Of COURSE You Realize
Reid triggers nuclear option to change Senate rules and prohibit post-cloture filibusters
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.
…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.
Ho. Lee. Flock.
UPDATE: On Twitter, an explanation:
Reid’s parliamentary power grab was NOT done to advance bills, but to protect weak Dem senators from awkward votes. *Not* abt lawmaking.
PJ Tatler has more.
UPDATE: What a snake. From Drew over at Ace’s:
…Reid’s maneuver works. The precedent has been set that Senate rules can be changed by majority vote.
This means the Senate rules can be changed by majority vote and the minority can’t offer amendments without majority approval.
Morality, Nanny State, People, Politics | tree hugging sister | 
October 6, 2011 7:20 pm
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Yeah, this is starting to get ugly. And I do not mean “Rosanne Barr” ugly, I mean “Weimar Republic” ugly.
Either Reid thinks the Republicans will never again have a majority in the Senate or he thinks the short-term gain worth the long-term loss.
Then again, the Democrats are in favour of spending tomorrow’s capital today.
(As I’ve said before). Whaat JeffS says.
But… as aefheld noted. What happens when (gasp) the other side gets control?
Conservatives (which does include some Republicans) tend to be pragmatic about long term changes like this. They’ll likely just change the rules back to where they were.
But that assumes that people aren’t fed up with the antics and a$$ covering of the lefties and Democrats (but I repeat myself). Which, by 2012, they may well be. God knows I am now.
So, who knows?
Caligula the Emperor made
his horse a Senator.As ruler of the Western world he had that right.But, philosophically or Gay marriagely speaking,’was his horse a senator?’
Maybe Reid would say he was..I would say he wasn’t.
Blue is blue no matter the
state proclaims.
Caligula the Emperor made
his horse a Senator.As ruler of the Western world he had that right.But, philosophically or Gay marriagely speaking,’was his horse a senator?’
Maybe Reid would say he was..I would say he wasn’t.
Blue is blue no matter what the
state proclaims.
Not really a surprise. The Left always moves the goal posts. No worries; more goals. At least they’re not boring.
GOP will have a majority in the Senate anyway by 2012.
It’s all just a bit of Dem desperation, but give Reid some credit.
He’s quickly realised the Wall St movement isn’t gonna amount to shit.
And it begins. Guys, I’m really getting scared; tell me that we’re going to still be a democratic republic by 2015 or so?
Greg, Caligula got the whole horse with Incitatus – not just the hind portion we get with Democrats.
Given the current state of the Senate lately, I rather wish someone would run a horse against Reid.
A horse would be an improvement, ‘fly.
Mr. Ed 2012. Can he be, uh, drafted into it?
Is he a mudder? We need a mudder.