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To: 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 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

18 posted on 03/03/2010 4:48:50 PM PST by Political Junkie Too ("Comprehensive" reform bills only end up as incomprehensible messes.)
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To: 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 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.

20 posted on 03/03/2010 5:00:03 PM PST by OldDeckHand
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To: Political Junkie Too

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.


21 posted on 03/03/2010 5:02:13 PM PST by Neoavatara (http://neoavatara.com/blog)
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