Democrats kill the filibuster

[makattak]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/11/21/senate-nears-possible-vote-on-curbing-filibusters/

Many people are pointing out that, well, now the democrats can't pull what they did to Bush.

Personally, I see this as one of two things:

(1) The Democrats intend, by any means necessary, to keep power. (In this, I am meaning the Presidency.)

or

(2) The Democrats are fully aware they are about to lose the Senate, and (God willing), the Presidency in 3 years. As a result, they are pushing this now in order to continue rule through the Judiciary run amok.

In any case, this is not good news.

MAYBE, just maybe, the Republicans might realize that the Democrats are not their friends. The Democrats consider Republicans mortal enemies, not opponents.

[SADShooter]

Senator McCain in front of camera and microphone to rationalize in 3,2,1...

[AZRedhawk44]

Senator McCain in front of camera and microphone to rationalize in 3,2,1...

Both parties fear the actual principled individuals that might stand for something and run a filibuster.  Rand Paul isn't 100% my ideal guy, but it's hard to argue that he isn't principled.  And he'll throw a big effing monkeywrench into anything likely to irk the libertarian-oriented base that supports him.

This is about stopping an effective minority of junior Senators from building a filibuster coalition. 

[zxcvbob]

I thought the rules can only be changed by a simple majority on the first day...  once the rules are accepted (one of the very first orders of business) it takes a supermajority to suspend them.  Any parliamentarians here?

[makattak]

I thought the rules can only be changed by a simple majority on the first day...  once the rules are accepted (one of the very first orders of business) it takes a supermajority to suspend them.  Any parliamentarians here?

Those are the rules. Given the current Democrats in power, the rules apparently don't matter. (For example, a duly-passed law can simply be ignored, i.e. the employer mandate.)

[lee n. field]

I thought the rules can only be changed by a simple majority on the first day...  once the rules are accepted (one of the very first orders of business) it takes a supermajority to suspend them.  Any parliamentarians here?

"Rules?  Where we're going, we don't need rules."

[Balog]

I think this will come to be viewed as a short sighted move that greatly harms Ds. Cause the real precedent is that 51 Senators can change the rules. And if Ocare keeps circling that could be used against them as soon as 2014-2016. Of course the GOP would probably just use that power to let armed TSA agents legally give little kids colonoscopies or something.

[Waitone]

Here is an analysis that says it is all about appointing judges to various federal courts.

http://www.fitsnews.com/2013/11/21/senate-democrats-approve-nuclear-option/

[Bigjake]

Do any of you remember the wailing and gnashing of teeth back when the GOP kicked this exact thing around?  It was the beginning of Bush fascism or something,  to hear them tell it. 

[SADShooter]

Do any of you remember the wailing and gnashing of teeth back when the GOP kicked this exact thing around?  It was the beginning of Bush fascism or something,  to hear them tell it.  

Yes. And then Senate Minority Leader Reid was lead whistle on the hyperbole train, shrilling on and on about how it was going to destroy the country, with Joe Biden harumphing along as the caboose.

ETA: I forgot to reference the sleeper car in the middle, which was occupied by a junior Senator from Illinois.

[TommyGunn]

There has been an enormous amount of raw hypocrisy on both sides over this in recent years.
"Hypocrisy is the tribute virtue pays to vice," goes the old bromide.

In D.C. there is a great deal of vice that requires tribute from Virtue.

[bedlamite]

Do any of you remember the wailing and gnashing of teeth back when the GOP kicked this exact thing around?  It was the beginning of Bush fascism or something,  to hear them tell it. 

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june05/judges_4-18.html

[MechAg94]

Here is an analysis that says it is all about appointing judges to various federal courts.

http://www.fitsnews.com/2013/11/21/senate-democrats-approve-nuclear-option/

I figured they were afraid they would lose majority next year and want to push through judges and other stuff next year before that.

[BryanP]

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june05/judges_4-18.html

And here's an article from the same era with Republicans talking about the need to do exactly what Reid just did.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/551vzoao.asp

[tokugawa]

if you want a prediction there is no need to speculate- just look to the role model- Venezuela.
 
I am just waiting now for the Senate to pass an "enabling act".  

[grampster]

If there was any courage at all in the R senate, they would filibuster anyway.  If Reid had a senator removed, then another take his place, rinse and repeat until the media would be forced to report on the coup that has been done in the Senate.

[SADShooter]

If there was any courage or integrity at all in the R senate, they would filibuster anyway.  If Reid had a senator removed, then another take his place, rinse and repeat until the media would be forced to report on the coup that has been done in the Senate. so many of our present issues would not exist at all.

FTFY

[roo_ster]

An optimistic take:
http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/11/democrats-nuked-the-ratchet/

The seemingly inexorable march towards economic socialism and political statism has been accomplished through legislative and judicial ratchets which, once established, were all but impossible to reverse in part because the filibuster helped lock in the agenda and those supporting the agenda.

Because of the ratchet, the nation moved only in one direction: Towards redistribution of wealth, and bigger government.

Because of the ratchet, there was little or no hope of fundamental reversals.

Not anymore.

When Democrats — the embodiment of redistribution and statism — exercised the Nuclear Option yesterday, they blew up the ratchet. The filibuster is dead for all purposes, even if superficially only as to non-Supreme Court nomninees. No one will respect the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees or important legislation — the Senate can’t be half pregnant.

[French G.]

Well they're focused on the opportunities to do good in one term without a filibuster to hinder the process. Just as easy for 51 idiots to make things much worse. All window dressing in the Senate as far as I'm concerned anyway. Anything happening there after direct election of senators began is tainted. Imagine, states having a say in the Federal judges presiding over their area...

[Waitone]

We don't need two houses of representative.  Repeal the 17th amendment.

[lee n. field]

I hope every single thing they've done comes back to haunt them.

[Fly320s]

I hope every single thing they've done comes back to haunt them.

I hope for UPS to delivery a pallet of cash to me.

[Pharmacology]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/11/21/senate-nears-possible-vote-on-curbing-filibusters/
Many people are pointing out that, well, now the democrats can't pull what they did to Bush.
Personally, I see this as one of two things:
(1) The Democrats intend, by any means necessary, to keep power. (In this, I am meaning the Presidency.)
or
(2) The Democrats are fully aware they are about to lose the Senate, and (God willing), the Presidency in 3 years. As a result, they are pushing this now in order to continue rule through the Judiciary run amok.
In any case, this is not good news.
MAYBE, just maybe, the Republicans might realize that the Democrats are not their friends. The Democrats consider Republicans mortal enemies, not opponents.

This is just another step towards a dictatorship with a split personality.
Idiots on the left just made it easier to ram bullshit through.

The people pulling the strings of both parties just ram more *expletive deleted*it down the collective throat, simply changing scapegoats every term limit.

[geronimotwo]

I hope every single thing they've done comes back to haunt them.

likely they will repeal "the change", as soon as they realize they have lost the majority at the next election.