that holds  half the marchers together going the opposite direction is a group of dedicated people who aren’t going to be moved off their positions.

It seemed like they just kept coming. I kept saying to myself “this is so awesome!”

Finally, the tail end of the group made it past, and the person who had been patiently waiting in their car for the marchers to pass stuck her arm out the window for a flyer.

I love this neighborhood.