Senate Dems Warn: Still Not 60 Votes For Hagel Confirmation

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

BRIAN BEUTLER FEBRUARY 14, 2013, 11:12 AM

A day before he is supposed to be confirmed as defense secretary, Senate Democrats still lack the 60 votes required to break a GOP filibuster of Chuck Hagel, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide.

In remarks on the Senate floor Thursday morning, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) lashed out at Republicans calling their decision to filibuster Hagel “tragic.”

But nothing about his remarks, aside from the condemnatory tone, suggested that the GOP’s filibuster would succeed. And, indeed, it’s possible that over the course of the day, Democratic pressure will convince wavering Republicans to help break the filibuster. But as of Thursday morning, Hagel does not have the 60 votes to overcome the filibuster, according to the aide, who was not optimistic that the votes could be obtained, based on information Democrats have received from GOP leadership.

Democratic aides in both the House and Senate are already distributing past quotes from leading Republicans about the impropriety of filibustering presidential cabinet nominees. One, from 2005, from Mitch McConnell: ” I think the president is entitled to an up-or-down - that is simple majority - vote on nominations, both to his Cabinet and to the executive branch and also to the judiciary. The filibuster was not used for 200 years. The country did just fine.”

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Thanks for your GREAT leadership, Harry!

[TwilightGardener]

1. Need to throw a HUGE national stink, then. There had better be repercussions for playing political

games with national security.

[onehandle]

4. Don't let the door hit you on the ass. nt

[onehandle]

3. I won't be defending Harry Reid any more. nt

[Blue_Tires]

15. Hell, I stopped defending him in '06...

But he's *still* here...

So much damage could have been avoided over the years if there was a hardass to keep congressional Dems in line...

[greymattermom]

5. What happens if the position isn't filled?

No defense? No wars? Who will oversee all the cuts needed for the sequester?

[JoeBlowToo]

6. They need to make threats and do a little horsetrading...

For example, vote with us and your state's military installation won't be closed. If you vote against us that will be the first thing we do.

[srican69]

7. Harry Reid is a fucking asshole for not taking out the filibuster.nt.

[pinto]

8. Do you think Repub obstructionism is Harry's fault?

And, fwiw, this cobbled together piece of basically second hand info ends with this - "The support to confirm Hagel thus exists in principle, and his confirmation is by no means doomed. But it hasn’t fully materialized in the 24 hours before the vote."

[GoneFishin]

10. Maybe not a month ago ...

but now? Yes, in a way.

[TM99]

11. Short answer -

No.

Long answer -

Harry Reid has known now for how many years that the current bunch of Republicans are going to be obstructionists. It is his fault if he does not face facts and take the opportunities presented to him to address that reality. It is his fault if he did not act so that the country's needs are going unmet because he didn't have the courage to force the Republicans to pay a real & meaningful price for their obstructionism. Filibuster reform my ass.

So the support exists for Hagel exists in 'principle'? Does that 'principle' eventually translate into a reality or will it simply remain in potentia? We shall see.

[The Stranger]

13. Yes

A better majority leader would find a way to ram it through. Reid has been taken by the Republicans so many times it is sickening.

[pinto]

16. I'm not a big fan of Reid's leadership, including the filibuster situation.

My focus here was limited to the confirmation itself in context of what we've got as procedure at this time. A limited POV, admittedly.
I get the bigger picture.

[TM99]

9. Well this was entirely predictable!

If you couldn't see this coming, you were overwhelmed by the smiles, the propaganda, and Beyonce at the Superbowl.

More Kabuki theater for the plebes. Now I must get back to my bread and circus. There is another celebrity murder I need to read about on my iDevice. Please rouse me when the debt-ceiling debacle starts up again next month.

[Caeser67]

12. I'm No Longer

Wild about Harry (Reid), because he's not wild about me.

Thanks for the failubuster Sir.

[Coolest Ranger]

17. I'm right there with you

He should have changed those rules. Boxer my tail pipe.

[OnyxCollie]

18. Why does the majority need 60?

Because it provides an excuse for being ineffective.

"It's the Republicans' fault!"

Worst. Senate. Majority. Leader. Ever. (And that includes Bill Frist.)

[geek tragedy]

19. Invoke the Constitutional rule and change the rules of the Senate now.

51 votes are all that is needed.

[Yo_Mama]

20. Good, I don't like the SOB. n/t

[Kablooie]

21. When the GOP becomes the majority again just watch how fast the filibuster is eliminated.

Preserving it now for a future Democratic minority was a big mistake.