Reid DENIES attempts to LEGALLY limit senate filibuster !!!

[uponit7771]

Yeap, I've said it for the last 2 months Mr Harry "I don't work for him(Obama)" Reid is one of Obamas REAL problems and always has been.

The senate rule changes that were proposed are legal and would've gotten the senate out of gridlock...just change the chamber rules on the filibuster which the ruling party can do at the beginning of every session without needing 67 votes...I bet you good money reThugs will do this when they get back into power.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/11/AR2010021104880.html

Bush had Tom Delay who didn't give a fuck about pushing laws via reconciliation and hook or crooks motions while Obama has this milk toast bastard who shows a backbone only against folk he knows.

We get another senate majority leader we get something done...

your take?

[BzaDem]

1. I don't think it is as institutionally easy as you think.

Sure, procedurally, it is possible. (It can even be done in the middle of the session with 51 votes via constitutional point of order.)

But institutionally, there is very little support. The filibuster has defeated attempts by both parties to pass major legislation, yet neither party has abolished it. Republicans wanted to make their tax cuts permanent. They wanted to open up ANWR for drilling. They wanted to gut Social Security. They probably could have done some or all of these things with 51 votes, but still chose not to dump the filibuster. The closest they came to trying was trying to dump the filibuster for judicial nominees (the infamous "nuclear option"). But they couldn't even get 51 votes for this, because there were plenty of Republicans who wanted to preserve the filibuster.

Likewise, if Reid tried to get rid of the filibuster (not just for judicial nominees but for all legislation), he might get 15 votes. Maybe even 20. But I highly doubt he would have 51 supporters. This is why Reid is not going to do it.

Reconciliation is another matter entirely. Both parties have used reconciliation to pass major pieces of legislation. I don't think Reid is a problem here though, since I think the Democrats are about ready to try to pass an amendment to the Senate reform bill through reconciliation. (I could be wrong. But if I am, I don't think it would be Reid who is the bottleneck -- it would probably be because he couldn't find 51 votes for such a reconciliation bill).

[Lasher]

3. I agree with that.

Good assessment.

:thumbsup:

[uponit7771]

14. I really doubt dem as this point would vote for more obstruction via the GOP

[Goldstein1984]

2. Reid is a "leader" in title only.

Reid needs to get out of the way. He isn't a senator, he's a ball-and-chain.

Consider this from the article: "...saying that the chamber's procedures were designed to prevent the majority party from unilaterally changing the rules."

Huh? The majority party is supposed to have the power to unilaterally change things! That's why a majority is much sought after; it's what a majority is about; and how representative government works--those who are successful in achieving a majority have the majority say in making rules; the Constitution, not Senate rules, protect the rights of the minority.

The filibuster has become nothing but a "gentleman's" agreement to prevent any challenge to the status quo.

Expect nothing of any consequence until somebody in Washington grows the gonads to step outside the system. There are too few in Washington like Grayson and Franken, and far too many like Reid.

A people's revolt is the only solution to the problems we face--a massive economic boycott of all non-essential spending in concert with civil disobedience.

[progressoid]

19. How the f-ck did he even get that job in the first place.

Democrats actually thought he was the best choice for the job? :banghead:

[Goldstein1984]

20. I don't think the Democrats actually "thought" anything

They're more like a vending machine, and when a lobbyist inserts a coin a little piece of paper with an excuse for the status quo comes out.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Start By Reverting The Rules Back to What They Were Before Changing in the 1970s

No other business can take place during the filibuster, and the filibusterer(s) must speak 24/7/365.

That being said - Reid seems to do whatever the WH asks him to do.

[DailyGrind51]

5. One thing about Newt...

When Gingrich knew that his personal baggage made him ineffective as SOTH, he resigned. Harry, if you can't lead, get out of the way in favor of someone who can.

[KharmaTrain]

6. He Created This Mess In The First Place...

I thought Daschele lacked spine, but Reid's been rolled since he became Majority "leader". He's the one who agreed to the organizational rules that made 60 votes "the norm" and never has fought to use reconciliation or even to dare the GOOP to follow through on their fillibuster. So why should we be surprised by his reluctance to clamp down on the mess he helped make. The dude is running scared these days...seeing his poll numbers crater and people looking at him as the cause of the failures of this administration...and instead of fighting, he's doubling down on the stupid.

[uponit7771]

15. Yeap, if Reid would pick a side his polls numbers would increase IMHO...NV dems would get behind him

[Vinca]

7. Harry needs to change his last name to Milquetoast.

[Edweird]

8. Yes, Reid is a putz that needs to be replaced. However, the filibuster has its place,

and I believe getting rid of it would be extremely short sighted. Dems will not be the majority party forever.

[fasttense]

10. the filibuster does have its place but the current gang of RepubliCONS are abusing it.

If we had maybe 50 filibusters it wouldn't be so bad. But we have had over 112 in this session alone. There is a very simple solution. That would keep the filibuster in place, prevent abuse of it, and still allow the government to continue to function.

It's simple really: Just limit the number of filibusters to 1 per Senator per session of Congress. No rollovers.

Then Senators would have to choose their battles wisely.

[deacon]

9. So much of Reid's weakheartedness lands on Obama's shoulders. He's a train wreck.

[uponit7771]

16. Obama also killed Bambi, :rolleyes:@ObamaBlamers

[Taitertots]

11. Filibuster is important

You just need the strength of conviction to follow through with it.

[Submariner]

12. We have kept the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge bottled up

with the present rules. Let's not change the rules so that they allow the next G.W. Bush-like rethug to more easily open it up to exploration.

[Triana]

13. spineless pantywaist ninny. Pfft! n/t

[Gold Metal Flake]

17. Corporatist Democrats serve the corporations by inventing failure.

Reid works for the conservatives. This is all by design.

[JoeyT]

18. Reid may be an endangered species next election cycle.

It'll be a shame to see the spineless albatross vanish.