As the debate over filibuster reform has intensified, many of the Republican objections have focused less on the specific changes, and more on how Democrats intend to approve those changes. If the majority passes reforms by majority rule, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) argues, it will be an outrageous assault.
He said the exact opposite when Republicans were in the majority.
It's easy to forget, but seven years ago, Senate Republicans, mid-way through the 104th Congress, came up with a plan they called the "nuclear option" (later rebranded as the "constitutional option") which would have changed Senate rules by majority vote and eliminated the right of the minority to filibuster judicial nominees. Senate Republicans even prepared a detailed historical analysis defending the move, which, curiously, recently disappeared from its online home.
Of course, at this point, Republican readers of Maddow Blog are shouting, "At the time, Democrats like Harry Reid condemned the procedure that they're now prepared to use!" And those Republican complaints are entirely correct -- when McConnell wanted to go "nuclear" in 2005, Reid called it "un-American."
As Alex Seitz-Wald explained very well this week, when it comes to filibuster reform and Senate rules, there's "plenty of hypocrisy to go around." When a party finds itself in the majority, it's outraged by the minority's obstructionism and in a fit of frustration, considers sweeping changes. When a party finds itself below the 50-vote threshold, minority rights are paramount
The talking points are practically syllable-for-syllable the same, with folks like McConnell and Reid effectively trading scripts depending on which caucus is in control at the time. Partisans don't like to admit it, but YouTube clips like the one above are hard to explain away.
And while the "both sides are being hypocritical" observation is fine, as far as it goes, this shouldn't be the end of the conversation. Indeed, it can't be.
For one thing, no matter which side of the aisle you're inclined to blame or favor, the status quo is untenable. The Senate wasn't designed to work this way; it didn't use to work this way; and it quite obviously can't work this way. The nation needs the Senate to be able to function, and right now, the vast majority of the time, it doesn't.
For another, as an objective, quantifiable matter, Republican obstructionism is much more offensive than anything Americans have ever seen. We can compare rhetoric, and shake our heads in disappointment when we see McConnell and Reid saying the polar opposite of what they're saying now, but the hypocrisy comes with an asterisk -- this isn't an apples-to-apples comparison.
To be sure, Democrats blocked plenty of bills from receiving up-or-down votes and did the same to plenty of far-right judicial nominees from the Bush/Cheney White House. But the conditions that have existed in recent years have no precedent in American history -- the Senate minority has effectively changed the rules of the institution itself, creating a mandatory supermajority for everything, making governing nearly impossible.
These conditions have never existed before, so when we scrutinize partisans' rhetoric from years' past, the context matters a great deal when considering responsibility and credibility.
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Impossible to have an honest discussion about this with conservatives. They never admit McConnell changed the Senate with his obstruction.
repubs will never admit OUTLOUD that the obstruction was part of THEIR PROMISE TO EACH OTHER on inauguration day 2009, to make President Obama a one-term President.
they promised to say "no" to ALL ECONOMIC POLICIES (obstruct and filibuster) President Obama put forth, and that is EXACTLY WHAT REPUBS DID.
repus SCREWED the american people by NOT WORKING WITH THE PRESIDENT, by saying "no" to things that they supported in the past.
they were/are unembarassable in their attempts to demonize our President.
If McConnell had kept to his part of the "Gentleman's Agreement" with Reid, we wouldn't be having this discussion.
McConnell has shown he can't keep his word so something needs to be done so the Senate can function again.
"Lying to Liberals" for Republicans (the way they refuse to keep agreements they make) is the same as "Lying for the Lord" for Mormons. If it advances The Sacred Cause, it's OK.
Apparently McConnell is not a gentleman and therefore has no understanding of what a "Gentleman's Agreement" means. McConnell has shown that he lacks integrity and honor and should not be holding any elected office. Once McConnell put Party before Country he proved that he is and was a Coward.
TC,
i agree, COMPLETELY.
When Democrats were in the minorty, they didn't filibuster everytime a Republican wanted to do something besides call a lunch break.
There's the Senator Frist hyperventilating days of the "nuclear option." I was wondering when SOMEONE would get around to mentioning it. It isn't that far back in the Congressional Records, after all.
I remember those days very well, because that was the moment when I realized (and started calling them so) that the Republicans had morphed into "Scorched Earth" warriors for a permanent majority, had actually done so.
I mean, sure, they'd talked about it, Rove dreamt about it, and some of us around CNN sat around and speculated as to whether the Bushies would actually LEAVE OFFICE without a military escort. Big sigh of relief when they did.
But it was when Frist went batsh*t about the "nuclear option" over so little instigation, I realized that they had NO INTENTION of ever NOT being the majority party. Because the filibuster in the Mr. Smith sense has always been about protecting the minority position against things that simply can't be stomached.
To kill it off is to say you'll never be in need of it yourself. That's another reason I prefer the reform measures that simply force the filibusterer to TALK, actually TALK.
So now they are the minority, but still acting like they don't know what it is, acting like all they know how to do is hyperventilate. Interesting, to watch.
You don't have to have an honest discussion with Republicans, just with Democrats. They are in the majority. If this doesn't happen it will be the Democrat's fault and they will deserve all the obstruction that comes their way.
Blankman, I actually agree with you this time. If the democrats don't stop the GOTP minority ability to obstruct even bringing a bill, nomination for a position up for a vote they will have no one to blame but themselves.
See democrats were blocking bad policy and people, GOTP they're just blocking to keep this President from looking capable - there is a difference.
Right. Because in Republicanworld, there are only two narratives:
1) "Awwww, those so-called 'victims' you liberals are mewling about had it comin'!"
2) "Hey, we're the real victims here."
