Preposterous Universe

 
Profiles in courage

The US Senate passed a resolution, sponsored by Mary Landrieu and George Allen, that officially apologized to lynching victims for the Senate's failure to condemn lynching several times in the 19th and 20th centuries. Not a difficult position to get behind, really. Except that it was passed by voice vote, rather than by a roll call, because several Senators would not support the resolution.

So, who are the Senators who bravely hold the pro-lynching position? Unfortunately it will probably be impossible to ever know for sure, unless the Senators themselves tell us. Not only was their a voice vote, but it's possible to add your name as a co-sponsor of a Senate resolution even after it's already been passed. From Kos, here's the list of non-sponsors:

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Christopher Bond (R-MO)
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Michael Crapo (R-ID)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Kay Hutchison (R-TX)
Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
John Sununu (R-NH)
Craig Thomas (R-WY)
George Voinovich (R-OH)

Via Atrios, Chris Geidner and Americablog are trying to figure out which of these non-sponsors were actively against the resolution. Any Senator who ends up not being a sponsor of a resolution like this should be ashamed of themselves.

Update 6/15: Several more Senators have now co-sponsored: Bond, Bunning, Burns, Chambliss, Conrad, Murkowski, and Voinovich.. Their names have been stricken out above. However, Chris Geidner has called all of the Senators' offices, and has been told by the offices of Sens. Alexander, Bennett, Cornyn, Grassley, Gregg, and Shelby that they support the resolution.

Update 6/17: Crapo, Grassley, and Hatch have now co-sponsored.

~ posted by Sean Carroll at 12:12 PM ~ link ~ ~ ~