More Notes From The Senate All-Nighter

Our GOP hypocrite of Tuesday night -- and this is not an easy choice with this crowd -- is Lamar Alexander (R-TN) who said this about Harry Reid keeping the Senate in session all night to debate the Iraq occupation: "It does not show the proper respect for the men and women who are there and their families."

Really, Senator Alexander?

But I suppose Republicans filibustering Jim Webb's bill to give the troops adequate medical care and recovery time with their families before being shipped back to Iraq shows a ton of support-the-troops respect, huh?

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Mary Landrieu (D-LA) kicked some Republican tail tonight and took special offense at the constant characterization of the Senate's agenda as a "stunt" by almost every Bush rubber-stamper to step up to the microphone.

"This is not a stunt," said a clearly angry Landrieu. "This is a very strong and unwavering statement that this president is leading this country in the wrong direction."

She then put up a giant FBI wanted poster of Osama bin Laden and said "I brought his picture tonight so I can remind the president what he [bin Laden] looks like."

* * * * * *Sherrod Brown (D-OH) ripped into the Senate's GOP leadership saying "Too many of my Republican colleagues would rather protect the president than protect our soldiers and Marines in Iraq."

* * * * * *Unclear on the concept award goes to Susan Collins (R-ME) who said many times in her speech tonight that the Senate needs to "move past politics" in resolving the Iraq quagmire.

Note to Collins: "Politics" is defined by Dictionary.com as "the science or art of political government." In other words, it's not a dirty word -- it's your job description.

Now, having the blood of thousands of U.S. troops and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians on your hands -- that's dirty stuff.

* * * * * *Best statement of the late evening goes to Dianne Feinstein (D-CA):

"Does anyone believe truly that this war has gained us respect in the council of world nations? Does anyone believe that? Because if they do, they’re smoking something. Because it hasn’t. There has never been a time when America has less credibility abroad than today."