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Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
This morning, Senate Republicans filibustered a qualified judicial nominee, basically because the NRA told them to. Last month, for the first time in American history, a cabinet nominee was denied an up-or-down vote due to a Republican filibuster. Last week, a judicial nominee recommended -- by the GOP and facing zero opposition -- was forced to wait 263 days for a confirmation vote, during which time he faced Republican filibusters. Republicans also vowed last month to use filibusters to stop the Obama administration from enforcing the law as it relates to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and to stop the president's nominee to lead the ATF.
And today, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and some of his friends are on the Senate floor, launching what is effectively an old-school, speak-for-hours filibuster, blocking John Brennan's nomination to head the CIA.
You'll recall that it was just seven weeks ago tomorrow that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reached a deal to give the Senate rules a little touch-up. At the time, a whole lot of reform proponents said the changes were largely meaningless, and the chamber's profound dysfunction would remain unaffected.
A whole lot of those folks have an I-told-you-so message for the Senate leaders today. It's causing some senators who backed the bipartisan deal in January to give the issue another look, including the chamber's #2 Democrat, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).
As one Republican senator launched a "talking filibuster" Wednesday, the No. 2 Democratic leader in the Senate signaled it may already be time to reopen debate about the chamber's rules. [...]
"I hate to suggest this, but if this is an indication of where we're headed, we need to revisit the rules again," the Illinois Democrat said. "We need to go back to it again. I'm sorry to say it because I was hopeful that a bipartisan approach to dealing with these issues would work."
Ya don't say.
Dubrin was on board with the Reid/McConnell agreement in January, so the fact that he's open to revisiting the deal is encouraging for reform advocates. In the meantime, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), arguably the Senate's most enthusiastic proponent of sweeping reforms, is using the opportunity to push once more for changes his colleagues were reluctant to make seven weeks ago.
"Senate Republicans have demonstrated that they have absolutely no intention of ending their assault on the ability of the U.S. Senate to function," Merkley told TPM, saying he had hoped the bipartisan agreement to preserve the 60-vote threshold but remove some obstacles to governing and ease gridlock. "Many of my colleagues are absolutely beside themselves with frustration, and that frustration is rapidly turning to fury." [...]
"I know that my leadership is incredibly determined to make this body work," Merkley said, adding that the Senate GOP's "unacceptable conduct ... in such a short period" shows that they have "no interest in enabling the Senate to function."
Occasionally, it's worthwhile to add some historical perspective. From 1947 to 1960 -- 7 Congresses, spanning 14 years -- the Senate held four cloture votes. This Congress has only existed for a couple of months, and it's already held five cloture votes. It's only going to get worse.
The Senate wasn't designed to work this way; it functioned quite well for generations without trying to work this way; and it obviously can't work this way. It doesn't need another ineffective hand-shake deal or another "gang"; it needs institutional reforms to fix what's clearly broken.
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How are those hand shake deals working out for ya, Senator Reid?
That isn't where McConnell's hand was. Reid keeps getting jerked off by these guys, and it is unclear what is really going on. But it is time to end this phoney war. It's time for a leadership change and some real political combat. Nuke the top 3 Dems- Reid, Schumer and Durbin.
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Eject the Reid and make the mom in tennis shoes Majority Leader. My bet is you would see Patty Murray drive through an effective set of rules changes.
I like Harry but he was wrong.
Just admit the error and drop the "nuke" Harry.
McConnell's word is worthless.
In fact, with the current crazies running things, no Repub promise should be credited.
Time for everybody to start thinking about the lines Democrats can't cross and still get your support. Obama needs every damned one of us for 2014. So we have power.
It's time to tell Obama and Democrats there are lines that will not be crossed or we are staying home in 2014. Period.
I am with you brother but I just don't see how we make that a credible threat. It seems to me we take a page from the far right activists and make examples of the collaborationists by primarying them.
Maybe I have it all wrong about keeping the candle lit for OFA. Maybe we throw in the towel on them and build a behavioral politics oriented org willing to primary GOP and DEMs alike on economic populism issues.
