In fairness, that was a simpler time when it wasn't simply a fact of life that you needed one for virtually every vote. On multiple occasions, Dick Cheney was called in to cast a deciding vote on legislation, even major pieces of legislation (e.g., the '01 budget votes, the 2003 tax cut vote, the Deficit Reduction Act vote). Imagine Joe Biden being called in to pass a piece of legislation with "only" 51 votes. Virtually unthinkable!
