Durbin's advice to GOP: Get Sen. Ted Cruz under control

Now that the GOP is taking control of the Senate in 2015, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., offered up a resolution of sorts for the opposing party to abide by next year: Get Ted Cruz under control.

Durbin’s suggestion comes days after Cruz’s disastrous maneuver last week that brought the Senate into session on Saturday, unwittingly opening the door to the approval of dozens of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees. That infuriated Republicans, leading Cruz to apologize days later.

“It was classic Cruz. He knew how to get the headline, but he didn’t know how to close the deal,” Durbin said.

Durbin made the remarks during an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday.

“They’ve got to control [Cruz] and a few others,” he said when asked what advice he would offer to the GOP next year. “Just like [U.S. Speaker John] Boehner has to contend with the Tea Party in the House, Cruz and a few others have the potential of wrecking any agenda [GOP leader Mitch] McConnell comes up with. So he has to control his caucus.”

Durbin talked about how U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was likely to play a more prominent role as part of the progressive caucus next year, and how Democrats’ strength in the U.S. Senate will shift in the New Year, following mid-term elections in which Republicans swept across the country.

“Our only bargaining strength is through the White House. It comes down to this: If it reaches the point of bargaining between Republicans in Congress and the president, and if the president says, ‘Don’t do that, I’ll have to veto it.’

“The question is whether 34 Democrats in the Senate will stand with the president. Because then [Republicans] can’t override a veto,” he said.

Durbin predicted Warren would hold a “more starring role” next year. “The progressive majority of our caucus is going to play a pretty large role in whether the 34 votes will be there,” to block a veto override, Durbin said.

As for political talk of 2015, Durbin said he was unsure whether U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., would run for U.S. Senate.

“She has never told me that she wants to run. I’ll leave it to her to make that decision,” Durbin said. “There are several people looking at it, some of them are deferring, waiting for her decision.”

I think lil dickey is afraid of his own shadow.
I know a few people who actually have the misfortune of having to work with this idiot and the word is, durbin
is a mental midget.

I detest the ugly troll.

Yes, they are. Rightfully so. So are the establishment Republicans.

I mean, whoever heard of a campaign tactic of remaining honest and resolute all the way from Primaries through to the general election? A novel idea that. Convince people with your honesty, convictions and purpose instead of trying to pander certain milestone groups throughout the campaign and then shifting to quisling moderate mode in the end near the election....

What's the difference whether they did it last week or the week after the New Year??? Just an excuse to blame Cruz...

If Cruz was really in danger of destroying the GOP, then Rats like Dick Dirtbin would be content to let him run wild.

But that’s not what’s going on.

The more mud they throw at Cruz, the better I like him.

Cruz’s disastrous maneuver last week that brought the Senate into session on Saturday, unwittingly opening the door to the approval of dozens of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees.

I cannot believe that my Senator was blindsided by this. He's too smart for that. I believe he knew what he was doing all along, and he had his reasons for it. I'm not sure what his reasoning was, but, I TRUST TED!!!

Sen. Dick Durbin, offered up a resolution of sorts for the opposing party to abide by next year:... Get Ted Cruz under control.........

Having rare moments of irresistable temptation...on behalf of Ted Cruz... my I politely submit the following....

Durbin's advice to GOP: Get Sen. Ted Cruz under control

Hey Turbin I have some advice for your LIBTARD PARTY - Get Obie Hussein Soetoro under control. Or does the RAT party now subscribe to the notion of a Kingship in America like we thought we left behind? Because if you do, your party just might be in deep doo doo when the next Republican is seated on the WH Throne and he declares the end to ABORTION on demand and GAY MARRIAGE - and the newly found right to trans-genderism in the military. We Haven't even gotten to the abolishment of the EPA and Dept of Ed, and re-commencement of oil, coal and nuke power production. You may look like this in 2017......

I know that you know this is all in good humor since the GOP has no guts to act like the RAT party and in fact the GOP has already stated one of the first things they plan on doing is to repeal Reid's nuke option on confirmation of appointees so the RAT party can fully participate in filibustering like the good old days.

Remember this?

The filibuster is far from a “procedural gimmick.” It is part of the fabric of this institution. It was well known in colonial legislatures, and it is an integral part of our country’s 217 years of history.

The first filibuster in the U.S. Congress happened in 1790. It was used by lawmakers from Virginia and South Carolina who were trying to prevent Philadelphia from hosting the first Congress.

Since 1790, the filibuster has been employed hundreds and hundreds of times.

Senators have used it to stand up to popular presidents. To block legislation. And yes – even to stall executive nominees.

[. . .]It encourages moderation and consensus. It gives voice to the minority, so that cooler heads may prevail.

It also separates us from the House of Representatives – where the majority rules.

And it is very much in keeping with the spirit of the government established by the Framers of our Constitution: Limited Government…Separation of Powers…Checks and Balances.

Mr. President, the filibuster is a critical tool in keeping the majority in check. This central fact has been acknowledged and even praised by Senators from both parties.

[. . .]

For 200 years, we’ve had the right to extended debate. It’s not some “procedural gimmick.”

It’s within the vision of the Founding Fathers of our country. They established a government so that no one person – and no single party – could have total control.

Some in this Chamber want to throw out 217 years of Senate history in the quest for absolute power.

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