Reid goes Nuclear

[WI_DEM]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday that he was proposing a historic change to Senate rules that would get rid of the filibuster for most presidential nominations.

“It’s time to change the Senate before this institution becomes obsolete,” Reid said in a lengthy floor speech on Thursday morning.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/harry-reid-nuclear-option-100199.html#ixzz2lIa5mEMd

[Erose999]

1. While this may be good for us in the short term, in the long term it kinda handicaps our ability to

deal with objectionable choices from a GOP president if we need to. Say a President Christie wants to appoint somebody like John Bolton as secy' of state, we'd have less power to stop that.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

5. Believe me, if the situation was reversed, the pukes would have nuked it 5 years ago.

[hughee99]

8. I thought situation was reversed in *'s last two years? n/t

[OffWithTheirHeads]

9. The Dems didn't fillibuster EVERYTHING.

[Bradical79]

12. No, it wasn't.

The Democrats might have been in the position to cause a similar situation, but did not commit to complete obstructionism the way the Republicans have. The Republican actions have been pretty unprecedented I think.

[MoonRiver]

2. Give em hell Harry!

[Mr Dixon]

3. IMO

At this point what do we have to lose, nothing is getting done away so give them hell Harry. Also we could keep voting to keep a Democratic in the White House until the end of days the country is leaning that way already.

[DJ13]

4. ....but preserve the filibuster for Supreme Court picks.

Why?

If the GOP is fighting all judicial appointees to the death, they arent going to compromise on the even more important USSC nominees.

[geek tragedy]

6. We'll nuke that bridge when we come to it nt

[DJ13]

7. I like that!

[NuclearDem]

10. Hey, leave me outta this

[procon]

11. A straight up or down vote

So, now Reid needs just a simple majority of 51 senators to approve non–Supreme Court judicial and executive branch nominees. I look at this as restoring the Constitutional obligations and duties of the President to fill these slots, and while the opposition has the right to 'advise and consent', they will no longer have the unchecked option to obstruct.

Republicans brought this on themselves, but Grassley has already threatened to retaliate -- in the event that the GOP takes the Senate -- and alter the rules so that Democrats could not even filibuster a Republican Supreme Court nominee.

I'm happy Reid acted, but I'm afraid we haven't seen the send of this.

[brooklynite]

13. McConnell now throwing out a host a parliamentary blocking tactics

[napkinz]

14. Mitch can't handle the truth ...