So... About that 59 majority...

[Orrex]

I imagine that the Democrats still have some strategy for glorious success even though they now lack the vaunted "filibuster-proof" majority, right?

But if that's so, then why the hell didn't they use that strategy last week? Or the week before that?


Or the week before that?

:shrug:

[AndyA]

1. That would take LEADERSHIP.

Enter Harry Reid. Enough said. :(

[lonestarnot]

2. Pass the milk toast please.

[tekisui]

3. Dem leadership likes having excuses for inaction more than

they like to take action. They have their line now for the next year.

"We...(sniff,sniff)...just ....don't...have...the...(tear)...votes."

Pathetic.

[Laelth]

23. Yup. I honestly think they're happier now. The pressure to perform is gone. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[Clovis Sangrail]

4. they haven't really used the 60 seat "filibuster-proof" majority anyways

I don't think things are going to be much different now

[Dawgs]

5. I thought Snowe and Collins were the back up plan.

hmmm... maybe that's why it didn't work.

[pnwmom]

6. Because the House wouldn't have gone along with it unless it was absolutely

necessary.

The "it"? Having the House pass the Senate bill, as is, and sending it to Obama for his signature. And then afterwards amending it through reconciliation (deficit reducing measures, such as a public option, could be included -- but not the regulatory aspects of the Senate bill.)

[seabeyond]

7. with lieberman we never did have 60, never would have had 60. nt

[GaYellowDawg]

9. I agree with this. nt

[seabeyond]

10. this is where i have issue with politics and lots of life today. the dishonesty.... purposely

or not. the illusion people set up for themselves.

why not call it the way it is. why pretend otherwise. really sets us up for failure and disillusionment. can never win.

but with so much of what we do, especially in politics we pretend otherwise. media tells continuous untrue stories and we buy them as realities.

cant stand that type of living.

[GaYellowDawg]

16. Still, though...

I don't think tere's any denying that we could have done a whole lot more to keep Lieberman in line. Tell him that the instant he bucked the party line, committee chairmanship and all seniority, gone. We could have had 59.7, if not 60.

[seabeyond]

19. hey.... i am into lines. from the beginning, not in line, off committees. agree. nt

[jpak]

27. Yup - and it's to Reid's and Obama's credit they got Holy Joe's vote at all

the little shit

[Soylent Brice]

8. i would like a valid, thoughtful, polite, and insightful answer to this as well.

i am not happy right now.

that is putting it very calmly.

[madrchsod]

11. the majority is 50+1 not 60

[Orrex]

17. You'd better tell that to Harry Reid

He's still keeping the powder dry, and all that.

[704wipes]

29. yep, play deep chess and keep the powder dry

nt

[TZ]

12. because getting Democrats to agree on anything

Is like herding cats. Seriously. That cliche is a very truthful.

[progressoid]

13. Strategy?

That's a nice thought, but given what has happened in the last year, I'm not so sure.

[Orrex]

18. Sadly, I can hardly disagree with that assessment.

Unless by "strategy" we mean "do everything that the Republicans want, until they get tired of asking for it."

[zbdent]

14. you mean 57 actual Democrats ... the "59 Democrats" is a myth ...

2 Independents who "caucus" with the Dems ...

and there are plenty of bribe-happy Blue Pu**y Democrats who helped kill the "majority" because they knew that their votes were valuable ...

[Orrex]

20. Very true. Sickeningly true.

If the Dems' new strategy means that I'll see less of Lieberman on-camera congratulating himself for his relevance, then I can take comfort in that much, at least.

[SanchoPanza]

15. Opportunity Costs

There was still interest in getting a more robust bill out of pseudo-conference, judging from the energy put into the excise tax negotiations. Now it looks like there will be pressure on the House to pass the Senate Bill as is and hope for smaller modifications down the road, because that way the Senate won't have to vote again on final passage. Some changes could be done with reconciliation, but it would depend on whether or not they affect the budget (they must).

It's either that or the entire effort dies for an indeterminate amount of time.

[Bitwit1234]

21. 59 is a majority

the thing is I don't think the Democrats in the Senate know that. The republicans have convinced them THEY ARE THE MAJORITY and the Democrats are just along for the ride.

[Orrex]

22. That's the baffling thing

When the Dems were in the actual minority, they cried about being unable to do anything or to stop the Repubs from doing anything.

Now that they're in the actual majority, they cry about being unable to do anything or to stop the Repubs from doing anything.



I'm sensing a pattern.

[zbdent]

28. are you aware of a thing called a filibuster?

plus the fact that Republicans can only be counted on to fight tooth and nail to keep any good thing from getting out of a filibuster so that the Dems could exercise the "normal majority" in the votes ...

[freddie mertz]

24. Maybe now they will decide to take some clear bold action...

Instead of passing it on to a useless Senate full of barely animate corpses.

[uponit7771]

25. AMEN!!!!

[cascadiance]

26. A 1st grader given the right info could tell them the answer is simple! NUKE the fillibuster!

The 60 vote majority requirement is a myth! The Republicans faced with this would change the rule in a heartbeat. They threatened to go nuclear and that was sufficient, because the Dems knew that they would do it.

The Republicans filibuster ALL of the time, because they know the Dems don't have the gonads to nuke the filibuster!

It's time for Dems to grow some now!