Levin Gladly Takes the Blame for Blocking Filibuster Reform
from TPM:
Carl Levin: No Regrets About Stopping Filibuster Reform
“We did the right thing,” Levin said shortly after the resolution of a 13-hour talking filibuster mounted by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), which supporters of reforming the filibuster want to require for all filibusters . . .
“It’s eased gridlock somewhat in terms of post-cloture. We’ve reduced the amount of post-cloture time. That’s a significant improvement,” Levin said, responding to his Democratic colleagues’ frustrations. “The changes are valuable in a number of ways.”
“ . . . It’s up to us to force people to filibuster,” Levin said. “We have the power under the current rules. The problem is that we have not forced the people who threaten to filibuster to filibuster. … We need to do that under the current rules. It will succeed.”
“ . . . We must show the same will, the same willpower, the same determination to defeat the filibuster,” he told TPM, as Republicans show in using it.
read: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/03/carl-levin-no-regrets-for-stopping-filibuster-reform.php
