By Gregory

Jun 23, 2010 6:10pm

Petraeus: Then and Now

ABC News' Jonathan Karl reports:  Back in September 2007, when moveon.org attacked General David Petraeus as “General Betray Us,” the Senate passed a resolution to express “full support” for Petraeus and to “strongly condemn personal attacks on the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all members of the United States Armed Forces.”

The resolution passed 72 to 25.

The list of “NO” votes reads like a who’s who of Democratic power players:  Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, the entire Democratic leadership of the Senate (Reid, Durbin, Schumer, Murray) and the current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (Levin).

Also interesting are those who did not vote:  Senators Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

And although Senator Obama skipped this vote, he was in Washington and did vote on the other two measures that came up for a vote that day (one before the Petraeus vote, one after).

Back then, many Democrats were critical of Patraeus because they believed he was exaggerating progress made in Iraq during surge. Today, when asked about past Democratic criticism, Senator Levin said General Patraeus has “proven himself in the field and that he is a supporter of the president's policy and that he is the architect of a counterinsurgency strategy”.

Here’s the roll call for the vote, which took place on September 20, 2007

Grouped By Vote Position:

YEAs —72
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC) Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Webb (D-VA)

NAYs —25
Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI) Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting – 3
Biden (D-DE) Cantwell (D-WA) Obama (D-IL)

User Comments

What, did he at least vote “Present”? Obama missing a vote back then. There’s news… (Irony!)

Posted by: CBA | June 23, 2010, 10:39 pm 10:39 pm

Sounds like “LogicalUS” has you all pegged.
Before the surge, Obama and his ilk were calling Petraeus a traitor now they’re begging him to pull them out of the fire while commies like Eikenberry and Holbrooke constantly undermine the effort we’re charged with winning.
Where’s the interview with MoveOn and their lickspittle minions in the press and Congress now?
Remember, the NY Times gave them a discounted rate for that Gen. Betrayus ad too.

Posted by: Captain Obvious | June 23, 2010, 11:02 pm 11:02 pm

Not even present, and look at 25 NO votes from the party of YES. What hypocrits.

Posted by: Lizzie | June 24, 2010, 10:38 am 10:38 am

Wow! I was searching for info and accidently got to the ABC News website. I thought you “news” guys went off the air years ago along with Air America. The change I hoped for has not yet materialized. However,given your declining audience, it may be just around the bend.

Posted by: ray czahar | August 23, 2010, 1:11 pm 1:11 pm

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