[Political Junkie Too]

Thanks for the details. I don't mean to haggle over words, and I think I agree with you. I just thought the nuclear option was the parliamenatian trick itself.

I think the Republican needed it because they could not guarantee they would get a majority vote with Lincoln Chafee, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins likely to vote with Democrats. Hence, the maneuver where the parliamentarian rules and the VP overrules.

-PJ

[OldDeckHand]

"Thanks for the details. I don't mean to haggle over words, and I think I agree with you. I just thought the nuclear option was the parliamenatian trick itself."

I didn't think you were haggling. It is confusing, and I've studied the issue both professionally and as a hobby. I just learned something new yesterday. I didn't think that Biden could unilaterally overrule the Senate Parliamentarian, that had been my understanding for years. But apparently - according to Robert Dove, the former Senate Parliamentarian - he indeed can.

What Bill Frist was threatening with the judicial appointments was something of a parliamentary trick - changing the Senate rules based on arcane and seldom-used point-of-order procedures.

It's just that what the Democrats are threatening to do now, is an entirely different parliamentary trick, but with similar but still somewhat a different outcome.

[Neoavatara]

I think it is ok to discuss the meaning of the ‘nuclear option’, but that said...I think we all know what I intended by my post. No offense...but we have bigger issues to worry about than semantics.