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It's been nearly a month since Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) struck an agreement on improving Senate procedures, and at the time, proponents of their compromise deal said it would, at a minimum, improve the confirmation process for administration nominees.
Those predictions now look fairly silly, given the Republican obstructionism surrounding Chuck Hagel's Defense Secretary nomination. Indeed, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), one of the Senate's biggest supporters of filibuster reform, issued a statement this afternoon that's worth reading.
"Merely weeks after the Senate came together in a good-faith effort to fix the Senate's problems, Senate Republicans are now engaging in the first-ever filibuster of a Secretary of Defense nominee. It is deeply disappointing that even when President Obama nominates a former conservative colleague of the GOP caucus, the minority is abusing the rules and the spirit of 'advise and consent.' If our step we took last month is to be successful, extraordinary stunts like today's filibuster can't happen."
Now, I think there's more than one way to read a statement like this. The first is that Merkley is subtly saying, "I told you so," without being explicit about it. And if so, the Oregon Democrat would certainly have a point -- he pushed for real reforms; too many of his colleagues were overly skittish; and the result is an environment in which Senate obstructionism, just a month into the new session, is getting worse, not better.
But there's another way to read this: "If our step we took last month is to be successful, extraordinary stunts like today's filibuster can't happen." Perhaps Merkley is sending a shot across the leadership's bow? It seems entirely plausible to me that the senator is effectively saying, "If this keeps up, and last month's agreement is proving inadequate, it'll be time for real reform."
Greg Sargent added today, "Remember, the watered down filibuster reform deal Reid agreed to was at least partly premised on the idea that both sides were at least somewhat committed to ending some of the abuses that rendered the Senate dysfunctional during Obama's first term. We now see that Republicans are making a mockery of that arrangement. This goes well beyond Hagel; as always, it goes to the question of whether we are going to have a functional Senate."
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Q: Are we going to have a functional Senate?
A: Yes, we will when WE put fully functional adult candidates into office. Right now, the short answer is NO, we're still dealing with 13 yr. olds.
NOW Harry Reid do you realize how you just got suckered. McTurtle and his gang NEVER had any intention of behaving like adults, and you blew the 1 chance that you had to make effective change!
We only need 27 senators to get ourselves a majority leader with a backbone.
The best thing about the Dems' spinelessness is that as soon as the Rs have 51 votes, they'll nuke all rules.
(Best = most ironic)
The GOP has been actively promoting the Race to the Bottom in our economy by supporting businesses who offshore our American jobs.
Now they are actively engaged in the destruction of the Federal government in a race to the bottom there also. Slash and burn politics.
"NOW Harry Reid do you realize how you just got suckered." I don't think he does. McConnel did exactly the same thing to him last year. Got him to drop efforts at reform by a "gentlement's agreement" that Republicans wold stop abusing the filibuster and secret holds. I don't thik Reid remembers that. I don't think he remembers what the Republicans agreed to last month. This has been going on and getting worse year by year since 2006. It's terribly frustrating to watch the Democrats trusting Lucy over and over again. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is not competent bargaining. Same thing with the sequester. It's pointless to present compromises to the Republicans. They will reject them as inadequate and demand the Democrats propose much larger cuts. They are not bargaining in good faith here.
Forget Merkley's proposal.
It's time for Reid to call for a vote on the kind of sweeping Senate Rules reforms that Mann and Ornstein have stated are necessary. If he refuses, he should step aside. If Dem senators vote no, we will primary them.
Mann and Ornstein point out, quite rightly that without comprehensive rules reform, the GOP will simply use other obscure rules to achieve the same obstructionist objective.
I'd like to see Harry step aside from the leadership position right now.
If the dang pope can do it - Harry can do it.
Yes, and I'm infuriated when I see arguments that some of the older Democrats don't want the reforms because they think they might want to use the same tactics when they're in the minority. Don't they understand that if the Republicans ever get the majority in the Senate again they will immediately rewrite these rules so the Democrats <b>can't</b> bother them? With 51 votes, too. They aren't embarrassed about using the "nuclear option." They have no sense of shame left. They are redical revolutionaries and will do anything to impose their vision on the rest of us. For our own good, of course.
Harry. How about talking to Bill Frist? You remember him. He's the Republican who threatened the Democrats with the "nuclear option" if they didn't cooperate.
