I honestly don't care that Biden, Obama, and Dodd skipped the vote

Their votes would not have made a difference, leadership knew they couldn't get the other 4 votes needed for 60, and therefore they did not need to show up.

The fact is that it takes a ridiculous amount of time to run for President in today's world and that isn't the candidates' fault. Votes have to be missed and senatorial and sometimes gubernatorial duties have to be put aside in order to run a successful campaign. The only way to get around this is to have your father raise an obscene amount of money for you, so that you can be in Texas while your TV ads do the campaigning for you in Iowa and New Hampshire.

If their constituents aren't happy with that then their constituents can vote them out in the next election. But I do know that Obama's approval ratings in Illinois are in the 70's and I'm not sure about Dodd's and Biden's but I'd imagine that they aren't going to have too much trouble being re-elected to the US Senate, should they not make it to the White House.

Also, I'm sure that there will be times in Senator Clinton's campaign schedule where she will miss votes that Obama, Biden, and Dodd will make.

for their constituents and the Constitution. Under the circumstances, they should have been on record IN UNITY.

That's more important than personal aspirations...

Absences aren't a sign of a lack of unity, they are a sign of Senators can't ALWAYS be in the Senate Chamber for votes. The only people who showed disdain for the constitution were the Republicans who voted against it.

and quite frankly I think that MANY other Americans are sick and fucking tired of all of the excuses and rationalizations offered up by the Dems and their apologists.

Every single Dem should have been there and voted. And then spun it off on the far right.

Instead, they look impotent again.

I think depakid hit the nail right on the head......they were elected to serve their constituents not to run for president of the United States.

don't you think he and obama talked and Durbin said for him to stay in California. please.

Talked to not only Obama, but Biden, Dodd, and Clinton as well and told them that they couldn't get the 60 votes and therefore they would not be needed if they have other commitments.

the shadows we cast are not the people we are, just the light we are standing in.

even if the numbers weren't there, there is something called DUTY and HONOR!

Hippo said"The fact is that it takes a ridiculous amount of time to run for President in today's world and that isn't the candidates' fault."

That is the silliest comment I have ever seen here on DU......These long campaigns are what is wrong with this country...these long campaigns are a distraction.....they cost money and who is paying for it...I certainly don't have money to support these long drawn out campaigns.....so it must be rich democrats and lobbyist that are funneling money in to their chest....

It is the fault of states for front loading their primaries as well as George W Bush for setting the precedent that you can forgo public financing in the primaries.

The message sent by them not being there spoke louder than any campaign speech.
The public does not tune into the fine points of Congressional rules - they see the candidate in action and make their decisions.
How much more effective it would have been for them to be front and center to make some effort to clean house of this gawd awful administration.
What a disappopintment.

if it would have mattered if they had returned for this vote. The answer was NO! I think it would have shown stupidity in judgement if they HAD made a special trip back to Washington just for a futile apprarance!