Mitch McConnell just put out a statement, here are a few thoughts...

[Volaris]

link to full text HERE:

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/politics/2012/11/07/senate-minority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-congratulates-president-barack-obama-on-his-victory/

My first thought...Please, for the love of GOD Mr. President, DON'T let Harry Reid fix the Filibuster. PLEASE IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY DON'T make us co-govern form the actual MINORITY. (cause, like that would REALLY SUCK for us.)

Second:
He knows damn-well that the "political CENTER is tantamount to Political SUICIDE for him and his Con buddies. He's trying to tell the President , Please, don't be mean to us. We didn't mean it, REALLY.

He seems to forget that the "Broken Entltlement" system he wants "fixed" was already addressed by Pres. Clinton, and Speaker Gingrich.

He knows what's coming if he doesn't get the tone of the next 3 months EXACTLY right, and it terrifies him. It SHOULD. Reid should go ahead and re-do the filibuster anyway, and then say something like "The political Center Mitch wants so much is best reached by a SIMPLE Majority in the body, and I think Mr. McConnell would wholeheartedly agree." Put his back to the wall, and let him see if his BASE can handle actual, political compromise. My guess is, he knows they can't.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Mitch has been in politics his whole adult life

in office since 1985 - 27 years
if congress is fucked up then mitch helped get it there
I guess mitch has no ideas on how to fix the shit he created

[TeamPooka]

2. McConnell just said his biggest priority is making sure President Obama doesn't win a third term...

[Volaris]

5. lol..that made me laugh.

but really, read between the lines of what he said. He knows his base won't let him move toward anything resembeling an actual centered compromise, (they have him in a death grip) and he just watched the American People hand the President a pretty big political shiv. The only real option he is with left is to ask the President, as nicley as he possibly can, "Please don't kill me with that...we..we can talk about this, right?"

If Reid has any spine, he will make it so that the other side of the isle will have to say to thier base " We HAD to cut a deal, the alternative would have been WORSE." The only way that happens, is if Reid drops the Hammer of filibuster reform on them.
DO IT HARRY!!!

[jbjr49]

3. Poor Kentucky, what an ass!

[TrollBuster9090]

4. Okay, can we agree on something here, regarding the Filibuster?

Republicans have played obstructionist straight down the line. They've made the strongest case yet for removing the Filibuster cloture rules. They need to be reformed. There are three options:

1. Eliminate it. (politically difficult, because the Senate filibuster has 'tradition' on its side. It invokes visions of Jimmy Stewart standing on his feet talking for days for the sake of getting money for poor, unfortunate kids...)

2. Ironically, 'reform' it BACK to the way it was originally. (Where Jimmy Stewart actually HAD to stand and hold the floor as long as he was physically able... That 'reform' actually DOES have tradition on its side.)

3. Do nothing, and keep the current rules.


Can we at least agree that, as a Party, we will NOT TOLERATE ANY DEMOCRATIC SENATOR WHO VOTES FOR OR ADVOCATES OPTION 3!?

If any Democratic Senator wants to KEEP the filibuster rules as they are now...BAM! No funds! No quarter! No Caucusing. YOU'RE OUT! You're so far out of the Democratic Party that even LIEBERMAN will be afraid to be seen with you.

[Volaris]

6. I agree with your closing argument. It can't be tolerated past this point.

If for no other reason, than the Republicans have to re-LEARN how to co-govern form the political minority, and this will help them do that. While the filibuster was always the weapon of the political minority, at least its structure gave some cover to those in the minority party who were willing to cut a deal. What it is now, just enables The Crazies.

[TeamPooka]

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