WASHINGTON - Given the choice, many senators preferred to see the Tester-Corker amendment to delay debit card swipe fee reforms buried underneath a stack of papers, never to see the light of day. But they did have to cast a vote, putting some in a precarious situation: side with Wall Street, or side with retailers and consumers?

Sen. Jim Webb€™s (D-VA) office fielded a lot of phone calls from constituents on Wednesday, the majority asking him to vote "no" on the Tester-Corker amendment, reports Roll Call. But come vote time, the senator cast a "yea" vote, commenting to the news source that he was convinced by Sen. Bob Corker€™s (R-TN) pitch that the amendment would make swipe fee regulation "more fair" by taking into considering overhead costs.

"I think that they made significant adjustments from where they were a year ago," Webb told the newspaper, adding, "At any rate, it€™s over."

Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) was also undecided, asking retail and banking/credit card lobbyists to give a final pitch €" the day of the vote.

"This is kind of his style," a Senate aide told Roll Call, but cautioning that it€™s "never just what lobbyists think." Back home in Alaska, Begich heard from constituents on this issue as well as a representative of the Alaskan credit unions.

"The banks won in Begich€™s office, but they lost the day," writes Roll Call, adding, "More than a year of lobbying, ferocious whipping and Democratic infighting all boiled down to a tense vote on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon that cost banks billions of dollars."

In Arkansas, Walmart was active in communicating to senators that a delay was bad for consumers and retailers,"but I€™ve heard more from folks who own convenience stores," Senator Mark Pryor told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Pryor voted against delaying reform.

Following the vote, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), who has lead the charge to reform debit card swipe fees, beginning with his amendment passed as part of the last year€™s financial service overhaul bill, didn€™t appear surprised by the final vote, notes Roll Call.

"He€™s the only guy in America who€™s beaten the banks twice," a senior Democratic aide commented.

Corker, meanwhile, said he wouldn€™t pursue this issue again. "I think it is water under the bridge," he said. "I€™ve got other fish to fry, and we pretty well cooked this one."

Please Thank Your Senators
"This vote would not have been possible without the incredible grassroots action by NACS members, their colleagues, friends and families," said NACS Senior Vice President of Government Relations Lyle Beckwith. "NACS members have done an unprecedented job of making sure their voices were heard loud and clear through face-to-face meetings, phone calls and letters €" more than 30,000 letters through our NACS grassroots website alone €" asking senators to vote against the Tester-Corker amendment."

Please thank your senators for their vote in support of convenience retailers and merchants across the country by opposing the Tester-Corker amendment.

See how your senators voted: