2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumCBS' Bob Schieffer Shocked When Senator Reid Refuses to Rule Out Eliminating Filibuster Entirely
CBS Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer appeared taken aback on Sunday when he repeatedly prodded Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to clarify that he was not considering further changes to Senate rules to revoke the privilege of minority Republican rights including the filibuster. While Reid said that the Senate was not there yet, he refused to rule out further curtailments to the Senates minority rights.
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Article and Video (3:30 minutes) here: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cbs-bob-schieffer-shocked-when-sen-reid-refuses-to-rule-out-eliminating-filibuster-entirely/
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants Republicans to stop the foot dragging and obstruction. If they refuse to behave responsibly, Reid warned that he is open to eliminating all filibusters.
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Article/transcript and Video (11:56 minutes), here: http://www.politicususa.com/2014/01/05/harry-reid-drops-bomb-republicans-threatening-eliminate-filibusters.html
annabanana
(52,791 posts)I'm not sure eliminating the filibuster altogether is so hot either. I think a TALKING filibuster against legislation is important. I think filibusters of procedural rulings is childish... Cloture maybe shouldn't be filibuster-able.
Of course all absolutist talk about this is childish.
well said
drm604
(16,230 posts)Even if he privately would never consider it, what is there to gain by publicly ruling it out? The threat of it might conceivably cause them to moderate their behavior; ruling it out would give them free reign.
ShadowLiberal
(2,237 posts)Until democrats control all both houses of congress and the white house again it really doesn't sense for him to go farther, outside of excluding supreme court nominees from being filibustered. Everything else that we'd want to pass probably wouldn't even without a filibuster, thanks to the GOP house.
Still, like you say, eliminating the possibility publicly would be a bad idea, the fact that Reid changed the rules once gives the threat credibility.
Arkana
(24,347 posts)He still lives in an era where cooperation was possible.