Posted on 10/11/2017 10:38:32 AM PDT by jazusamo
This may seem like an abstruse parliamentary maneuver -- and it is -- but Mitch McConnell just escalated the judicial wars in a minor but meaningful way. If frustrated conservatives want the GOP Senate majority to " start acting like one ," McConnell's decision eliminates a lever Democrats have been using to stymie some of President Trump's judicial picks. In that sense, he's very much acting like a majority leader; a Democratic one. Try not to let your eyes glaze over as you read the details of this move, which involves dramatically reducing the power of so-called "blue slips" on judges, with which Senators from the home state of a presidential selection have been able to withhold their consent in order to prevent that nomination from moving forward. Not anymore. McConnell warned Democrats that he was leaning this direction last month, hoping they'd abandon this form of partisan blockade. They didn't. So he's followed through on his threat -- via the Weekly Standard:
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
There aren’t that many lobbyists greasing palms when it comes to judicial nominations.
That’s probably true. I agree.
>>...if they had a simple majority rule it would become obvious that the “GOP” actually won’t do the things they promised even when there is absolutely no impediment.<<
I don’t agree. Not only would more bills be passed, but they’d be better bills because they wouldn’t have to deal with the reconciliation procedure. The healthcare bill, for example, could have been much better written by the House if they didn’t have to try to fit it in under reconciliation in the Senate.
Besides, if majority ruled instead of that ridiculous 60-vote supermajority, we’d have a much better chance of coaxing just one or two Democrat Senators to cross the aisle and support key pieces of legislation, even if they had to be bought off in some way. Right now, so many have to cross to beat the filibuster that it just isn’t going to happen (unless it’s a terrible bill from a conservative perspective, that is.)
McCain’s lost vote, for example, might be replaced by Manchin’s or another middle of the road Democrat. Ditto for Collins and Murkowski. We could lose all three of them and still pass legislation if just one Democrat could be convinced to cross over. Put another way, dropping the filibuster would generate a push toward more bipartisanship, not less, as is often claimed.
He was just elected to another term Best we can ask for is a new leader
This article says he didn’t do it. Which is true, I wonder. I will have to carefully read each article in entirety to have a clue. “News” is so strangely written and full of lies/bias/innuendo, and the rules of the Senate are so arcane, I may still not know after reading both articles.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3594068/posts
Mitch McConnell Is Keeping The Senate Rule That Lets Dems Block Trump’s Judges
Yes, I read the Huffpo article and guess we’ll have to wait to see who’s being truthful.
Another piece says the decision rests with Sen. Grassley, Chair of Judicial Committee.
This will be a hot topic in the next few days.
It’s not a Senate ‘rule’. It’s a custom in the Judiciary Committee, and its implementation has varied over time.
McConnell isn’t a strong enough leader to insult Grassley by removing Grassley’s decision as to how to apply the blue slip custom. Grassley is far friendlier to the Trump agenda than McConnell. Any allowance or disallowance of the blue slip custom is far better off in Grassley’s hands than in McConnell’s.
Many thanks for the explanations. I did read the Huffpo, and the Weekly Standard, and it was still not entirely clear. The Huffpo pile was of course just a steaming pile...
When is he up for reelection?
2020 if he lasts that long.
Pray for the safety and success of Steve Bannon.
Donors were all but threatening McConnell to buy a clue.
Otherwise, Turtle Head would still be paralyzing the Trump campaign agenda.
Paul F. Ryan was delighted to have McConnell kill off everything the House sent over to the Senate.
Trump finally put some snap into The Turtle?
First question I would ask is...WTF does he want?
The People spoke when they re-elected him.
Nonsense.
Legislation would be stopped with no filibuster rule there is no 52 voter majority except in theory.
I’m think McTurtle has seen the writing on the wall. He might have done this with a wink and a nod. Look for the Real McTurtle to appear in the next few hours. He’s a phony! Like the rest of the Democrat Wing of the Deep State Republicans!!
McConnell should be complimented for doing the right thing — I am sure it wasn’t easy.
Go, McConnell — help Trump MAGA.
Now we know why he is no longer in the White House. The WH can't do such a thing.
What a spectacle! More winning.
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