Harry Reid: We're Not Ready To Kill The Filibuster For Legislation

[highplainsdem]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Don't expect Harry Reid to end the filibuster for legislation anytime soon.

"I don't think we're anywhere near that," he told reporters on Thursday.

The Senate majority leader was asked if the Republican blockade of legislation to revive jobless benefits may motivate him to eliminate what's left of the filibuster after Democrats nixed it for most nominations last November.

"We're hopeful that something will work," he said. "We've made progress on nominations. We'll see what the next few weeks bring on that front."

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/harry-reid-filibuster-legislation

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Does he honestly think that just because he isn't willing to take that step, the Republicans WON'T put an end to the filibuster for legislation the next time they control the Senate?

[malthaussen]

1. Just what I was thinking

If the GOP takes over the Senate, they'll do just what they did to the House. "No government" is exactly what they want.

-- Mal

[beachbum bob]

2. who says kill the filibuster put the original rule back

in place that if you want to do a filibuster then be prepared to talk for hours and days....


time to get some guts in Harry

[blkmusclmachine]

3. DEMS still hiding behind GOP's filibuster threats.

[Kelvin Mace]

4. How fucking hard is this?

Just change the goddamned rule that if you want to filibuster you have get up on your hind legs and TALK. As long as you talk, you get your way. When you stop talking, a vote is taken.

Either that or simply lower the vote threshold to 55.

[Plucketeer]

5. I know Harry was a boxer long ago.

And here's more proof as to the lingering effects of repeated, gross head trauma!

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. Actually I don't think Republicans would abolish the filibuster if they took control of the Senate

Not while there is a Democratic president in office who can veto legislation that a Republican majority in the Senate might pass with less than 60 votes. So the Republicans would be unlikely to abolish the filibuster if they take control of the Senate in the 2014 elections in my opinion. However if they ever get majorities in both houses of Congress AND control of the White House, like Democrats had between 2008 and 2010, yeah, Republicans would abolish the filibuster in a heart beat. They would not allow a Democratic minority in the Senate do what Republicans did to Obama while his party, the Democrats, in theory controlled both houses of Congress.

Republicans will abolish the filibuster whenever it really matters to them. Until then they would rather keep it around because they count on Democrats not being willing to abuse the system the way that Republicans are only to happy to.