Reid: Filibusters are like stabbings

Hot Air ^ | March 06, 2008 | by Ed Morrissey

[jdm]

Pity poor Harry Reid. Was anyone ever as inept with rhetoric forced into a position of national leadership? The same man who called George Bush a “loser” and Alan Greenspan a “hack” — the same man who tried surrendering to al-Qaeda from the Senate floor — has now compared Senate cloture motions to aggravated assaults by stabbing:

Reid and Democrats have pointed to the 72 cloture motions — which cut off debate and require 60 votes — as “filibusters.” Republicans say these are not true filibusters, since many of the motions pass overwhelmingly.

Nonetheless, Reid says Republican contentions that they’ve only forced 65 or so cloture motions proves the point. Here’s the stabbing quote:

“Is it 72; is it 65? It’s like you’re charged with aggravated assault and the complaint says you stabbed somebody 72 times and you say no, it’s 65 times,” Reid said.

Reid liked the analogy so much he used it again on a follow up question. “The picture is clear what the Republicans have done. Whether the stab was 72 times or 65 times — a lot of filibusters,” Reid said. “The American people see what’s going on.”

So does this mean Reid admits to stabbing qualified judicial nominees to the federal bench in the back by forcing cloture votes on confirmations? When the Democrats used filibusters in this area in an unprecedented attack on presidential bench selections, they claimed the use of the filibuster as an honorable way to constrain the majority. Reid didn’t make these kind of analogies when the Democrats were in the minority.

Here’s the video:

Reid’s construction here entirely relies on the notion that a filibuster is bad, when he has often argued exactly the opposite. No one would argue that a stabbing every once in a while helps to keep Senate business on track, for instance. Yet that’s essentially the argument one has to derive from Reid and his history with using filibusters for his own purposes. He’s not opposed to stabbings, just the overuse of them.

Hint: Next time, try donuts.

[Digital Sniper]

Where was Herr Reid's outrage when the Dumbocrats were filibustering just scant years ago?

[subterfuge]

I’m pretty sure Dingy Harry is demonically possessed.

It’s the only plausible explanation for how crazy and stupid he is.

[scannell]

I listened very carefully during the period of Republican Senate leadership and when people accused the Democrats of delay tactics and fillabusters in the Senate, Reid said (and I think I am practically close to a direct quote). What the People and Republicans need to understand is that a measure requires 60 votes in the Senate to pass. Period.

[MrB]

It’s OK if they do it, donchaknow.

[Billg64]

He should be thrilled! while the congress does nothing, I’m sure their favorable ratings are increasing. A congress that is doing nothing is doing its job best.

[jrooney]

If Harry thinks filibusters are like stabbings, he ran a slaughterhouse when he was in the minority.

[Digital Sniper]

It’s OK if they do it, donchaknow.

Sadly, I do know. *drops head on keyboard* ((*tHuNK*))

[Vigilanteman]

Pity poor Harry. His days are numbered. He used to be a mushy moderate with a voting record not all that different from Arlen Specter or John McCain. Then he became the majority leader and felt he had to serve the party's moonbat base.

The more he does so, the more he alienates the mushy middle who elected him. He could do the right thing and lead his party back to the center, but he lacks the spine for doing so. Therefore, he will continue to kow-tow to the ultraleft moonbats until:
(a)The party leadership dump him for someone even further left such as Obama or (b)His constituents dump him for someone who will actually represent them rather than the moonbats.

My money is on (a) happening before (b). Wouldn't it be poetic justice? Old Harry is a disgrace to his office.

[MrB]

And when is Kennedy’s liver going to fail?

We’ve already got a near “Weekend at Teddy’s” scenario going on where he just gets up and reads, poorly, the rantings of his staffers.

[B.O. Plenty]

This is about the only thing that can be said here.

I recall that Reid was all happy about the gang of 14 which effectively confirmed that a cloture motion was in fact a real filibuster.

Ried needs to go back to Redlight Nev and enjoy the spoils of graft and corruption before he makes someone mad enough to bring indictments.

[subterfuge]

I’m certainly hoping Dingy Harry will go the way of Little Tommy Dashcle.

[TNCMAXQ]

Reid compares GOP filibusters to violence but I guess it was OK when he and his Demo band of thugs did it.

Reid is such an unappealing character. They ought to make him the face of the Demo party. Then we’ll see who is truly mean and uncaring, as Mrs Obama says.