Posted on 11/27/2012 6:36:32 AM PST by pabianice
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confirmed Monday he will push to change Senate rules and curtail some Republican filibusters next year, setting up a major test of collegiality and power politics in the usually chummy chamber that bills itself as “the world’s most exclusive club.”
Republicans said that if Mr. Reid goes ahead, he’ll not only ruin the unique nature of the Senate, but he’ll poison chances for bipartisan cooperation just as members of the next Congress are taking their seats in January.
The back-and-forth spilled over onto the Senate floor Monday, with Mr. Reid facing off against Sen. Mitch McConnell, the chamber’s top Republican, in a rare and acrid head-to-head debate.
“This is no exaggeration. What these Democrats have in mind is a fundamental change to the way the Senate operates, for the purposes of consolidating their own power,” the Kentucky Republican said. “In the name of efficiency, they would prevent the very possibility of compromise and threaten to make the disputes of the past few years look like mere pillow fights.”
The fight is not only about the filibuster, but the way the Senate writes all of its rules — of which the filibuster is just one example.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Where is McCain and his “Gang Of” now?
Democrat filibusters - good.
Republican filibusters - bad.
It’s the rule that changes with the leadership.
DO IT! We will finally have the clear lines of division and we can go over the cliff faster.
The 17th amendment destroyed this republic. This is the outcome.
I hope he scraps it, we will own the Senate again some day and it will be VERY handy not to have to deal with this then.
Besides we control the house.
When will those bastards ever wake up? Makes no difference which side they sit on, they are all a bunch of children fighting to be who is in charge. Makes me sick!
Senator Coburn was on CNBC’s Larry Kudlow last night saying that if Reid tried to end the filibuster the Senate was simply shut down and nothing would get done.
If the 17th amendment was repealed, the Senate would be solidly Republican right now. It used to be that Governors appointed Senators to sit in DC to represent the interest of the state. Now they’re “popularly elected” which simply makes it easier to defraud the federal elections.
“we will own the Senate again some day”
Wishful thinking. We been through two election cycles where the Republicans should have captured the Senate. A combination of poor candidates and candidate gaffes kept Harry Reid in place. Why would we believe 2014 will be any different? Is GOP suddenly going to get smart in its candidate selection? Are candidates going to get smart and refuse to take the bait when talking to the media? Somehow I think not.
Looking at my own state of North Carolina, Democrat Senator Kay Hagan should be vulnerable in 2014. She is very ambitious and votes almost 100% with the party elite as instructed by her mentor Chuck Schumer. The Republicans should already have a candidate in waiting to pick off this seat, just as the GOP should have beaten Bill Nelson in Florida. However, if the party waits until 2014 to select a candidate and start campaigning, Kay will be going back to Washington in January 2015.
Probably drafting his mealymouthed statement that we can work across the aisle better under the new "guidelines."
‘zackly.
They own it.
Actually, it was the state legislatures. The federal senator was originally the envoy of the legislature of his state, with the job of protecting the power of his state's government against federal usurpation.
My apologies for being misinformed. The intent was understood though. It came down to protection of state sovereignty.
“I hope he scraps it, we will own the Senate again some day and it will be VERY handy not to have to deal with this then.”
Do you reallly believe that these rule changes will not be unmade during a lame duck right before republicans take over? And media outrage will occur if the new republicans try to put them back, causing the new republicans to cave?
Obamanation Communism File.
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