I don't care if the Republicans remove the filibuster..

[JHan]

They used it far too effectively against Obama.

If they remove it now, it's on them.

So let's raise the stakes for 2018 and 2020.

We have to recapture Congress and the Presidency, and if Republicans remove the filibuster now, whenever they're in the minority they'll have fewer tools of obstructionism on hand to frustrate a Democratic President.

[MFM008]

1. yes apparently all we can do

is stand around with our thumbs in our butts so let the pick up sticks fall where they may.

[kentuck]

2. That may be the price we have to pay to get our government back ?

We don't know where Donald Trump's polls will be 6 months from now? He could be very popular or his polls could be in the tank?

Those that vote for his agenda now might look like fools in a few months?

[JHan]

3. Things are going to get fked up pretty soon, Democrats have a real opportunity here

but the GOP also has to self destruct. They're also scared about the fallout over Obamacare, yet they're acting like their President won in a landslide.

I also want the GOP to be exposed for their lack of principles and hypocrisy on this - they've already shown they will abuse power when given the slightest opportunity and now that they control three branches of gov't , they'll act reckless.

[Chasstev365]

5. They won't do it!

Because they know Democrats will whip out and not filibuster Gorsuch!

[Mike Niendorff]

6. 28 USC Section 1

As I have already posted elsewhere on DU, the 9-member Court is *not* a Constitutional requirement -- it originates in a federal law passed in 1948 (28 US Code Section 1).

Dems should be absolutely clear on this : force through an illegitimate justice, to fill a stolen seat, and the *moment* Dems are able to do so we will NULLIFY that vote by repealing 28 USC 1 and appointing additional justices to the court to offset the effect of the Republicans' misconduct and court-stacking.

They go nuclear, we go double-nuclear.

FDR threatened it in 1937 (successfully). It's time to learn from history, from the Dems who knocked the Republicans on their asses for a generation. This is no longer an amicable discussion, it is a bare-knuckle fight, prepare accordingly.


MDN

[onenote]

8. Two issues: the repubs won't eliminate the filibuster across the board, at least not initially

They'll only eliminate it with respect to SCOTUS nominees. If they can avoid eliminating it for other legislation, they will (and they probably can). That would mean we'd have to broaden the elimination of the filibuster in order to revise the number of justices on the court.

Second, if we threaten that, why wouldn't the Repubs get rid of the filibuster and add a couple of more justices now, giving themselves an even larger majority -- one that could be 8-3 or greater by the time we were in a position to add justices.

Finally, whether FDR's threat to pack the court was "successful" is a matter of significant debate, with most scholars regarding it as a significant defeat for FDR.

[old guy]

10. When, not if, but when we gain control of the Senate and the WH

the repubs will be throwing up in their white hats because they won't be able to stop a thing. That is what will happen and they know it. So if they want to go down that path then please proceed. The change could come as early as 2018 in the senate if they over reach as they most assuredly will. Good luck to us all in the meantime.