General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHarry Reid explains why he killed filibuster reform
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have come to a deal on filibuster reform. The deal is this: The filibuster will not be reformed.
Im not personally, at this stage, ready to get rid of the 60-vote threshold, Reid (D-Nev.) told me this morning, referring to the number of votes needed to halt a filibuster. With the history of the Senate, we have to understand the Senate isnt and shouldnt be like the House.
What will be reformed is how the Senate moves to consider new legislation, the process by which all nominees except Cabinet-level appointments and Supreme Court nominations are considered, and the number of times the filibuster can be used against a conference report. You can read the full text of the compromise, which was sent out to Senate offices this morning, here (pdf).
But even those reforms dont go as far as they might. Take the changes to the motion to proceed, by which the Senate moves to consider a new bill. Reid seemed genuinely outraged over the way the process has bogged down in recent years.
<snip>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/24/harry-reid-explains-why-he-killed-filibuster-reform/
Enrique
(27,461 posts)yeah whatever
Atman
(31,464 posts)What does that mean? He issued a press release saying "I'm genuinely outraged." This guy has to go.
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)Every bill in the Senate shouldn't require a super majority.
Atman
(31,464 posts)Spineless Harry. He'd screw up a free hand job.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)daleanime
(17,796 posts)Botany
(70,516 posts)away from you before you learn?
Enrique
(27,461 posts)and anyone who believed we were getting filibuster reform is Charlie Brown.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)I thought he said he was going to move with or without "permission" from McConnell.
gkhouston
(21,642 posts)Liberalynn
(7,549 posts)cascadiance
(19,537 posts)Senator Merkley? Senator Harkin? Senator Udall?
Or maybe Elizabeth Warren, to help her prepare credentials for a run for president or be a VP selection in 2016, though that might be hard to do being in that position at the same time!
We should start campaigning NOW for a change that will happen then!
We should keep a record of every successful obstruction that the "happy" Mr. McConnell gets away with now and remind the rest of the Senate then that we don't need to keep this record of failure that has kept our government from functioning since Reid's been in charge of the Senate.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)lords that we will still have the White House.
earthside
(6,960 posts)This is so depressing.
Our representative form of government is just flat, plain broken.
We, the people, never had a say in creating a 'super majority' U.S. Senate ... it just kind of evolved and now we are stuck with it.
Chances of Democrats keeping the Senate and recapturing the House in 2014 just got much worse.
The cynicism towards Washington is going to ratchet up as gridlock continues.
idiot. Dems are as bad as gopers.
msongs
(67,420 posts)2naSalit
(86,647 posts)all the reverie over Obama's re-election and his fabulous speech.
watch the sky
(129 posts)I wonder if this is what he thinks is best, to keep the focus on the GOP and to keep the Senate deliberately slow. That's the only explaination, this is no deal.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)butterfly77
(17,609 posts)why is Harry Reid the majority leader he is weak.
The Link
(757 posts)I watched an interview with Bernie Sanders last night and he was genuinely perplexed by Reid's behavior.
still_one
(92,219 posts)Required a filibuster to require a physical appearance, but they did not even do that
It really is way past due for new people in the Democratic Party to take over
The Democrats in congress mostly all talk and no action
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)All talk, no action, a big distraction.
Puglover
(16,380 posts)As John Nichols said. President Obama may as well pack his bags and go to Hawaii for 2 years. Hopefully they can get some stuff done however who really thinks they can get 5 Pukes to cross over and vote for a transaction tax on Wall Street.
Just soooo disappointing. Thanks loads Harry.
kentuck
(111,103 posts)And not to act like he has for the last 4 years?
Oilwellian
(12,647 posts)Can't we file FOIA's on these Republican Senators secret motions? Perhaps a little sunlight on their obstruction is needed?
Matariki
(18,775 posts)com·plic·it [kuhm-plis-it]
adjective
choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others; having complicity.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)It is a bipartisan agreement that the GOP has been doing a great job with the rules as is.
It will successfully stop anything "not right wing" from being passed, the ruse is over, only slightly watered down Republican dogma will be allowed to pass now, regardless of the theater presented for the working class!
Our party just endorsed the blocking of all those laws and appointments that are not center-right to right.
I am changing my registration tomorrow (Democratic Socialist probably), there is no actual Democratic party anymore, just employees of the GOP that serve to give the appearance of opposition to get us to believe we the people are represented.
I don't know if real Democrats will be allowed to post here anymore, so be honest with me and tell me if I will get TS'ed. The party I joined in '72 only exists as Democratic Socialists now (it appears that's what the kids are calling FDR/LBJ Democrats now)
I will no longer be manipulated into supporting the GOP agenda by supporting their right wing partners that now control the party named "Democrats" (an increasingly ironic rather than accurate label), while serving the Heritage foundation via political puppet shows with pre-determined outcomes.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)guess what, the good cop is really bad.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Thanks for the good fight, though. At least the manipulations are being exposed for what they are. The reality of what's going on can be faced. Maybe that's some progress, at least.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)There never was any interest in filibuster reform, and those who have been paying attention called it from the start.
So now we are mysteriously falling short of votes for filibuster reform
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021809132
The oligarchs could not be expected to give up their very best excuse for ensuring that legislation will continue to favor corporations and shaft the rest of us.
Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)that the US might actually move away from the fascist hellhole that it's become. So the Big shots put the kibosh on the filibuster reform so we can once again have "gridlock".
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)They control Congress. There never was a plan to fix the filibuster. If you notice that whenever a close vote comes up, the few Democrats that side with the REpublicans changes. They take turns being the bad guys.
