Unsurprising But Correct Political Outcome Of the Week

The Coburn Amendment to strip Political Science of National Science Foundation funding died a quick and well-deserved death.  One could argue that the government should not fund research or maybe social science, but to pick out Political Science was, as I argued earlier, ignorance personified. [For other Saideman spews against Coburn, put Coburn into the search box at the top of the screen--I have about 4 or 5 rants of varying size].

I am looking forward to seeing a Political Scientist publishing a paper on the determinants of this vote--36 Senators voted for this amendment, 62 against.

Here is the list of Senators and their votes:

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---36
Barrasso (R-WY) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Bennett (R-UT) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Corker (R-TN) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Ensign (R-NV)	Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) LeMieux (R-FL) Lugar (R-IN) McCain (R-AZ) McCaskill (D-MO)	McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Nelson (D-NE) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Webb (D-VA) Wicker (R-MS)

NAYs ---62

Akaka (D-HI) Alexander (R-TN) Begich (D-AK) Bennet (D-CO) Bingaman (D-NM) Bond (R-MO) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Burr (R-NC) Burris (D-IL) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Cochran (R-MS) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Cornyn (R-TX) Dodd (D-CT) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Franken (D-MN) Gillibrand (D-NY) Gregg (R-NH) Hagan (D-NC) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Johanns (R-NE) Johnson (D-SD) Kaufman (D-DE) Kerry (D-MA) Kirk (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Menendez (D-NJ) Merkley (D-OR) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Shaheen (D-NH) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (D-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Tester (D-MT) Udall (D-CO) Udall (D-NM) Warner (D-VA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

A few surprises: Webb of Virginia?  Sure, he is a relatively conservative Democrat, but the NSF is in Arlington, and there are heaps of good universities in the state with strong political science departments.  Guess I have to vote against him in the next primary.  Despite frequent references to a possible national candidacy, Bayh of Indiana is now clearly a force for ignorance.  Interesting that the Republican for Nebraska was against the amendment but the Democrat was for.  Each playing to beyond their base?


[UPDATE]:  That didn't take long--quick analysis of the vote.