Oh, absolutely on the primary thing. But think about it. Obama will be President till 2016 (so there is that backstop against the Republicans doing anything too harsh till then). Obama has staked a lot on being able to do something with Congress in 2014. If we now come up with lines THAT WE ABSOLUTELY INSIST NOT BE CROSSED and make it known we WILL SIT in 2014, he's going to think twice about crossing those lines.
Now most likely, no matter how much Dems put into the House in 2014, Republicans are still going to control it because of gerrymandering, etc. Nevertheless, Democrats need a good goddamned stiff dose of up-yours if they continue their impotence and unwillingness to stand up to the world's largest, most dangerous political terrorist organization, the GOP. Giving these Useless Liberals something to think about by sitting out in 2014 will make them much less willing to cross us in the future. We don't have a lot to lose here. And its past time the goddamned Democrats grew a spine.
I am simply NOT going to keep supporting such a worthless organization as the currently constructed Democrats. I just can't.
I have my lines and I'll make them known later. If Obama crosses them, to hell with OFA because it doesn't represent me, the country, OR the world.
And the number one line he better not cross is any goddamned cave-in on Social Security and Medicare , like he's telling the damn Republican senators he's willing to deal on. No Chained CPI!
As far as OFA is concerned, it couldn't find its ofa with both hands on a clear day with a 2 hour advance notice. I have put their worthless emails in my spam filter. For a bunch of people who claim to be smart enough to run a winning campaign, they sure aren't doing a damn thing now.
I'll have three lines, and if Obama crosses two of them, I'll be putting as much energy as I did in helping him get re-elected to get him the Congress he deserves in 2014.
I'm beyond sick of it. The man turns any positive political advantage into a disadvantage.
I took grief on here after the stupid "fiscal cliff" when I pointed out that Obama got his clock cleaned and all the liberal pundits and bloggers could do was harken a new liberal era upon us. They were wrong. This man has had two chances to put the Republicans away and each time he's resurrected them. Somebody put it the other day somewhere else "I voted for FDR and I got Bob Dole." Hell, it's worse than that. Bob Dole had courage.
working out just fine. For the benifit of teh NON-THINKERS on this board, Senator Reid was not willing to risk any democratic turncoats passing repooplicon crap. Senator Reid wins for America.
Dude, read what you write. Then throw it away because it's garbage.
Dude is right LMAO
I have a bit of Scot in me, and as far as my people are concerned, Harry Reid, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!
Oh, Harry why so naively did you take the word of Mitch McConnell? -Kevo
I would dearly love to hear the back story. There's got to be more to it than we know. Maybe someday it'll all be told.
For the benifit of the NON-THINKERS on this board, Senator Reid was not willing to risk any democratic turncoats passing repooplicon crap. Senator Reid wins for America.
Yes, Mr. common, the way The Big Lie works is you keep repeating it till people believe it. You're doing a half-ass job so far.
Who in their right mind would ever trust a republican? Harry Reid...I did say in their right mind.
Reid was preferable to Sharron Angle, but that's not saying much.
who in their right mind would ever trust an iffy 2-faced dem willing to pass repooper house crap?
Dick Durbin is my Senator. He's completely changed from 10 years ago.
He's the President's go to man when it comes to killing Social Security and Medicare.
Politician first and foremost.
Tell Harry Reid to invoke the "nuclear option". To say that you'd have to have a mind like a 4 year old to believe that the Republicans weren't going to do this again is an understatement.
Reid will do everything in his power to keep the rules from changing. (Nero fiddling while Rome burns.)
Agreed , Durbin is a puppet for wall st in the DC bubble now , I have been shocked to hear some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth the last few years , he pretty much demanded we water down wall st reform , he insisted it was just fine to give congress the purse strings for the deal , and everyone new that was a death nil for the agency , wtf is his comment on it now I wonder? Him and his wall st pals are like GOOD RIDDANCE I'm sure
What has been rather shocking is obamas light speed cave to all the wall st clowns , he was pretty much an outsider , you would never know it now
wrong. For the benifit of the NON-THINKERS on this board, Senator Reid was not willing to risk any democratic turncoats passing repooplicon crap. Senator Reid wins for America.
