Senate goes Nuclear. Who is to blame.

[Matt1970]

It didn't have to be like this. The GOP could have acted responsibly and this would have been avoided.

And maybe if Obama lived up to even half of his promises about transparency and Working with Republicans he would get more cooperation. Instead we write legislation behind closed doors, insist we pass it to see what's in it, lie your ass off about the legislation just to get your own party to vote for it, and then go on the news bashing Republicans every single chance he got. His speeches still sound like he is campaigning for the job.

 

[rudder]

I can't tell, the folk who forced the issue or the folk who voted for it? What do you think?
l]

Who forced the issue? The obstructionist republicans? It is such a shame those republicans blocked obamacare, block the expansion of social security, blocked expansion of the food stamp program, blocked all this spending on steroids.... The dems have not been able to do anything.

The framers of the constitution meant for their to be obstructions... Checks and balances if you will.

It is a shame most of the republicans have locked up their balls somewhere... God forbid they do anything to stop this travesty.

 

[Bitek]

This had to happen. The rampant abuse of the filabuster is undermining the will of the people as expressed thru elections.

Why is there such fear of majority rule? If the majority gets out of hand, elections will put them back in line.

 

[TerryMathews]

This had to happen. The rampant abuse of the filabuster is undermining the will of the people as expressed thru elections.

Why is there such fear of majority rule? If the majority gets out of hand, elections will put them back in line.

Tell that to Germany circa 1937.

 

[ivwshane]

And maybe if Obama lived up to even half of his promises about transparency and Working with Republicans he would get more cooperation. Instead we write legislation behind closed doors, insist we pass it to see what's in it, lie your ass off about the legislation just to get your own party to vote for it, and then go on the news bashing Republicans every single chance he got. His speeches still sound like he is campaigning for the job.

Lol! And if unicorns and fairies existed compromise might have never been a dirty word!

Do you know how delusional you sound? Here is a reminder: the night Obama was being sworn in, top republican heads met together to discuss how to make Obama a one term president, and you know what their solution was? Obstruct! Obstruct! And more obstruct! And that's not hyperbole either.

 

[irishScott]

Great. Now all the Democrats have to do is maintain a majority in the Senate indefinitely. Good luck with that!

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

This had to happen. The rampant abuse of the filabuster is undermining the will of the people as expressed thru elections.

Why is there such fear of majority rule? If the majority gets out of hand, elections will put them back in line.

The will of the people expressed through elections. Considering that a great many had no choice but to vote for one of two candidates/parties they didn't like, that's a rather pretty fiction. One could stay home like I did, but that's not a real choice. The will of this person and a great many others has no chance in a rigged system. Handing out the keys of power to one party which cannot be challenged for years? Yeah, that's not a concern, it's alarming idiocy to allow.

 

[Matt1970]

Lol! And if unicorns and fairies existed compromise might have never been a dirty word!

Do you know how delusional you sound? Here is a reminder: the night Obama was being sworn in, top republican heads met together to discuss how to make Obama a one term president, and you know what their solution was? Obstruct! Obstruct! And more obstruct! And that's not hyperbole either.

Don't hand me that horseshit. Obama got passed what he wanted and more. Speaking of unicorns and fairies, you have a better chance of seeing one of those than you do seeing Obama keep a promise. And I have news for you, every party wants to make the opposing party a one term deal. Where the fuck have you been?

 

[cubby1223]

I can't tell, the folk who forced the issue or the folk who voted for it? What do you think?

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304607104579211881413579404

Who is to blame? The Democrats are to blame.

If they weren't so damn incompetent in their Obamacare rollout they wouldn't need this current "distraction of the day" to divert the attention away from their own failures.

 

[cubby1223]

I'll give anyone 5:1 odds that Democrats, when they lose the majority in an election, will use the time they have remaining before the new Senate begins, to do whatever they can try to reinstate the old filibuster rules for their term as the minority.

 

[michal1980]

I'll give anyone 5:1 odds that Democrats, when they lose the majority in an election, will use the time they have remaining before the new Senate begins, to do whatever they can try to reinstate the old filibuster rules for their term as the minority.

and assholes like eskiom will then be ok with it. Because the will of the people.

 

[michal1980]

I'm happy that someone did it as the overuse of the filibuster was damaging the country. Again though, you have all these bad consequences that you feel are there but you are mad that the Republicans didn't do this. The incoherence is baffling.

I expect Obama's nominees to be generally the same moderates that he's appointed for his whole presidency but I'm sure there will be a few more liberal judges that get on the bench. I view this as a good thing.

The idea that presidents only moderate their appointments due to the filibuster is ridiculous and obviously false. The filibuster was almost never used for judges until recently, yet the judiciary wasn't filled with ideologues.

I'd rather has a stalemate government then a bad government. especially when it comes to judges appointed for life.

We all know how well Obamacare rammed down our throats turned out.

 

[michal1980]

Wow, you watched three news broadcasts simultaneously. That's impressive. I like how you note that it was covered, but now you think it wasn't covered enough.

When people rely on an article of faith like those who believe in the myth of the liberal media there isn't much that evidence can do to shake that belief.

