How Obama Gets To 60
Per National Journal's Kevin Friedl, a look at how President Obama gets to a filibuster-proof 60 votes on the stimulus package:
The first sustained debate in the 111th Senate -- what to include in the economic stimulus bill -- is still ongoing, but already it presents a clear picture of which Republicans President Obama and the Democratic majority will have to court in order to pass the stimulus bill in the short term and advance his legislative agenda further down the road.Eleven of the 12 roll call votes cast this week on amendments to the bill have fallen out largely along party lines. Most of them concerned Republican proposals to limit spending measures or introduce new tax cuts. Some, such as Arizona Republican John McCain's amendment to strike down the bill's "Buy American" provision, targeted more specific provisions.
As illustrated in the chart below, 19 Republican senators have crossed over to join the majority party at least once; eight of these represent states that went for Obama. While there were 20 Democrats who likewise crossed party lines on at least one amendment to the bill, there were fewer serial swing voters from the majority party.
It's those repeat Republican defectors who the White House will have to work with to pass the stimulus bill. Nine Republicans voted with the Democrats on more than one amendment, most frequently Maine's two senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, who crossed over together on seven of the 11 amendments. They were followed by Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, who cast his lot with the Democrats six times, and Ohio's George Voinovich, who did so three times. Obama won all three states last November.
Indiana's Richard Lugar and Iowa's Charles Grassley both represent states that voted to send Obama to the White House, and the president's personal relationship with Lugar may help swing him to the majority when the stimulus comes up for vote. Texas' Kay Bailey Hutchison, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Louisiana's David Vitter -- all of whom voted against their party on two amendments -- will likely prove tougher sells.
On the Democratic side, independent Democrat Joe Lieberman of Connecticut voted with the GOP most often, casting five votes that way. Evan Bayh of Indiana swung to the Republican side four times, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska did so three times.
NJ's chart on the votes can be viewed here.
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