Thabnk god I have decided to mark you "ignore this author," you Obamabot moron .
So, how much longer will the Dems permit the Repub minority to hold the government at full stop?
DO SOMETHING!!!
until 2014 provided dems take the house. keep the faith. do the work. never quit.
The trouble with a gentleman's agreement with Mitch McConnell is that he is no gentleman.
This ^^^
I wonder sometimes if we could actually have a war in America or care to say throughout the world. I know with what the rich bastards and Republicans (politicians) caused here certainly has people where they want to keep their guns and everyone has a limit to what they will take. It can be seen where politicians try to slowly manipulate things for rich bastards. And even where rich bastards have dished out that load of crap to workers to why they need to cut wages, benefits, and safety so they can make huge profits. Also, we have it where rich bastards love to start companies in poor countries so they can have slave labor. And the drastic offset of wages compared to the poor, middle class, and rich certainly shows the rich bastards don’t even care in the least to what happens in or to America. Especially when the rich bastard’s look to make even more profits in these other countries and basically to hell with America and who needs America attitude. It is really something, especially when you know it was the way America was that made these rich bastards so rich. Now how ungrateful is that, especially when you have Republicans and rich bastards so easily spouting off survival of the fittest attitudes to people and than deny the very people that did all the work for those huge profits. Well if these politicians and rich bastards don’t want to listen to peaceful protest, you know what the next step will be, if things don’t get better and it will not be pretty. Because regardless where some Republican (politician) or rich bastard looks to hide that will not be found, not when they screwed over everybody else.
repoops need to be excommunicated. then the people can take back all that which they extorted and stole from the productivuty of all employees. the thieving ceos can go to prison. wallstreet can be prosecuted.
The fact that Reid didn't see this coming and agreed to that stupid compromise in the first place is very problematic, IMO. He'd have to be blind -- no wait, I take that back. Surely even the blind among us saw it coming.
he saw it coming. For the benifit of the NON-THINKERS on this board, Senator Reid was not willing to risk any democratic turncoats passing repooplicon crap. Senator Reid wins for America.
My dad told me years and years ago when I was a wee lad that when WWII was over he was told by some very Top Brass that the Communists had discovered a Very Big Chink in the American armor.
He said he was told that To Beat America communism would have to do it From Inside .. that we were way to strong to go on a head to head battle .. BUT ...
We could be destoryed from within ...
I never understood what that ment until now. When I see our entire political system come to a screaching HALT I see how we are easily destroyed from the inside.
In Michigan Democracy is Dead. What is the point to having to go to the polls and vote ? Gerry mandering makes it impossible for Majority Rule to take place. In the house and senate there is Grid lock and complete shut down of governance allowed to take place .. ONE Party is able to Shut down our Entire country.
SO you see .. I can see what the communists meant when they said to Defeat America You only Have to get inside the political system and you can shut down the whole country.
We have a Failed governing system right now and it needs FIXING fast. I even see the Judicial Branch of the government now taking Leading Actions to FORM LAWS instead of clairify and uphold the laws of the land.
I have no idea how to fix it ? Do the American People still have a one vote one Voice ability ? or will every state with republican majority gerry mander its state in the last minutes of an election to rig and take away the peoples vote?
If the supreme court takes away the teeth that keeps states from changing the rules FIRST and then getting permission then we have no way to stop Fraud and abuse of the voting system for our WHOLE COUNTRY ...
I feel that even if the laws stay on the books .. Republicans are going to try and Rig the body of governance that enforces the Rules before they are allowed to go into effect in the states. All they would have to do is get enough people in that department to go along with the Voter suppression rules and let them become law.
I think you're right about the methods employed, but of course it's not the Communists who are behind it. To me, the most ironic point in all of this is that the Soviet Union couldn't pull down the U.S., hard as they tried; instead, we've now become just like Russia, with the country ruled by the wealthiest few. It's positively cosmic symmetry, don't you think?
you are half blind and half deaf. communism? are you nuts too? the destruction of america comes from HORDING. the TAKING AND HOLDING OF RESOURCES and the PRIVITIZATION of common services, life support, lands we use as our back yards and vacations. pimped out thieves want to take everything and hand it over to their pimps who are partnered up with the money changing fed printing loan sharking debt driving sociopaths.
the first protester was Jesus and they had him killed. He was an active voice of protest. Communism was great for putting a cap on the wealth thieves but it stunted personal initiative.
the solution is a marriage of capitalism and socialism. capitalism works for business, socialism works for people. neither should trespass the other. the joining of the 2 is RECIRCULATING CASH FLOW that is prohibited from being "horded" - like a muzzle on a mad dog.
