I’ll admit I don’t understand all the intricacies of the U.S. Senate Rules, but moments ago Harry Reid pulled the “nuclear option” in order to prevent Republicans from forcing Senate Democrats to vote on Obama’s jobs bill.
As reported by The Hill (h/t Marathon Pundit):
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 Democratic leader had become fed up by Republican demands for votes on motions to suspend the rules after the Senate had voted to end a filibuster.
Reid said these motions, which do not need unanimous consent, amount to a second-round filibuster after the Senate has voted to move to final passage of a measure.
The surprise move stunned Republicans, who did not expect Reid to bring heavy artillery to what had been a hum-drum knife fight over amendments to China currency legislation….
Republicans planned to use this right of the minority to embarrass Obama by showing that many Democrats do not support his jobs package as originally drafted. But Reid moved to kill their plan by appealing the chair’s ruling, triggering a vote.
What does is all mean?
“Just wait until they get into the minority!” growled one GOP staffer.
Yes indeed, yet another motivation to take back the Senate and hold the House, then go nuclear to deprive Senate Democrats of the ability to block bills. Nice job Harry, what goes around will come around. In 2013.
Whodda figured, it took Harry Reid to light the fire in me again.
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THe Senate Republicans are pussies. Surely those who have been there for up to 30 years know the ins & outs .
Have they not realized Obama is out there blaming them. It is not as if they did not understand his plan right from his Pass This Jobs oration.
Do not defend – attack toujours atack.
“Why do people say ‘grow some balls?’ Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna get tough, grow a vagina. Those things take a pounding!” – Betty White
Hey bill I hope you post this above the fold ….its a hoot
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/obama-effect-crime_n_998498.html?1317929979&icid=maing-grid7%7Chp-desktop%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%7C102241
His approval ratings may be dismal, but some think President Obama may be responsible for the continually declining crime rate.
Slate reports that conventional criminological thinking would predict that crime would go up in the midst of economic hardship. But even as the economy remains sickly, crime continues to drop.
Some experts think Obama may be responsible. Essentially, the argument is that Obama’s election has created such collective inspiration that it has changed the thinking and the behavior of would-be criminals.
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As will be the case of using reconciliation to pass Obamacare, I think democrats will come to regret this move.
Not too sure about the crime rate issue, but I’m positive the drop in Teh Wan’s popularity has had dramatic effects on the Global Warming problem.
Who wrote this garbage for the Hill? “The Democratic leader had become fed up by Republican demands for votes”. Aren’t they there to vote on all thing that affect the American people?
How about this line: “Republicans planned to use this right of the minority to embarrass Obama by showing that many Democrats do not support his jobs package”. Didn’t Obama in his press conference today again push to “pass this bill”, so why no vote?
This is how bias works. Do you want to bet what the evening news cast will report that Reid had become fed up with the Republicans when the actual story is that Obama’s so called Job Bill is not supported by the Democrat controlled Senate.
Note: take a poll right now of adults and a majority of the US population would think that the Republicans control the Senate and this is why they are against Obama.
Listening to Mark Levin tonight, I heard Sen. Jim DeMint discuss this “nuclear option.” He said both that it is an unprecedented power manouver and that, after they pulled this on the Republicans, the China currency bill was voted on. Guess what? Mark said about 10 Republicans voted FOR the bill. After the Minority leader, McConnell, asked the Republicans to vote against en masse as a protest against this power play.
Republicans voted FOR this! Sickening. Mark Levin named them.
From WaPo Politics Blog:
So who does that mean voted FOR it? I’m looking for the list. I am hoping Mark will post it on his website, because I didn’t get all the names.
Glad you’re getting fired up!!! We need to be!
Here’s link to Sentate vote on the bill today:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00156
My memory of the history of these congressional scuffles is that the GOP tends to fight under the Marquess of Queensberry rules while the Dems use street fighting rules, that is few if any rules.
Spot on. The Right side, with some sense of integrity, tries to play by some rules. They realize that what comes around goes around, and the Golden Rule applies. But the Left seems emboldened, and that doesn’t bode well for any of us. The problem is one of escalation: the Left doesn’t realize that they are going to trigger massive retaliation they are not ready for and will not welcome.
This is like the frog who didn’t jump out of the water which was getting hotter. The possibility exists for a massive, simultaneous perception change, and that might be pretty ugly.
Another thought. I saw….somewhere today…..that Obama called Reid and 3 other Senate Democrats to the White House today. (Hot Air? Michelle Maklin? Drudge? ??)
This is probably what they decided to do to stop this bill. You see, he says, “Pass this bill NOW!” out of one side of his mouth (ad nauseam) then says in a press conference today, “If Congress does something, then I can’t run against a do-nothing Congress.”
Total set up. Time to get some candidates out there to TAKE THESE GUYS OUT OF DC. Career ending. Oh, yeah.
I found a link to an AP article about the meeting.
Yeah, this was a total set up.
Anyway you slice it it makes obama look like an ass and I have 5 bucks says he goes out tommorrow and continues his tirade insisting Republicans pass his so called jobs bill ….any takers …we can use obama bucks if ya like
I remember all the pundits said that using reconciliation to pass healthcare was the “nuclear option”. Even the author of the reconciliation procedure, Robert Byrd, said it should not be used to pass healthcare.
Then after Scott Brown’s election, Byrd helped the Democrats pass healthcare using reconciliation anyway.
Now, a year later, they use another version of the “nuclear option” to force their will on the minority.
Democrats are unprincipled totalitarian tyrants.
“Democrats are unprincipled totalitarian tyrants.”
Excellent. If I haven’t already shared such sentiments, somewhere else and not as eloquently, I’ll have to wish I had said that.
“Democrats are unprincipled totalitarian tyrants.”
I’ve felt that.
We know what to do with tyrants.
McConnell on Greta in a few
I guess you’d better hold your nose and start working real hard to keep Scott “RINO” Brown in the Senate!
I don’t see his name on the list that voted against the bill. So, what good did he do?
There is a poll on the AZ Republic ….* GRIN * …. I had to laugh….on the right side
http://www.azcentral.com/
the question
Will Republicans be punished by voters if they dont support President Obamas jobs bill?
Just like an establishment RINO to bring a knife to a gun fight. I have a feeling that if Sen. Rubio were minority leader, these things would no be happening.
Somewhere Miguel Estrada and Robert Bork are smiling wistfully…
I’m with William Jacobson: “Yes indeed, yet another motivation to take back the Senate and hold the House…” Who’ve we got running again Bob Menendez? ‘Cause I wanna send him a check….
Believe it was on Michelle Malkin where I read the other day that this could bite the Dems in the butt on Obamacare. Simple majority to repeal.