BainsBane
(53,035 posts)the coward
patrice
(47,992 posts)rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)alone. He was voted to lead the Senate Democrats for a reason. IMO they are more than happy with the status quo. No one can blame them for shit.
And the President can say whatever he wants because it wont happen w/o the HOR and Senate.
d_b
(7,463 posts)stklurker
(180 posts)I have said several times, and take flack for it... Reid and Pelosi are NOT getting the job done.. public posing, fine, but they HAVE to be the ones behind the scenes pulling the strings, majority or minority and making things happen... Just sitting back and hoping the president can deal with Congress is NOT how its supposed to work....
uponit7771
(90,347 posts)cascadiance
(19,537 posts)wrong thread... sorry
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)And he should read Senate history. The fillibuster isn't what it used to be or was intended to be, nor is the use of a "majority."
Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Rather than a betrayal, I think that this is a move by BOTH Reid and McConnell to ensure that the safety net against extremism remains in place. I think both are concerned about radical Republicans grabbing a simple majority and going absolutely freaking nuts with no one able to stop them.
Until these guys finish their self-destruction this is probably a good thing. And yes, I think McConnell is concerned as well. I think a LOT of people in Washington are concerned.
Matariki
(18,775 posts)Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Atman
(31,464 posts)You left out the puppies and unicorns.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)... and we're giving them a tool to stop us from preventing it.
Jeezus H. Krist on a trailer hitch.
Myrina
(12,296 posts)Matariki
(18,775 posts)That's the REAL explanation.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)bvar22
(39,909 posts)..is a clear majority in either the House or the Senate.
What would they do without these excuses:
*We didn't think we would have the votes, so we didn't try
*Its nor OUR fault. We didn't have 60 votes.
*It was ALL Blue Dog Blanche Lincoln's fault.
*Damn that Joe Lieberman.
He was a Superman who single handedly RUINED it for everybody.
There was nothing we could dooooooooo.
It was horrible.
Ordinarily, when Party leaders support horrible incumbents in primaries, they use the electability excuse: this is a conservative state, the incumbent has the best chance to win, and the progressive challenger is out-of-step with voters. That excuse is clearly unavailable here. As Public Policy Polling explained yesterday, Lincoln has virtually no chance of winning in November against GOP challenger John Boozman. And while it would have also been difficult for Halter to beat Boozman, polls consistently showed that he had a better chance than Lincoln did. Thats unsurprising, given how much better non-Washington candidates are doing in this incumbent-hating climate than long-term Washington insiders. And its rather difficult to claim that Halter is out-of-step with Arkansas given that they elected him their Lt. Governor. Whatever the reasons Washington Democrats had for supporting the deeply unpopular Lincoln, it had nothing whatsoever to do with electability.
What happened in this race also gives the lie to the insufferable excuse weve been hearing for the last 18 months from countless Obama defenders: namely, if the Senate doesnt have 60 votes to pass good legislation, its not Obamas fault because he has no leverage over these conservative Senators. It was always obvious what an absurd joke that claim was; the very idea of The Impotent, Helpless President, presiding over a vast government and party apparatus, was laughable. But now, in light of Arkansas, nobody should ever be willing to utter that again with a straight face. Back when Lincoln was threatening to filibuster health care if it included a public option, the White House could obviously have said to her: if you dont support a public option, not only will we not support your re-election bid, but well support a primary challenger against you. Obamas support for Lincoln did not merely help; it was arguably decisive, "
<more>
http://www.salon.com/2010/06/10/lincoln_6/
But, HEY!
All we have to do is elect more Progressives to the House & Senate so that President Obama can enact his agenda!
Right?
I was in Arkansas for the Democratic Primary 2010.
The Grass Roots and Organized LABOR did everything right to give the White House "more Progressives" to work with.
Turns out, our biggest enemy wasn't the Republicans,
it WAS the Obama White House.
When the White House was asked about its support for the woman who campaigned as the one who derailed the Public Option,
the only response we received was from a "white House Spokesman" ridiculing our efforts for "wasting 10 $Million Dollars" by supporting a Pro-LABOR/Pro-HealthCare Democrat.
We still haven't received an appropriate explanation from the White House,
but it will be a LONG time before the Grass Roots and Organized LABOR forget Obama's Oval Office Endorsement of Blanche LIncoln in the Arkansas Democratic Primary.
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their rhetoric, promises, or excuses.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]
DemocracyInaction
(2,506 posts)Silly people ...now do you understand what they bought? We are neither Charlie nor Lucy. We are the brainless football.
WhaTHellsgoingonhere
(5,252 posts)This isn't the first time I thought the boss (POTUS) has always been calling the shots. Part of the 3 dimensional chess game. Reid's hands always seem tied.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)They own both.
WhaTHellsgoingonhere
(5,252 posts)I just think it's ridiculous that people think Harry Reid has anything to do with anything important. He's a tool, just not a top shelf tool. That would be POTUS.
theaocp
(4,241 posts)and it is arguable that he has been from the start. There is no justification for this, unless you just don't want to read the damn tea leaves. This wasn't even a lay-up. He blocked his own shot and threw it into the upper seats. What a lion!
Chisox08
(1,898 posts)I hope Reid wasn't thinking that when the Republicons eventually to back the Senate that they would be so kind to leave the filibuster rules the way they are. Look at Republicon history when they are in charge the fix the rules in their favor, the ram through what ever they want and they dare the Democrats to say something about it. For at least the next two years expect filibuster after filibuster until Obama's term is over or they take the Senate. Nothing has changed.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)Could it be that Senators are just, you know, lazy?