Democratic Solution To The Filibuster: Make Them Talk

[Tx4obama]

Democratic Solution To The Filibuster: Make Them Talk

WASHINGTON -- The next time a minority of senators find something the majority supports to be objectionable, they may be required to take the Senate floor and explain just why they object. And when they're done with that, they'll have to keep talking, and talking, and talking.

The most persistent advice that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he gets from liberals he meets across the country is as simple as it is frustrating: "Make them actually filibuster!"

The advice grew loud enough in 2009 that Reid's office leaked a memo to HuffPost explaining why exactly Senate Democratic leaders can't force Republicans to talk out their filibuster, Mr. Smith-style. In 2011, Reid flirted with filibuster reform, but backed off at the last minute, striking a handshake deal with Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) instead. That agreement -- that the two would cooperate to make sure the chamber ran smoothly -- lasted as long as one might expect.

Now, Reid is ready to pull the trigger on a change. "I was wrong," Reid said recently about his unwillingness to back a handful of junior senators who were pushing for reform.

With Reid's backing, the reform caucus stands a good chance of enacting rules changes. The plan they're putting forward is still taking shape as the reformers work to gather support, but its central tenets were laid out by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in an interview with The Huffington Post.

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FULL article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/15/democrats-filibuster-reform_n_2141382.html

A Good Read

[Webster Green]

1. Long overdue.

Something must be done to stop the gridlock.

[1KansasDem]

2. All this talk of filibuster reform sounds really great now

that we're in control of the Senate. It was just a few years ago repugs were talking about filibuster changes themselves.
Great idea...as long as the repugs never control the senate again. Bad idea if we're ever back in the minority.

[fasttense]

6. Not necessarily true

It seems to me that Democratic leaders are much more willing to work with the majority when they are in the minority. Just think about Scalia, Alito and Roberts appointment to the Supremes. Avid right wing nuts who hate minorities, love the fetus and the death penalty yet no one filibustered them, when they should have. Democrats should have filibuster legislation from hell like the bailout for banksters when the bushes were in power but of course they didn't. A Democratic minority in the senate plays nice with the majority.

No, Democratic leaders are much more accommodating to the majority in the Senate. So making the filibuster rules tougher will have a very minimal impact on a Democratic minority.

[Suich]

3. I could not agree more!!

The way it worked in the past, if a republican threatened to filibuster, the Democrats would fold, and say..."Oh, ok, we don't want that."

I think there's too many people that have no idea what a real filibuster even is!

I say: MAKE THEM STAY FOR HOURS AND TALK!

[MisterScruffles]

4. Shameful

How they backed down to the mere threat of filibuster in the past.

[MBS]

5. I totally agree!

Make them walk the walk by making them talk the talk. It's way, way overdue.(Frankly, I don't understand why they've been able to get away with this non-filibuster filibuster all this time in the first place).

[Dustlawyer]

7. Reid said a while back he should have done this! A hand shake with Mc Chinless, please!