Update 6:22 pm — 15 min. vote being held open FUH EVAH…

Jerry Lewis — returning to regular order on appropriations bill.  Disappointed in where the bill is — "high dollar level in every account except for troop funding."  That’s going to be their defense — "cuts troop funding."  Didn’t the House add $9 billion for planes nobody needed?

"Members on the majority side please take their conversations off the floor"  — evidently things are quite heated there.

(One hour for debate on the rule, vote on the rule, then general debate on the bill, then votes on final passage — maybe a motion to recommit if it’s in order.)

Eric Cantor — well he’s had an exciting couple of days.  Did he celebrate with a bottle of Grecian?  "We can pass a bipartisan bill with a 368 to 60 vote — unfortunately we find a conference report that is vastly different that the bill we approved."  If the GOP hadn’t started dragging the kitchen sink into conference, I would be more moved.

"Specific units will have enhanced danger immediately" if the photos that are no different than the ones already out there be released.  Doesn’t want the photos to "make their way into brochures" to recruit terrorists.  Maybe by the time the pictures were taken the horse was already out of that barn?

Having to listen to endless GOP blather about the detainee photo bill — like I needed another reason to hate Joe Lieberman.

GOP has 17 min remaining, Dems have 29 min remaining.

Now Tom Cole — no Dems speaking.   "They assumed we would roll over or be bullied into voting for war funding."  There is a certain exquisite irony at hearing the Repubicans utter those words, but their complete lack of self-awareness makes it somehow unsatisfying.

Steny — invoking George Bush and Ronald Reagan.  Oh yeah. Well, let’s see him lipstick this pig.  He’s earning his money.

"What a GREAT leader Ronald Reagan was.  Ronald Reagan said this…"  Christ, enough with the corpse humping.

Now he’s praising George Bush and Newt Gingrich…NEWT…did I hallucinate last November?

Looking forward to waking up every morning and combing through the financial records of everyone who fucks us.  Because everyone needs a hobby.

None of the Dems want to speak.   What, is nobody proud of this vote?  Don’t they want to stand up and shout it from the rooftops?

McCotter:  Despite the fact that I’m the DCCC’s #1 target, I was never going off the reservation and make a deal with Rahm.  Really.

Gohmert:  Didn’t know China was a four syllable word.  Sort of comes out "Chu ha HAI na."

Interesting — there were 10 votes against the rule:  Filner, Heinrich, Kaptur, Kratovil, Michaud, Minnick, Mitchell, Rush and Waters.   Four of them are Blue Dogs (Kratovil, Michaud, Minnick & Mithchell).

Boehner: "Demands of the fringe left."  Kind of has a ring to it. Like "tan in a can."

Obey is the last speaker.  One of the reason that the progressives were nervous about bucking leadership is because they didn’t want to piss off Obey.

"When the world economic situation becomes shakey, it is our obligation to through a hundred billion dollars into a black hole with no accountability, because if we don’t, the next thing you know…Adolf Hiter."  No, that’s pretty much what he said. 

If this bill is so damn changey, how come nobody wants to stand up and sing about it?  Nobody seems to be proudly casting their vote.   What’s up with that?

Shorter:  "You can’t demagogue terror.  Now that we’re in charge, WE get to demagogue terror."

15 min. vote

Marcy Kaptur told Nancy Pelosi that she’d vote "no" but she wouldn’t vote early — they’re trying to force Republicans to vote "yes" by convincing them that they have the votes among Democrats, which will make them want to jump on the bandwagon. Or something.

 WTF? :36 to go, only 161 votes?

What’s up with the time?  It expired a couple of minutes ago — are they holding the vote open?  132 Dem "yea," 16 "nay."

One Republican voted Yea — possibly McHugh.

Woops — GOP "yea" vote disappeared. 

WAY TO GO DEMS!!!  You’re going to vote for war funding ALL BY YOURSELF!!!

Two more votes…we bought it.

218 votes for war funding.  Yeah. It’s a Democratic war now.

5 Republicans scurried in at the wire once the Dems reached 218.

What, no roll call?