LEARN UP!
Which communist are you talking about? Walk into a Walmart or any store and check the labels of the crap you are buying. Yeah, we have communists all right, free market "communists"...
China is selling lands to multinational corporations and business interests like hotcakes even if it makes the lives of their citizens miserable unless they become city dwellers (the wealthy class in China who gets all welfare). The biggest problem in the world today is not communists, it is capitalists.
The free market is a great tool for prosperity, but it still enslaves people if you let it control you instead of the other way around. A tool is a tool, until you let it become your master.
I don't have a problem with the TALKING filibuster. Go ahead. We might find out something while you blather on. Good OR bad. It's the sneaky 'I don't take any responsibility for my filibuster' crap that I don't like. Oh and put the MAJORITY back into majority. Like MATH.
When it comes to legislative issues, I agree with you.
When it comes to Presidential nominations for offices, both justice and others, I disagree. And the Democrats did this during W's tenure too.
I can see a scenario where the Republicans simply refuse to allow votes to be taken on any Obama court nominations. Wait until the next election and hope that a Republican takes the WH. Then pass them all through.
The Republicans have continued to stack the courts over since Reagan and they're still trying to keep any socialist, liberals from getting on ANY court.
truth.
Idiot
ya know, why was it necessary to call her a name? why was it necessary to disrespect her? isn't that what we're all talking about here? that our governing officials don't respect the majority opinion of the governed? how could you showing this same disrespect to someone else help anybody or anything?
been saying this,,Dam it to Hell Dick!!! you are one of the main reasons Harry didn't have the votes needed to change it so had to go with the hand shake deal!
glad you have removed your head from your 4th point of contact!
and yes Merkley you will get my vote again!!
Better wait until Merkley does something more than talk!
The Republicans have become a bigger threat to our country then any other Threat we have ever faced .. and what makes it so Deadly is that it comes at us from INSIDE ...
The Very core of our Being is now at Risk of total melt down and the people that see it happening SEEM powerless to Stop it, and get America Back On Tract.
We under the Republican Rule will fast become a country of two Classes .. The Mega Rich and the Mega Poor.
ALL subsidies should have a Upper Threashold so that when any company reaches that Income threshold they no longer get the Subsidie. But we keep giving Millions and millions to companies that turn 100's of BILLIONS of dollars in profits every Quarter. WHY IS THAT >?
Where is the Fairness ? That money comes from every single American paying taxes. We should have a Voice in how it keeps getting spent .. but we are not allowed to Fix it due to Republican Domination of our governing system.
Very Frustrating and bewildering to me.
Where are the black helicopters and the blue-helmeted troops and the FEMA camps when we really need them?
where are the phone records of the 911 hijackers?
I don't want to hear the Dems complain.
I want every Democrat to state publicly where they stand on filibuster reform.
The Dems that would not back Merkley's reform package are pathetic buffoons.
Exactly , these same lip service dems were saying the exact same thing the LAST 4 YEARS!!!!! Then they caved and allowed it to happen again , NOW WE ARE SUPPOSE TO LISTEN TO THEM WHINE ABOUT IT AGAIN?
Notice they did not send REID out to whine about it? That is because every dem voter who knows the score would have been filleting him for the next week
Reid will be hiding under a rock some where , unfortunately , it is the same rock that obama is selling out medicare and social security under , these things will basically hand the gov over to the gop the next 2 election cycles , why would I vote for a dem , that passes more gop policy , than the gop could ever pass by themselves?
double
You have to wonder why the people on this blog saw this coming but some people in the Senate did not.
I have to preface that I've been a Cubs fan for 95% of my 65 years.
So a CUBS fan saw this coming, and still supports the Cubs?
