Eugene Robinson: Democrats were forced to go ‘nuclear’ at last

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-harry-reid-finally-says-enough-to-gop-obstruction/2013/11/21/514e1884-52d7-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html?hpid=z2

Democrats were forced to go ‘nuclear’ at last
By Eugene Robinson, Thursday, November 21, 1:45 PM E-mail the writer


Way to nuke ’em, Harry.

snip//


To hear the Republican reaction, you’d think someone was mandating that senators hold their sessions naked.

There was utter dismay that Reid would even dream of using an arcane parliamentary maneuver to change rules that GOP leaders — who once threatened to do the very same thing — now describe in terms befitting religious commandments. Reality check: The Constitution says nothing about the filibuster, and the Senate’s procedures have never been set in stone.

Republicans warn that Democrats will eventually find themselves in the minority — and rue the day when they limited the filibuster. That may well be true. But even veteran Democrats who were reluctant to tamper with the Senate’s traditions got tired of seeing those traditions abused. Reid made clear that he understands the consequences and is prepared to live with them.

The Senate was designed by the Founders to move slowly, not to be paralyzed. Republican obstruction of presidential appointments makes the government less able to do the people’s work — and less reflective of the people’s will. Elections are supposed to have consequences.

It was time to push the button.

[Gothmog]

1. Norm Ornstein agrees with Eugene Robinson

Tom Mann and Norm Ornstein are two of my favorite authors and really now about the partisanship in Washington. According to Ornstein, McConnell forced Harry Reid's hand on the nuclear option http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/norm-ornstein-republicans-forced-reid-s-hand-on-the-nuclear-option

Norm Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, told TPM that Republicans forced Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to "go nuclear" after his Democratic majority took the historic step Thursday and ended the filibuster for executive nominees and non-Supreme Court judicial nominees.

"For whatever reason, the Republicans decided to go nuclear first, with this utterly unnecessary violation of their own agreement and open decision to block the president from filling vacancies for his entire term, no matter how well qualified the nominees," Ornstein told TPM in an email. "It was a set of actions begging for a return nuclear response."

He also speculated that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) secretly wanted Democrats to go nuclear so he could use the same tactic to end the filibuster entirely if and when Republicans take the majority.

"McConnell's threat, it seems to me, makes clear the strategy: let Dems take the first step, and we will then bear no blame when we entirely blow up the Senate's rules after we take all the reins of power," he said. "That other Republicans like Corker, McCain, Alexander, Murkowski and so on, went along, shows how much the radicals and anti-institutionalists now dominate the Republican Party. Which is sad indeed."

I agree that the GOP forced Harry Reid to use the nuclear option and I doubt that the GOP will respect Senate history or rules if they are in control of the Senate

[babylonsister]

3. Norm is probably the only conservative I like; he's sensible. nt

[Gothmog]

4. I agree

For a conservative, he is a good egg

[Cha]

2. The republicon senators have "abused" the filibuster rules since

Obama has been President.. time to it. Thanks Harry!

AND Clean House 2014 and Keep the Senate~


[font color=blue][font size=21pt]And DU[/font][/font]

thanks babylonsistah