Democrats finally give Harry Reid the votes he needed to let Barack Obama be president

[DonViejo]

Mitch McConnell: Biggest loser!

Tragically cautious Senate Democrats finally give Harry Reid the votes he needed to let Barack Obama be president

JOAN WALSH

It’s hard not to see the Senate rule change Thursday as too little, too late. Liberals wanted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to push to end the filibuster at the start of this Senate session, but he at least twice relied on a handshake deal with Mitch McConnell that Republicans would stop their unprecedented obstruction campaign against President Obama’s nominees.

Of course, “everybody” knew how that would turn out, but “everybody” doesn’t sit in the Senate; it wasn’t until recently that tragically cautious Democrats like Dianne Feinstein and Max Baucus came around. (Even Vice President Joe Biden has been wary of the so-called “nuclear option;” he gave it the go-ahead today over lunch, knowing that he wouldn’t be needed to break a tie in the Senate.)

Now, on the heels of Reid holding his fractious and often cowardly caucus together last month, to stop the GOP’s government shutdown and debt-ceiling hostage taking, it looks like Democrats are finally learning that appeasing bullies only enables them.

Listening to McConnell and Sen. Chuck Grassley rail against the Democrats’ power grab in the Senate on Thursday, you almost had to admire their chutzpah and capacity for projection – and their trust that the media would let them get away with it. Grassley really has himself to blame: by crusading against Obama’s right to fill vacancies in the crucial but conservative-dominated D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, brazenly calling it “court-packing,” he finally convinced moderate Democrats that they were dealing with unreasonable power-mad adversaries.

McConnell, who backed Grassley, continued to mock Democrats demand that Obama be allowed to do his job. “They cook up some fake fight over judges that aren’t even needed,” he chuckled on the Senate floor. He thrilled himself by making a little joke: Senate Democrats had said “if you like your Senate rules you can keep them.” After the vote, he blasted them for a “power grab in order to try to advance the Obama administration’s regulatory agenda.”

full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/11/21/mitch_mcconnell_biggest_loser/

[sharp_stick]

1. Turtleman was pretty pissed

I was kinda hoping that throbbing vein in his forehead was going to pop.

[Blue Owl]

6. Just makes the turtle-waxing all the more sweet

[Cha]

14. Maybe he was thinking about all the ads his teaparty

opponent was going to be making out of this one? rofl

[Politicalboi]

2. This reminds me of an old Christmas story

They're nothing without their choppers.

[Tx4obama]

3. Republicans have already found a way to F*CK up judicial nominees !!!!!!!!!!

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024071026

[kydo]

4. HA I was just getting ready to say "now if we could just make them show up for comm. meeting."

And I had a link back to your thread in the GD all ready to go but you beat me to it.

baggers are such cry babies

[tblue37]

21. They can still be brought to a vote without the committee. nt

[truebluegreen]

5. Key word being "needed." Past tense.

If the Democrats had reformed the filibuster rule earlier, they and the country would all have been far better off. Now, it will make us all feel better but I'm not sure how much more.

[Gothmog]

7. Senator Reid had to work hard to get the needed votes

Senator Reid did not have the needed votes until this week. The GOP helped by forcing the issue.

[DonViejo]

9. Yes, that's correct...and Sen Feinstein just signed on...

this week....maybe like yesterday. I'll see if I can find the article

Here it is...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014652324

[VirginiaTarheel]

8. It's late, but not "too late"

Obama should now burn the midnight oil to nominate, the Senate to confirm. The court and agency vacancies must be filled.

[DonViejo]

10. For some reason, I believe they've covered all those bases...

I could be totally wrong but, I'm inclined to just believe alot of people in the Senate and WH have been working on all these issues.

[Cha]

15. Yeah, it really does seem like they're on this..

right, DV?

[DonViejo]

17. Yes it do, Cha, yes it do. eom

[Cha]

18. Have you seen this..

good comprehensive article, imv..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024077165

[DonViejo]

19. Wow, Cha! Not bad at all...

and given it's from Politico makes it even better. Thanks for linking it Cha!

[Cha]

20. Glad you liked it, DonViejo!

And, it was amazing that it's from politico.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. I just hope it's not too late.

[Wounded Bear]

12. Consider my mind boggled....

How can the majority party engage in a "power grab?"

[Cha]

13. We all know what isn't "needed" in the US Senate..

and that's Mitch McConnell.

Go Allison L Grimes!

As I've stuck up for Harry before when so many were cussing at him.. He Didn't Have the Votes. Untill now. Boom.

thanks DonViejo~

[Sunlei]

16. Senate rule change Thursday ruined republicans sunday news show plans to trash Obamacares