Watching the Susan Rice Follies has convinced me that the Senate Republicans have absolutely no inclination towards allowing the Senate to be a functionanal governing body without huge changes in procedures. They have indicated that the changes cannot be tepid, they need to be rigorous. The GOP could not be clearer towards their intentions...business as usual unless the Democrats grow a thick spine. I actually think the Democrats have had enough and are prepared to do what is needed. Time will tell...
This can be an easy trap to fall into - the shout back that says, "You do it, too."
But perspective is everything - when I do it once or twice a year - but you do it every day - the two no longer compare.
I suspect that Harry Reid has reached the edge of the "Enough is Enough!"cliff.
And McCain just pushed him over.
There was a great clip from The Daily Show a while back, where they compared the shifting rhetoric of politicians to a pro wrestler changing his character over time. They then had Mick Foley appear and give a passionate defense of the filibuster, then immediately switch to trying to "destroy the filibuster." I'm not doing it justice, but it was great.
The good news is, that was on the March 15, 2010 episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...
The bad news is, the Comedy Central website doesn't archive shows back that far...
We have to understand that these people are relentless in their pursuit of power and their desire to destroy the country ("save" it in their eyes). They will do or say anything in pursuit of that. They are at war with our idea of the United States.
Another reminder of Richard Hofstadter is useful here:
"It can most accurately be called pseudo-conservative -- I borrow the term from the study of The Authoritarian Personality published five years ago by Theodore W. Adorno and his associates -- because its exponents, although they believe themselves to be conservatives and usually employ the rhetoric of conservatism, show signs of a serious and restless dissatisfaction with American life, traditions and institutions"
“Their political reactions express rather a profound and largely unconscious hatred of our society and its ways -- a hatred which one would hesitate to impute to them if one did not have suggestive clinicalevidence ... The pseudo-conservative, Adorno writes, shows 'conventionality and authoritarian
submissiveness' in his conscious thinking and 'violence, anarchic impulses, and chaotic destructiveness in the unconscious sphere…… The pseudo conservative is a man who, in the name of upholding traditional American values and institutions and defending them against more or less fictitious dangers, consciously or unconsciously aims at their abolition.'"
So we have a two party system of government in which one party does everything it can to sabotage/lie/etc. to make the other party's governence look bad. This will get them in the majority next election cycle. And nothing gets done/conservatives win..
Getting more parties into the fray will make for better government?
Filibuster reform will be worthless unless the Dems eliminate the practice for Executive branch and judicial nominations (other than the SC). A simple majority should suffice.
As for SC nominations, somewhere around 53-55 votes should be needed for a closure vote. (They should propose 53; that would make a 47% minority essentially powerless. How ironic it would be if Susan Rice is confirmed as Secretary of State by a 53-47 vote!)
An important question we on the left need to ask ourselves is whether we're ready to play fair when the other team has the ball. Me, I can live with getting steamrolled occasionally if in the long run the government gets more responsive.
Vote Out McConnell!!!! In 2014 Mid-Term Election we must get rid of the obstructionist in order to get more things done. Majority should rule.
The best analysis of this issue was made by Colbert last night. Republicans are threatening to shut down the Senate if Dems try to change the filibuster rule which Republicans have used to shut down the Senate since Obama came to office. There is no difference if Dems change the filibuster rule. Either way the Republicans are going to shut down the Senate. But at least with rule changes the Dems could force Republicans to face the public when they filibuster legislation. Republicans are not going to shut down the Senate if the filibuster rules are changed. There are senate elections in 2014 and there are a lot of Republicans up for reelection. And their track record for senate elections is not very good.
The "nuclear option" revolved around a reading of the rules that allowed the GOP majority to make changes mid-session. That was significantly more controversial and potentially illegal. The Democrats are trying to work within the established law by adopting reforms at the beginning of the session when the rules are initially set by a majority vote.
The context of Reid's and McConnell's outrage is different enough that I don't think a "they do it too!" argument stands up.
What is the role of "Assistant Majority Leader" (as indicated on the video clip)? Isn't the Democratic Party the majority in the Senate?
Mitchie boy, Grover and the other undead need to go. It is obvious the election meant absolutely nothing to most Republicans. Just as vindictive and bitchy as always.
I don't know about anyone else... but, being held hostage is getting really old.
The rich need to pay more. The middle class, etc. need to continue. The other details can be worked out later.
Get it done.
In simple language, the Republicans are saying, "Fukk the country".
I'm going to re-post something I posted late yesterday, for the benefit of trolls who punch out at 5PM. I hope it offers a new perspective on the filibusters of late.
Republican abuse of the filibuster has amounted to a stealth Amendment to our Constitution, by one man, Mitch McConnell, and his caucus of hand-puppets. How many state legislatures did he line up to pass an Amendment stating that the Senate would now require 60 votes to pass legislation, or even debate a bill? He would be laughed out of the Senate if he presented honestly to the nation the Constitutional Amendment that he has implemented without any vote in any legislature in the land. He and his caucus have made a mockery of the Constitution they swore to defend. How much of our nation's legislative history would be erased if the 60-vote requirement had been in effect?
I HATE Reblicans And Demorcrats...Omg its NOT a Sports game ..Its Our Lives..VOTE INDEPENDENT Next time...Then Things WILL Get Done..Peace
First off Mitch McConnel is a political hack so crooked he needs two valets to screw his legs on in the morning. That said you would have to waterboard me to get me to listen to him. I like to keep my lunch right where I put it. I do read the texts of what he says just to keep track of whatever B------t he is slinging at the moment.At the moment it seems he would really like US to believe him. My advice.DO NOT BE TEMPTED!! YOU will only hate yourself later on .