The only believers are those that believe the media is somehow balanced and not in the bag for democrats.

one of the 3 major networks defended democrats. one actually presented the (in brief passing) that democrats were against this action before they were for it.

the other just said what happened.

Like I pointed out earlier. If the republicans did this. 15 minutes of the 30 minutes they had would be on covering this story. we'd have all the reaction from the DNC. And how bad the republicans are, how this is poisoning the well, how in the future this will make things harder etc etc.

Dems go nuclear, less then 2 minutes of coverage. But in your warped liberal mind, the fact it was covered is enough to make them 'fair'

 

[michal1980]

I'll give anyone 5:1 odds that Democrats, when they lose the majority in an election, will use the time they have remaining before the new Senate begins, to do whatever they can try to reinstate the old filibuster rules for their term as the minority.

10:1 min.

look at how they passed Obamacare. Lost one seat in the senate, and had to do yoga to figure out how to pass the bill.

 

[pcgeek11]

McCain was the only Senator that I know of that was against this in when the republicans threatened it and still against it now.

The rest are a bunch of liars and are for it when it benefits and against it when it doesn't. It will bite the Republicans now and the Dem's later. But it is going to bite the people always.

 

[cubby1223]

This is just a "Hey media, remember when all you talked about each evening was filibuster abuses? So do we, and we could use some more of that conversation instead of talking about Obamacare! Everyone knows the website will not be functional by the end of the month, but if you can change the subject for us..."

Only problem here is this decision will likely be permanent rather than just a passing diversion. Government wins again!

 

[rudder]

Great. Now all the Democrats have to do is maintain a majority in the Senate indefinitely. Good luck with that!

Food stamp rolls have expanded. Social securitY disability has been running a deficit for 5 years. Claims approvals are around 40% much higher that previous admins. Free and subsidized healthcare... On the other end of the spectrum the Dow is above 16,000 thanks to unlimited QE... Benefiting the Wall Street fat cats. Until the whole thing collapses we may never see a republican majority. Even after the dems collapse the economy for good... The average voter will still blame the republicans because msnbc said it was their fault the cellphones stopped working.

 

[werepossum]

McCain was the only Senator that I know of that was against this in when the republicans threatened it and still against it now.

The rest are a bunch of liars and are for it when it benefits and against it when it doesn't. It will bite the Republicans now and the Dem's later. But it is going to bite the people always.

Well said.

Food stamp rolls have expanded. Social securitY disability has been running a deficit for 5 years. Claims approvals are around 40% much higher that previous admins. Free and subsidized healthcare... On the other end of the spectrum the Dow is above 16,000 thanks to unlimited QE... Benefiting the Wall Street fat cats. Until the whole thing collapses we may never see a republican majority. Even after the dems collapse the economy for good... The average voter will still blame the republicans because msnbc said it was their fault the cellphones stopped working.

Demographics and human nature are both against the Pubbies. To a large extent, Ted Kennedy's immigration bill won the war for the Dems. Rather than trying to win over the American public, just import more people who believe as you do. Human nature as well - once people get used to suckling Uncle Sugar, they aren't likely to demand to stand on their own hind legs.

 

[compuwiz1]

I'll give anyone 5:1 odds that Democrats, when they lose the majority in an election, will use the time they have remaining before the new Senate begins, to do whatever they can try to reinstate the old filibuster rules for their term as the minority.

Exactly! They applied a measure that has every potential to back fire and bite them in the ass when they need the filibuster. How much longer will Harry Reid still be there....or alive for that matter? It's time for some of these old fuckers to take a hike.

 

[Attic]

Two things are clear to me.

The two sides should have come together and figured it out.

If they don't and if one side is more to blame for that, you don't go nuclear. You go back and figure out how to come together to figure it out and if one side is to blame you don't go nuclear.

Bottom line, you avoid doing what the dems in the senate just did at all costs and you find another way. Even if you think there is no other way, you don't go nuclear.

Hopefully dems change the rule back or repubs gain control and change this rule back.

When the country is as split as we are we don't start jackhammering the fizzures in the foundation of our government just so we can say we did something. Slow down, fix the foundation.

 

[rudder]

LOL...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I-mOmAi4Iw

 

[rudder]

Spoken by a true hero!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhSKywjnqc

 

[rudder]

Say it ain't so harry and obama...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkXjYohzAOY

 

[Attic]

He's a pretty decent paid actor.

Would watch his future work for entertainment.

 

[werepossum]

Two things are clear to me.

The two sides should have come together and figured it out.

If they don't and if one side is more to blame for that, you don't go nuclear. You go back and figure out how to come together to figure it out and if one side is to blame you don't go nuclear.

Bottom line, you avoid doing what the dems in the senate just did at all costs and you find another way. Even if you think there is no other way, you don't go nuclear.

Hopefully dems change the rule back or repubs gain control and change this rule back.

When the country is as split as we are we don't start jackhammering the fizzures in the foundation of our government just so we can say we did something. Slow down, fix the foundation.

I dunno, to me this is a win-win. I don't think nominees should be filibustered in the first place, plus I get the comedic value of watching the usual idiots try to explain why it was the end of the world if Republicans did it but good and necessary for Democrats to do it less than a decade later.