Additions and Subtractions

As Alex Parker reported late last night, Sen. Tom Coburn filibustered Sens. Daniel Akaka and Susan Collins' amendment containing a package of federal workforce reforms out of the Defense Authorization bill. Apparently for Coburn, dealing with federal employee benefits is "intolerable" during a recession. But Ed O'Keefe noted that the Senate added a provision, sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer, to the Defense bill that would make it easier for members of the military and civil servants stationed overseas to vote. At least there's some bipartisan agreement, somewhere, that voting rights are a good thing to protect....