Senate Confirms Comey To Head FBI (updated)

[ProSense]

Senate Confirms Comey To Head FBI

The U.S. Senate confirmed James Comey to head the FBI in a 93-1 vote late Monday afternoon.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the only no 'vote,' though two senators voted 'present.'

Paul withdrew his hold on the nomination earlier Monday after the FBI responded to his questions on the domestic use of surveillance drones.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/senate-approves-comey-to-head-fbi

Updated to add roll call: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00188

[Cali_Democrat]

1. Good pick by Obama: FBI nominee Comey: The man who told Bush his eavesdropping was illegal

FBI nominee Comey: The man who told Bush his eavesdropping was illegal

As word spread Wednesday that James Comey is President Obama’s pick to lead the FBI into the next decade, the potential nominee was meeting with a group of law professors.

Over lunch, Comey–who served as deputy attorney general under former President George W. Bush–was asked about oversight of government surveillance programs in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling related to the issue. Lawyers, Inspectors-General, and Congress all have oversight roles, he said.

No one knows that better than Comey, who nearly resigned after discovering that Bush’s own surveillance program had operated outside the law. Comey stayed after Bush agreed to fix the program.

The 52-year-old registered Republican is expected to replace Robert S. Mueller III, a 12-year veteran who has overseen the FBI’s transformation from chasing bank robbers to overseeing counterterrorism in a post-Sept. 11, 2001 world.

Read more:

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/05/30/fbi-nominee-comey-the-man-who-told-bush-his-eavesdropping-was-illegal/

[Tx4obama]

2. Hmm. The US House does has a 'present' vote, but NOT the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. Senate only has: 'yes', 'no', and 'not voting' categories in the roll call - 'not voting' is just the list of folks that did not cast a vote, it doesn't reflect if the Senator was there on the Senate floor or not.

That issue came up when the GOPers starting saying that Obama voted 'present' in the U.S. Senate - and that was proven to be false.
The Illinois State Senate has a 'present' vote, but not the U.S. Senate.

Anyway I believe the author of the article got that part wrong.

[ProSense]

4. There were two "present" votes. Link to roll call added to OP. n/t

[Tx4obama]

7. Hmm. Is that something new?

[Tx4obama]

8. Okay I guess I was wrong, I found this...

-snip-

"It’s very rare for a senator to vote 'present,' " said U.S. Senate historian Donald A. Ritchie. "That’s usually only if they are somehow personally involved in something."

-snip-

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/feb/08/sarah-palin/palin-says-obama-voted-present-us-senate-very-ofte/

[Mass]

5. There is a present vote in the US Senate. Here is the roll call for the nomination

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00188

[Cali_Democrat]

3. The only person to vote against him is that batshit crazy ass motherfucker Rand Paul. n/t

[HardTimes99]

6. How fitting that Obama appoints a Bush apparatchik torture-enabling hack to

head the FBI.

He should consider making Kindasleezy the next U.N. ambassador just to keep the tradition intact.

Congrats to Wyden and Merkeley for not giving their approval. Boo to Boxer for her craven acceptance (my phone call and email obviiously didn't carry any weight).

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Yet Bernie Sanders voted YEA

Under the bus he goes!

As FYI, Comey battled against Gonzo so he can be turned.

[HardTimes99]

11. Comey signed off on torture. Nothing further need be said. - nt

[Tx4obama]

12. Comey's waterboarding promise: "If I were FBI director, we would never have anything to do with that

Waterboarding promise: "If I were FBI director, we would never have anything to do with that,"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014551658#post1

[NuclearDem]

13. Wouldn't need to waterboard, he's completely alright with what he did to Padilla

[BumRushDaShow]

14. Not quite

While serving in the Bush administration, Comey said he drafted a new analysis of existing statutes that had been used to legally justify waterboarding as an interrogation technique. He said he went to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to present his objections to the practice, but his case was rejected.

“[Gonzales] literally took my notes with him to a meeting at the White House and told me he made my argument in full, and that the principals were fully onboard with the policy. And so my argument was rejected,” Comey recalled.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/309819-comey-waterboarding-is-torture-illegal#ixzz2aTqc2JGp

[zappaman]

9. Is this an appropriate thread to say...???

Fuck Rand Paul and his fucking father Ron!