Posted on 10/06/2011 4:42:43 PM PDT by jazusamo
In a shock development Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) triggered a rarely-used procedural option informally called the “nuclear option” to change the Senate rules.
The surprise move stunned Republicans, who did not expect Reid to bring heavy artillery to what had appeared to have been a hum-drum legislative knife fight.
Reid appealed a ruling from the chair that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) does not need consent to force a vote on a motion to suspend the rules to consider an amendment after cloture has already been approved.
The maneuver is highly arcane but momentous. If a simple majority of the Senate votes to uphold Reid’s appeal, the Senate’s rules will have been changed by the unilateral action of one party.
Republicans had considered using this maneuver, dubbed the “nuclear option” in 2005, to change Senate rules to prohibit the filibuster of judicial nominees. Democrats decried the plan and the crisis was resolved by a bipartisan agreement forged by 14 rank-and-file senators known as the Gang of 14.
Maybe some of us are confused here. I think the Republicans maybe just voted for the bill, and that this rules change was done by Reid alone, or with the other Dims.
There are two actions under discussion; the rules change and the vote on the bill.
But I'm not certain yet just who did what to whom.
Dirtball Harry can do whatever he wants, but the fact is the House isn’t going to pass anything that comes out of this Senate after this stunt.
What bill?
I think people are either going to vote at the polls or from the rooftops, but they're going to vote one way or the other.
The bill aimed at China’s currency manipulation.
With RINOs like Graham and McCain around? I should live so long...
But what the hey. Never hurts to dream!
“Just wait until they get into the minority!” one GOP staffer growled.”
Get a pair you limp wristed RINOs...you guys play checkers why committede Marxists play for blood and power.
...and throw McCain’s ass off the Rotunda when he starts “calming” everybody down.
First rule of a DC politician is self preservation
I think Reid is mighty royally pissed...and has very little regard for this usurper. Basically cut him out of the debt ceiling deal, treated him like he was a nobody....that will not sit well with Harry...
Reid is old school and knows how to play the DC game as well as anybody right now...he's looking past 2012 when Obama is flushed out like the POS he is...
This is really interesting. Why would they do this now when the GOP controls the House? It won’t help them advance any legislation. They will just pass unpopular bills in the Senate which will go nowhere. The time to have done it was back in the 0bamacare crap.
But they have set the precedent. The GOP can repeal 0bamacare with a simple majority in the next congress.
The original American revolution was not a majority uprising.It was a relatively small group to start and was joined by larger numbers only after Great Britain started to crack down on the colonies.
If Sessions voted for it there is something more here than meets the eye. He is staunchly conservative and no coward.
Um, just a guess but probably sitting in the cloak room with their thumbs up each other’s butts.
Or maybe it involves the Republicans trying to force a vote on Obama’s so-called jobs bill. Levin has been discussing this and also mentioning the China bill, so things might be mixed up.
Maybe we’ll get a clearer explanation soon.
Good explanation of events here:
Wow, video here: http://thehill.com/video/senate/186145-reid-and-mcconnell-spar-over-nuclear-option
The media will never allow the full import of this to be reported.
Republicans expected a normal procedural vote, and Reid used the procedural vote to invoke a parliamentary rule change.
Instead of being angered about the rule change, and expressing that anger by opposing the bill, some Republicans still went on and voted for the bill anyway.
The comments by Demint were to the effect that this was about survival of minority rights in the Senate now, and the Republicans should have all stood together once Reid played his hand.
However, weak Senators like Graham have consistently said that they feel it's their obligation to try to work with the other side, regardless.
-PJ
Yep... ballots or bullets, their choice.
Not if we have martial law, elections are suspended, and a communist takeover happens. Reid knows that if we have elections the dems will be wiped out of power in the Senate, so him being willing to do this at this point is not a good sign. What does he know?
But, but... I thought the Republicans were playing games! /s
-PJ
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