Posted on 07/17/2013 5:25:00 AM PDT by bestintxas
Bowing to an ultimatum, Senate Republicans agreed Tuesday to drop objections to key Obama administration nominees, delivering a victory to Senate Democrats who said they will shelve for now their own plans to change the rules and curtail filibusters.
The last-minute deal, announced just before the Senate was slated to hold a critical test vote, still leaves Democrats able to employ the so-called nuclear option and change the filibuster rules later this year if they think Republicans are obstructing appointments unfairly.
Republicans said they got President Obama to withdraw two controversial nominees to the National Labor Relations Board, but the president won assurances that his new picks will be approved before the Senate leaves for its monthlong summer recess.
Both sides said escaping this week without a major blowup counts as a victory for a Senate that has been plagued by partisan gridlock for much of the past decade.
I think there is a good feeling here in the Senate, the best feeling weve had in a real long time, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said moments after meeting with his party colleagues to discuss the informal deal.
Late in the day, Mr. Obama reaped the first fruits of the cease-fire when the Senate confirmed Richard Cordray to be head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a powerful new board set up in the wake of the Wall Street collapse to monitor banks and other financial institutions.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Everybody agree?
He seems to be the only man in the Senate.
No question about it.
McConnell has Beltway Disease, probably brought it with him when he went there. Same for a minimum of 80% of the rest in the Big GuvCo of Amerika.
Cruz doesn't have it, yet, and appears to have the thoughts that usually give one immunity.
It would be in our own motivated self interests to have him as majority/minority leader.
I don't know which factions of the oligarchy the others work for, but if they do anything on behalf of we, the people, it's by accident, not by design.
I’m not a fan of McConnel, but what did you expect him to do after McCain and his traitors made the deal with Dirty Hairy? If you’re going to get mad, make sure you have the right target.
It wasn’t all bad. McConnell did get a concession on the NLRB. The nominees that Obama “recess” appointed are stepping down.
A federal court had found that the appointments were illegal, but they refused to resign. With this deal, they are gone.
The GOP cannot be led.
McConnell did not cave or surrender his priniciple’s, McConnell is one of them, he is the Senate leader of the Republocrats in the senate. IOW- McConnell and his minions are socialist/fascists just like the democrats and desire the same ends as the democrats do, once you accept this it all makes sense.
Kick them out of the Republican Party.
As Zimmerman witness said “ They be old people and old school!”
groupthink. mitch would rather abandon principle than allow “damage” to the “institution of the senate” — forgetting completely that he wasn’t the one threatening the “damage”.
Exactly. And why doesn’t the GOP issue its own “nuclear option” in the House if the Dems in the senate threaten to exercise their nuclear option. Allegedly, the GOP controls the House. It should use that leverage in a show of solidarity with Senate Reps. It doesn’t have to be done publicly.
I was solicited by the Repub. Party the other day. Wanting money to oppose Obama, blah blah.
I told the girl,” Get rid of Boner, McConnell then get back to me.”
Stinky, little Dingy Harry is running rings around the cowardly Republicans in the Senate.
How is this a good thing? They were most likely going to be thrown out anyway when SCOTUS ruled it was unconstitutional. Now we will never know one way or another on this crucial issue because that case will most likely be dropped.
The SC has already agreed to hear the case. I would be surprised if it gets dropped. At least they won’t be around to cause trouble in the mean time.
I read that there were also a handful of nominees whose names were withdrawn. So that is good.
Guys like McCain and John Roberts care more about the future of their own institutions than they do about the future of the country.
The GOP is dead.
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