Senator Kerry "may not have made up his mind yet"

Unlike Senator Kerry, who "may not have made up his mind yet" about Coburn Amendment #2085 to H.R. 3058, the Transportation appropriations biill, Baby Cakes knows his mind and stands on principle. Note slightly matted ruff still drying from latest "Nature's Miracle" Skunk Odor Remover treatment.

"When the [Coburn] Amendment is considered, I'll tell you how he votes," promised Will Johnson of Senator Kerry's Main District Office in Boston after a little nudging on our part during a brief phone conversation early this afternoon. H.R. 3058 -- the Treasury, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill -- was on the Senate floor, he reported, but when we asked Mr. Johnson where his boss stood on the Coburn Amendment -- blogged here -- he protested that there were, fergossake, 137 amendments, and Kerry "may not have made up his mind yet" on this particular one. 'Reminds us of RI Sen. Chaffee's and Reed's response to blogger Caroll Andrew Morse, as reported by InstaPundit:

The staffers were very polite and professional, but both offices informed me they couldn’t share the Senator’s position until after the vote was taken.

Is this really how deliberative democracy is supposed to work? Aren’t public officials supposed to make their positions on issues, well, public.

Tom Crohan of Senator Kennedy's Main District Office, meanwhile, didn't seem to have heard of the Coburn Amendment but offered nonethless that "I imagine he will vote for it." Probably not, but he, too, took our name and number and promised to call back. We don't expect the Senators of Taxachusetts to prefer pork busting to raising taxes "on the wealthy" but just wanted something for the record.  Too much to ask of our elected officials?

Update:  This just in from Mark Tapscott's Copy Desk [via InstaPundit]: "Senate Overwhelmingly Rejects Three Coburn Anti-Pork Amendments." Since one of those amendments was an animal shelter in Westerly, RI, we are torn.  Still no word yet on that bridge too far, which -- Coburn's office emails InstaPundit -- is "coming up shortly."

Update II:  In prompt reply to an email we sent earlier today, Senator Kennedy's Internet Operations Manager, Crystal Patterson -- who, we just discovered via Google, posts at Daily Kos, known among bloggers on the right right side of the aisle as Moonbat Central -- promises to let Senator Kennedy know where we stand on the Coburn Amendment and adds:

I have a call in to find out, I’ll see what I can find out for you.

Thanks so much, Crystal.  We can't wait to hear.

Comments

[Teresa]

Y'know I really hate to say it... but why is the Federal Government funding a pet shelter? At the very highest level it should be the state that funds something like that. Not to be mean to animals with no home - but I don't quite see how that can be considered a good use of Federal money.

Did you catch (also on Instapundit) that one of the Senators from the finance committee was issuing threats... I'd be willing to say it's nearly 100% certain both the Special K twins voted against. Although at the moment they appear to be in good company. Are there any Republicans in the Senate??? Just wondering.

[goomp]

If all bloggers will keep the heat on Congress it will at least make the members nervous. Generally they are a reprehensible group and are not happy if they are not pulling the wool over the eyes of most their voters.

[jeff]

Wow, I can hardly stand the suspense, waiting to see how Kennedy will vote