We've seen the Cubs coming for the last 60 years.
The idea is to convince those who saw this coming that they have no agency. This makes way for a new generation of campaign volunteers and freshman Senators who do think they have agency, and the cycle begins again.
I take it you've never been in a bad marriage?
Denial is one of the most powerful forces in human psychology: being simply unable to turn your back on something you've invested with a large part of your life, and admitting to yourself that it ain't gonna go back to the way it was back when you joined. That the good times aren't going to come back -- not for you, not in this life.
Most of the Senate have been there longer than most people stay married. Much longer.
Reid is worthless.
Okay Harry, time to grow a pair of danglies and handle this.
But isn't Paul's talking filibuster exactly the kind of filibuster that would have been preserved with the reform legislation that was on the table before the "handshake"?
Yes indeed, it is. The reason Paul is doing this is because he does not have 40 with him.
And besides, Randie is an attention pig.
fool you once, shame on them. fool you 345 times? you're an @!$%# and its still your fault.
unless Reid walks on water or has some magic black book, its time for the majority to look at a shake up. whether he's too weak, gullible or senile, I don't care... the time to walk softly and get beaten by own our stick has been over since 2008.
Reid is a Mormon and wears 'magic underwear'. Plus, he will be a god in the afterlife.
and that frustration is rapidly turning to fury." [...]
Finally, these somnambulant Dems seem to have had a glass of cold water thrown in their kisser.
I went into Reid's office the day his "idiot's" agreement was announced. Got back a form letter two weeks later. Filibuster ... blah, blah, blah. Sent him an e-mail, withdrew my support. If he had lost the election, we'd be stuck with Fruitcake Angle, but the Senate would have a different majority leader. I'm on the side of a different leader is the lesser of the two evils. The choice is like picking Drano over the choco-flavor cyanide.
Reid must go and should be replaced by a woman. We would have the added benefit of seeing McConnell's head spin around in circles.
I am sorry but I agree with Rand Paul on this one !..
When you have a prick like Eric Holder saying that president Obama has the right to use military drones on U.S. Soil to KILL a fellow American.. That is a line we as a people should not cross !... Our constitution has been trampled enough by Neocons like Dick Cheney and George W. Bush !..
And all Obama has done since taking office in 2008 is a continuation of the Bush Doctrine...
Yeah, but I'm sure Rand and his ilk would be just fine with somebody *shooting* a known terrorist, even if s/he is a US citizen on US soil. Mind you, I'm against drones in general, but what the heck?
If, let's say, the FBI (or some such) had absolute proof that Timothy McVeigh was going to place a bomb to kill dozens of people, would it not make a kind of sense to kill him? And then, would it matter if it was a rifle or a drone that did it? Of course, being a lefty, I'd rather they arrested him, but we're talking about drones and not about justice here.
Wow...no mention of WHY Rand Paul is filibustering. No mention of the drone issue or the White House refusing to acknowledge that drone strikes against American citizens on American soil is unconstitutional. Rachel Maddow and the whole MSNBC gang are not any different than Fox News...just the phony left wing of the same tyrannical buzzard. This is why the corporate media is losing the information war.
America
Article 1 Section 8 Clause 15 states Congress shall have the power to...
"To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions"
Please cite the section of the Constitution that says that Americans can not be attacked on American soil with drones or otherwise. Because there was that whole Civil Wat thing 150 years ago that would contradict that notion. I am not commending drone strikes but if you are going to say something is unconstitutional then you need to use the Constitution to back it up.
Rachel notice how all the Law Makers are now so interested in national security and drones but no one dare question Dick Cheney who ordered War Crimes. Dick is so proud of his war crimes he released a documentary bragging about his illegal orders. As the UN is collecting War Crime evidence against the Bush Administration Daddy Bush can only pray for his son. Rand Paul took to the floor because he wasn't invited to the Dinner with the President. As the Leader of the Tea Baggers Rand thinks this will help with his campaign. Rand is mentally ill from the damage of years of bong hits and he is an embarrassment to the State of Kentucky. none of the current Law Makers questioned the Bush Administration on the use of Drones during the 8 year War.