Where is the line, Harry Reid?

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/16/where-is-the-line-harry-reid/


Where is the line, Harry Reid?

By Jonathan Bernstein, Published: May 16, 2013 at 5:37


Two of Obama’s major nominees — Gina McCarthy to head the EPA, and Thomas Perez as secretary of labor — were voted out of committee today in straight party-line votes. Next stop? The Senate floor, where both are likely to be defeated by GOP filibuster.

Look: filibusters of these two nominees are absolutely certain — as has been the case on virtually all of Barack Obama’s nominations. Republicans have made it mandatory for nominations to reach a previously-rare (and almost unprecedented) 60 vote standard.

So the question with McCarthy and Perez is the same as the question is with everything Democrats want in the Senate — can they find five Republicans who are willing to allow a final, simple-majority vote? In other words: can they overcome the Republican filibuster?

There’s still some confusion around the term “filibuster” that needs to be cleared up. Some people are only counting obstruction as a filibuster if a cloture vote — i.e., to end debate — is held. In fact, there is a permanent filibuster underway, in which Democrats know that any arrangement they make with Republicans in which the latter allow permission for a final vote will come with the 60 vote threshold attached as a condition. No 60; no final vote. The cloture vote alone isn’t what makes a filibuster; it’s the insistence on 60 for everything.

And so, again, the big question is whether five Republicans (or more, if one or more Democrats are absent) are willing to support a simple-majority confirmation vote on McCarthy or Perez. If not, the next step will be: will that be enough for Democrats to go ahead with majority-imposed rules change? It remains unclear, but I do think that every case of obstruction brings them a step closer to doing it.

If Mitch McConnell went to the floor of the Senate and announced that Republicans would block literally every single nominee for the duration of the Obama presidency, then Harry Reid would almost certainly change the rules tomorrow. Republicans are not blocking every nominee, but they are blocking far more nominees than was the case for any previous president. The question is, How close are they to crossing the line that will finally force Democrats to take action?

[Bandit]

1. Democrats to take action

[politicasista]

2. Kick

blatant obstruction .

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Its a good thing Harry reached that filibuster "agreement" with the GOP in the beginning of the year

[Cha]

4. Thank you, Jonathan Bernstein!

Thanks babylonsistah

[msongs]

5. the president prefers to be bipartisan and not make his republican friends sad nt

[babylonsister]

7. And msongs is here year after year, posting shit she

never backs up or comments on. So why should anyone have faith in your opinion? You're probably a teabagger and the originator of those assholes!

[rhett o rick]

6. The problem is that the "Democrats" are not cohesive. Some, maybe

quite a few answer to their sponsors and not the 99%. They may vote as if they were on our side but it seems there are always just enough to tank the vote.

We are stuck until we get the corporate owned Democrats replaced with progressives.

[babylonsister]

8. And how do you propose that happens? Serious question given

the attitude of this country?

[rhett o rick]

9. I hate serious questions. If you want to know what I think, I think

we are screwed. Those with the money can manipulate our media and most Americans will buy it.

Our only hope as a country is to have an elite group that understands that killing the middle class is not in their best interest.

Greed is rampant and I dont see an end.

Pres Obama nominated Penny Pritzker, the ultimate capitalist. He is clearly not on our side in this class war.

Doesnt mean I wont fight on. Doesnt mean I quit. But I see things getting a lot worse before America wakes up.

[mick063]

10. All part of the plan

Make government dysfunctional, which leads to people despising the government.

A libertarian dream come true.

Government can't get anything done so privatization is the answer.

A brilliant, simple, effective plan.


Harry is in on it.