But have you heard this interesting thing?

[T]he Senate yesterday voted overwhelmingly to prohibit Housing and Urban Development grants from going to [ACORN], which bills itself as "the nation's largest community organization of low and moderate income families."

That's not really the interesting part. Of course the Senate would "overwhelmingly" vote to stop American tax dollars from going toward the illegal trafficking of sex workers and the fostering of whorehouses. I mean, really, you'd just have to be pretty dumb and politically suicidal to not vote against a thing like that.

Here's the interesting part…

Eighty-three senators voted for an amendment from Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., to ban the funds, with seven senators voting against the amendment and nine not voting.

Seven United States senators voted against the bill! And they're all fucking Democrats (except for one who's an independent socialist, which is pretty much like a super Democrat)…

So, you were wondering how the Democrats were planning their spectacular implosion in the 2010 midterms? Does this give you any ideas?

The Senate stalled on the omnibus Thursday night when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) came up short of the 60 votes he needed to move the bill forward.

That led to an "ugly" late-night, closed-door meeting between Reid, Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — aides in the hall heard yelling and swearing — and it has fanned House Democrats’ anger over Rei'’s inability to move bills without granting major concessions to marginal members of both parties.

"We're always frustrated with the Senate," House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Friday. The rejoinder from Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), a suddenly powerful centrist who helped strip the House stimulus bill of billions: "I've said all along, the House needs to learn how to count the votes in the Senate." Reid's own vote count came up short Thursday night.

Now, you might not think that counting to 60 is particularly difficult. But, you gotta remember, these are not professional mathematicians we're talking about here.

To count all the way up to sixty, you've got to convince at least three congresspeople to take off their shoes and socks so that you can use all their toes as well as fingers.

And, as you know, you can't convince a full three Democratic congresspeople to do any one thing.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was not immune to his charms. Praising Pitt for his work to rebuild New Orleans' hurricane-ravaged 9th Ward, she even allowed that meeting him affords her "bragging rights to my children and my grandchildren — a real treat for me as well."

Nancy Pelosi gets so few "treats" these days, why not? She will have even more to brag about when Brad Pitt adopts her grandchildren. But what will Harry Reid do?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confided to Pitt that he was envious that his lieutenant, Majority Whip Dick Durbin, got to meet soccer star Mia Hamm a day earlier, according to one person who was present and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Well, Pitt replied, he'll bring along co-parent Angelina Jolie next time to help Reid make Durbin jealous, this person said. Later, a Durbin aide sniffed: "Durbin's already met Angelina Jolie."

Snap! Take that, Reid, and shove it under your sad little shrine to Mia Hamm. In fact, rumor has it that Dick Durbin's looking heavier than usual these days… too many trips to the Senate cafeteria?

Or BABY BUMP?

"I told him that under the circumstances I would consider resigning," Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois' senior senator and the Senate's No. 2 Democrat said after a nearly hour-long meeting with Burris.

Oh, really? Well, I suppose that means Burris will be leaving the Senate now. I bet he's packing up his stuff right now as you read this…

"He's told me clearly that he will not resign."

Or not. Yeah, I guess not. That kinda makes more sense.

A who's who of senators and House members flocked to Sen. Roland Burris on the U.S. Senate floor after his swearing-in Thursday as the chamber's newest member, ending an embarrassing episode for Democrats who vowed to block his appointment.

"I'm feeling terrifically vindicated," Mr. Burris, who was barred from the swearing-in ceremony last week over objections that his appointment was made by scandal-plagued Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, said later outside the chamber…

On the Senate floor, a beaming Mr. Burris found himself wrapped in hugs by fellow Democrats who once locked him out, including the other Illinois senator, Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Sure, he's beaming now. But I wonder how he'll feel after Harry and Dick catch him alone in the senatorial shower room. When he finds out why they're called "Leader" and "Whip."

Some advice for the new Senator Burris: Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Oberweis, a millionaire investor and dairy-farm owner, has a proud history of miserable failure in elections. Here's a run-down:

- 2002: Oberweis runs for the U.S. Senate in Illinois. He finishes a distant second in the Republican primary to Jim Durkin, a Congressman whose Senate candidacy was based entirely on the hope that voters would confuse his last name with incumbent Senator Dick Durbin's. Durbin wins in a landslide.