If not for the Democrats, how about doing it for the sake of the country?
Could also be a shot across McConnell's bow, depending on how close Reid was to 50 votes before the old guard of Democratic senators got cold feet.
Maybe Mitch wants the nuclear option without having his shellprints directly on it.
Bernie Sanders stated on Ed's show on January 25 that his knowledge, there were 47-48 Senators in favor of Merley's rule change. (link to transcript)
That's exactly it and I do wish people would restrain themselves a bit when it comes to Sen. Reid. The filibuster rules weren't changed because there weren't enough votes!
There's an article over on DKos by David Waldman (24Jan13) that explains the changes that were made. Waldman also mentioned something I hadn't known before, which is that back in October of 2011, Sen. Reid, in reaction to McConnell breaking his word about their previous agreement, got rules changed by a simple majority vote during a Congressional session ; ie, the "nuclear option". All but one (Ben Nelson) member of the caucus voted for the change. Sometimes, it's the quiet ones that need watching!
I do know I've read that before the vote on changing the filibuster rules, there were stories going around that there were enough votes to change the rules. I wonder if that was a misreading of what actually occurred? Something along the lines of: if Sen. Reid made another deal with McConnell and McConnell breaks his word, again, then Sen. Reid will call in those votes in his caucus and change the rules as he did in 2011?
At any rate, until more facts emerge, I look at it this way:
McConnell struck a deal with Reid that didn't include changing the filibuster rules. Reid, who has never been a big fan of changing the filibuster rules anyway, settled for those changes. If McConnell adheres to them, the Senate will function more smoothly. If, however, McConnell doesn't keep to the agreement, then there's nothing stopping Sen. Reid from gathering his causcus, mustering the necessary votes, and changing the rules during the current session.
It's not as if he hasn't done it before!
Doug, no that's not it.
They were just 2 or three votes shy. Dem votes shy. Given the months that will be wasted over GOP obstruction, why not spend 2 months squeezing out those 2 or 3 votes with whatever pork those holdouts wanted?
Time better spent, as far as I'm concerned.
Exactly John , the vote would expose the dems that are VOTING WITH THE GOP TO CONTINUE THE FILIBUSTER , the dems holding out would be scorched earth , Reid and the dems that want to keep everything BUSINESS AS USUAL know this , that is why there was no vote held
all other DEM spectulations on why Ried would not hold a vote , come up void of reality
Filibuster reform.....get back to it! Stand up to the Republicans....you aren't only letting the bullies bully (and manipulate) you, but the people that voted for you....come on Charlie Brown, Lucy is just holding that football for you again waiting for you to kick it as you always do so she can pull it away at the last second....AGAIN
Repubs should remember that two can play this game, and that dems can and should filibuster a repub president's cabinet nominees when they come up for a vote. Wait a minute, what am I saying??? The way things are going, I don't see any chance of a future repub president. Never mind.
Not so sure, Repubs now know that if they're ever in control of the Senate again, they'll have to pull "the Nuclear option" when the Dems filibuster.
The difference is, the Republicans actually have the guts to do it. That's why they're not too concerned about what happens with the situation is reversed.
Take a note from my post above. When the Democrats even thought of going down this road, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist threatened to use the "nuclear option".
What does all of this say about the Democrats and Reid?
The Republicans, McConnell in particular, have got to be laughing their heads off at how easily they can manipulate the Democrats.
I'm not so sure Harry Reid got suckered at all. He wanted to use the filibuster as an excuse for not getting progressive things done.
He also wanted to keep the filibuster status quo as a cover for cowardly Dems who are afraid to vote and big issues. The first thing that comes to mind is Gun Control legislation.
Cowards.
Harry Reed is also a moro.. a Mormon you know..
Call me when it's torch and pitchfork time, I'm looking forward to it!
I'll bring the hot tar.
I'll go get a fence rail
Well I, and probably many others, will more bluntly say, we told you so. So to Sen. Reid and unnamed cowardly Democratic senators who could not muster up the tiny bit of courage it would have taken to pass the Merkeley/Udall bill, didn't take too long for the tiurtle and his gang to kick sand in your gullible faces . BTW, did you enjoy McConnell's letter mocking you immediately after your mealy mouthed compromise, we in the base loved it. Cast your eyes around at your fellow senators, Cruz, Paul, Graham, McCain. They are liars, traitors, not the loyal opposition. What will it take, they will change the rules to their favor in a New York minute should they gain the majority. Every news show tonight better have one of you screaming FILIBUSTER at the tops of your lungs tonight should these secessionists filibuster this vote that is happening right now, and don't be polite.
