Posted on 01/19/2010 2:27:29 PM PST by C19fan
One option that is not being widely discussed is the Senate Democrats actually changing the rules of the Senate to eliminate the filibuster; the "nuclear option" discussed when Democrats were filibusting Bush II's judicial appointments. It appears some of the groundwork is being laid for this move with comments about how "undemocratic" the filibuster is from Barney Frank, Biden and the leftist chattering class. As I mentioned before on the ZeroCare debate, this is the best and perhaps only opportunity for the Democrats to impose socialized health care or as with this bill screw up the private insurance so much as to make single payer inevitable. Given past history once this passes it would almost impossible to reverse and over the long run more and more dependents on government mean more votes for donkeys. I am curious as to your thought on the chances of this happening. I would say 25%.
I don’t think they will. Eventually the republicans will get the senate back, and the dems will have to live with whatever rule changes they make.
They won’t give up their future filibuster power.
The Far Left will want to but I don’t think the rest of the Democrats will see that as a good idea.
If they do, it will only increase the carnage in 2010. Right now, they can hide behind Republican obstructionism. They would be ijiots to discard the one fig leaf left to them. Of course, they have proven themselves to be ijiots before.
I can’t recall who is was, probably reid, but that’s already been stated.
(Fox News)- A top Senate Democrat for the first time Tuesday acknowledged that the party is prepared to deal with health care reform by using a controversial legislative tactic known as the "nuclear option" if Republican Scott Brown wins the Massachusetts Senate election.
Calling the state's special election "an uphill battle to put it mildly," Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said "there are options to still pursue health care" should Democrat Martha Coakley lose to Brown.
Congressional Democrats have been discussing several options, since a Brown win would break the party's 60-vote, filibuster-proof majority at a critical time for health care reform. Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, described a combination of tactics to get what his party wants out of health care reform.
First, he said the House could simply approve the Senate bill, sending it straight to President Obama's desk.
Then, Durbin said, the Senate could make changes to the bill by using the nuclear option, known formally as "reconciliation," a tactic that would allow Democrats to adjust parts of health care reform with just a 51-vote majority.
They can I guess if they do their bill would be temporary.
Bit of a misnomer since reconciliation is not changing the Senate rules. Basically the can perhaps change some of the tax and spend aspects of the bill with 51 votes but not some of the hot button areas.
Sure. They are fanatics.
Only if they want to be drug out of the Capital building tarred and feathered.
The democrats aren’t the only ones with a ‘nuclear option’. Perhaps we’ll detonate our own next November.
The Dems going Nuke would be a dream come true. The crusade to repeal this crime would surge... and the Dems would wear the stain for decades. Yes, they are dumb enough to do it. I think, though, a few moderates would privately balk & walk away... so the leaders would do it, but they probably cannot retain that kind of control.
Clueless Harry Quisling from Blacklight - He has no idea of the anger if he tries to pull this reconciliation nonsense.
If the Rat party try to do that I will spend the next 9 months working with my friend on a grass roots effort to educate anybody and eveybody who will listen about the evil’s of the Rat party. Its time for the complacent America to wake up and take control away from the fraud part of Democrats.
We must take back AmeriKa and restore America and its American values.
Honestly, I don’t think they will. The MA election has a lot of “moderate” Democrats running scared. I think healthcare is effectively dead — even if Brown loses, the fact that it was even close in MA means it could be a bloodbath for Democrats in middle America.
Democracy works.
SnakeDoc
I believe they will. Their far-left Socialist money sources (unions, ACORN, George Soros, etc.) aren’t going to accept defeat of their agenda. They are going to push them to ram it through now, which may blow up the whole applecart. And that is not necessarily a bad thing to an Alinskyite.
First, why does it exist? Because the US Senate was once considered to be the "world's greatest deliberative legislature" and the sense was that there can't be too much debate. Meaning, if a Senator had something to say, he should not be pulled off the stage and otherwise muzzled. The operative word is say.
In the old days, one could only filibuster by continuing to talk, nonstop. Remember that famous Jimmy Stewart movie, Mr. Smith goes to Washington? He filibusters on the Senate floor, talking until he collapses and makes the gravity of his cause know.
Filibusters now require no effort. A party just has to declare that they will not end debate and the filibuster is in process. No one is talking on the Senate floor, cots and hot coffee are not being brought in, there is no drama. Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd could be manhandling waitresses in Georgetown while at the same time holding up legislation with 10 consecutive filibusters. They can be filibustering while vacationing off Cape Cod or sailing in Nantucket; or even while attending Copenhagen.
You want filibusters to be used properly and judiciously? Then limit a party to fixed number per year, and make them be real debate.
“Fillerbuster”? Now, that’s creative spelling.
Hint: the correct spelling is in the first paragraph of the story.
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