- 2004: Oberweis again tries his luck for the Senate, this time run for the open seat vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. He places second in the Republican primary to wealthy banker Jack Ryan, who quickly becomes embroiled in a sordid sex scandal. Amazingly, the Illinois Republican Party declines to tap Oberweis to fill in as the GOP nominee, instead turning to Marylander Alan Keyes, who goes on to lose to Barack Obama, 70% to 27%.

- 2006: Oberweis figures that he should try for a more local office and throws his hat into the Illinois Governor's race. Once again, he comes in second in the GOP primary, this time to state treasurer Judy Topinka, who goes on to lose the general election to the scandal-ridden incumbent Governor Rod Blagojevich.

- 2008: Oberweis enters the special election to replace retired Republican Congressman Dennis Hastert in a rural, conservative Illinois district. Incredibly, he wins the Republican primary (nice work, Jim!) but goes on to lose the deep-red seat to Democrat Bill Foster.

Currently, Oberweis is gearing up for a rematch against Foster in the November election. Pundits are already declaring him … you guessed it … the loser!

Believe it or not, our trip here hasn't only been movie stars pretending to care about stuff.  We've also seen some honest to goodness politicians who might actually care about stuff like Rep. Mike Michaud of Maine, and Teamster leader James Hoffa, who also attended the event with Ms. Theron.

In the Big Tent, several folks have dropped by. Below are Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate Majority Whip from Illinois, and Sen. John Tester of Montana mixing it up with the liberal bloggers.

And lastly, Senator Ben Cardin of Maine Maryland* spoke at The Dark Court Panel Discussion.

Check back for more pictures later today.

* @ Harold. Maryland is my home state too.  This is what happens when you don't sleep for 3 nights straight. Still had Michaud on the mind I guess…

I was just introduced to her in Daily Kos and Digg's Big Tent, and she did seem very intrigued to meet somebody from Comedy Central, even if not somebody particularly intriguing in and of himself.

I asked her what she thought of Hillary Clinton's speech last night, and she said she was expecting Sen. Clinton do well, but that it "exceeded my expectations." That seems to be the general opinion across the board with everyone I've spoken to. (I asked her if she's expecting Bill's speech tonight to be comparable, and she said she'd rather not draw a comparison. Message recieved, loud and clear.)

Wish I had a picture, but it turns out I'm an idiot and left the hotel without a battery in my camera. So, Michael very patiently agreed to go home to get it.

We did however manage to get some pictures of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and campaign guru Joe Trippi, both of whom are currently wandering around The Tent and discussing the best ways to undermine American pride with all the liberal bloggers (or so I assume). I'll try to get those pics up soon.

Join former United States Senate Pages Dylan and Ethan Ris as they bring you the dish on not just the presidential race but all the exciting triumphs and disgraces inside, outside, and below the Beltway!

This Week's Politician In Trouble! The Pages are hopping mad at the predatory home mortgage industry, which continues to profit from exploiting the most naive and ignorant segment of our society: Members of Congress.

We're of course referring to the tragic case of Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA), whose third home was taken away by The Repo Men earlier this month. According to the Torrance, CA Daily Breeze (motto: "Ending Geraldine Ferraro's Career Since 2008"), the meanies at Washington Mutual foreclosed on Richardson's Sacramento home after the Congresswoman defaulted on her $535,000 loan.

The Breeze notes that Richardson also neglected to pay property tax, made a real estate agent cry, left behind a garage "full of trash to the ceiling."

But we say all this could have been avoided if Richardson's fellow homeowners had just done the neighborly thing and funneled cash to her political campaign. They even could have taken a cue from Greenpeace and fed the Congresswoman smoothies, but apparently some people just don't have manners these days.

The next step for Richardson likely involves moving into one of her two other homes in California, although she's apparently defaulted on her loan payments for those, too.

Well, if things get really messy, the Congresswoman could always ask fellow politicians Dick Durbin, Chuck Schumer, Bill Delahunt, and George Miller if she could crash on the couch of their Washington apartment! They have an awesome deck and the Nintendo Wii, and they're apparently scoring free wi-fi from the neighbors. And all Richardson would have to do is pay 1/5 of the utilities and walk the pit bull when the menfolk are out with lobbyists. We say, take it!