Anyone surprised by the Republican's filibuster raise your hand. Go ahead....raise it whenever you're ready......I'm not giving a countdown, you are free to raise your hand....
Greg Sargent is not tell us anything we did not know before the new filibuster rules were passed. Many of us had predicted that Republicans would revert back to their SOP of filibustering right after the rules were passed. Now Dems are going to be reluctant to break protocol of not changing the rules during a session unless both parties agree to the change. Republicans knew that Dems would continue to abide by the protocol. The filibusters will continue because Republicans expect to win control of the Senate in 2014. But if they don't then Dems MUST change the rules.
At which point, does anyone bet that the rules won't change make sure that the Democrats never get a chance to do what the Republicans have been doing for the past four years?
They aren't rules. They are terrorist weapons.
Rules are things that each side can be reasonably be expected to be bound to when they are in power. If one side is using them as terrorist weapons now, then what is the argument that we can reasonably expect them not to continue to regard them as terrorist weapons in the hands of their enemies when they are in power?
Only an antiquarian with a longing for the past noble days of the Senate refuses to confront the truth, and take the sharp objects out of the hands of the GOP and return Senate rules to what the constitution intended. That the senate be a majority body.
Mitch (Lucy Van Pelt) McConnell pulls the football away and (Charlie Brown) Reid falls on his behind. Again.
Optimist. I really wish Reid were on his back and not running after Mitch apologizing to "his friend" and exhorting him to please please hold the ball again.
58 to 40 on the Cloture.
What a bunch of clowns we have in the Senate.
Cabinet nominations should be immune from votes like this.
With every new conservative stunt and filibuster vote, Republicans shoot themselves in the foot. More Republicans become Independents and more Independents vow never to vote for a Republican again.
The filibuster will become their downfall, God willing. Let them destroy themselves for all the damage they have done to this nation and democracy.
The problem is that the bottom half of the bell curve believe what they see on Fox News or hear from Rush Limbaugh or read on Matt Drudge. This sort of stunt is keeping them engaged and cheering for more obstruction. ("We don't have to win any election. We can still get our way.") And with gerrymandering, it's possible they could eke out a majority some day. Scary thought. Really scary thought.
WRITE YOUR SENATOR. I did and told her exactly how pissed off I am.
The filibusters will continue because Republicans expect to win control of the Senate in 2014.
Yes, just the way they did in 2012.
Day, ask yourself: who is in control of the Senate? Who has final say in what happens there?
No, they expect to win the way they won the House in 2010.
It's interesting to make a historical note: as a former Vietnam war infantry sergeant, Hagel was just as thoroughly "Swift-boated" by the Grand Old Party as was former Navy lieutenant John Kerry. The cowardice of most Republicans and their "uniform" hatred of war heroes is obvious.
The GOP warhawks said to Hagel at the Armed Services Committee hearing and again today on the filibuster vote: "C'mon over here, boy, so we can spit on you just like the sissies we all really are." Phhhhhhssst, splat.
I am sick to death of Republican obstructionism. I don't want anybody to ever tell me that Republicans make deals in good faith. Hell they are worse at keeping their word than the old Soviets.
or as ilsa observed in 'casablanca', "we all know what german guarantees have been worth in the past."
We are not going to have a functional senate/government as long as reid is the senate leader. There was no rational reason for him to believe the republicans would be reasonable about the filibuster and there was no reason to believe that the republicans would cut down the filibuster in a ny second if they were in the majority. Reid is a fool. Or maybe the entire democratic party is dominated by fools.
I feel like Mitch McConnell should put his arm around Reid's shoulders and, like John Belushi said in Animal House, "You f***ed up! You trusted us!"
"We now see that Republicans are making a mockery of that arrangement"
So then can we finally for all time stop listening to Republicans when they talk about "olive branches" "reaching across the aisle" "a place at the table" et.al ? How many more examples do you need that those in GOP leadership are untrustworthy? Democrats look like Eve to the Republican serpent.