UPDATE - Call returned from Senator Pryor's office. Micheal Teague, his Comunications Director tells me the "no" vote was because they initially saw this as a "states rights" issue and blamed a lot of the confusion over his changed vote on a lapse in initial understanding of the amendment and his staffs recent developments in their understanding of the bill. According to him Pryor was not getting some important updates, after his staff talked to the NRA and the Arkansas State Police. He also said that Pryor was busy chairing a committee at the time and had to talk to Schumer because he had the whip sheet on the Hate Crimes bill and was informing him of his intention to change his vote.

He says that the wapo article was a gross misrepresentation of the events.

Make of it what you will.

I'm not entirely convinced, but it does sound plausible.

Turns out that Senator Pryor's vote on the national reciprocity amendment to the hate crimes bill wasn't exactly so cut and dry.

Thanks in advance to some studious readers as I have been totally preocupied with staining the floors in my home.

This from the Washington Post (via Charlotte Gun Rights Examiner), “Toward the end of the vote, [Sen. Mark Pryor, D-AR] entered the chamber through the back door, took a few steps inside, flashed a thumbs-down to the clerk, and retreated as fast and furtively as somebody dodging gunfire.

Several minutes later, the Democrats had racked up more than enough votes to block the proposal. ‘Are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or wishing to change their vote?’ the presiding officer inquired.

“Pryor burst back in, this time through a side door. ‘Mr. President!’ he called out. ‘Mr. President!’ He stopped in the well to consult with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a gun-control advocate who was keeping the whip sheet. Schumer gave Pryor a nod, and the Arkansan -- reassured that his vote was not needed to defeat the proposal -- changed his vote to an ‘aye.’”

I called Mark's office and left a voice mail with his press secretary. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

We've also sent a letter to Marks office and I'll have that up as soon as possible.

What was Mark Pryor doing coordinating with the poster child for anti-gun zealots in the Senate? Not sure but we'd like an explanation Mark.