By Matt Forge

Washington (FP) -- Democrat John Kerry (search) luckily dodged a chance to cast a Senate vote on Wednesday. As he returned to the campaign trail after a whole one-day interruption for Senate business, the four-term Massachusetts (ahem) lawmaker (cough) made it clear that he would try to spin it to his advantage.

The maneuver has kept Kerry's voting record nearly spotless as he has been absent for more than 80 percent of the votes this year, including others to improve veterans benefits and financially support the troops in Iraq. Republicans were hoping to go to a vote on an amendment if they could get a commitment (from Democrats) for final passage of the underlying defense bill. They were working on that when John Kerry left town in his Earth-murdering campaign jumbo jet.

Kerry canceled a day of campaigning to wait for the Senate vote that, fortunate for him, never happened. Insiders say that Kerry can now happily miss all other votes in good public conscience claiming that he once tried to but failed because evil Republicans wouldn't rearrange the Senate's schedule (pronounced: ske-jü-l) to accommodate his important schedule (pronounced: she-dyü-l).

This may bring his absentee voting rate to a record of above 90 percent, some analysts say. The feat would earn him the coveted "Empty Chair" trophy which is second in stature only to the "Empty Booze Bottle" trophy currently in Kennedy's hands.

That was a close one!