General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt would be nice if all of the DUers who previously labeled Harry Reid, "spineless", "a wimp" ...
"gutless" and worse showed up to apologize, but hey, it's the internet, so I'm not holding my breath.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)JI7
(89,186 posts)are mostly those whose political "activism" is posting on the internet.
paulkienitz
(1,295 posts)I think Harry Reid knows which side his bread is lubricated on, which is not the same side it was a decade ago.
Pryderi
(6,772 posts)cthulu2016
(10,960 posts)I like Harry Reid a lot, but people saying years ago he should go for the nuclear option haven't been shown anything except that they were right and that after a few YEARS of this shit, even Reid would come around to that view.
ancianita
(35,816 posts)CanonRay
(14,038 posts)But I'm grateful he finally did it.
ancianita
(35,816 posts)Sheldon Cooper
(3,724 posts)Paladin
(28,204 posts)Apology? I don't think so. I want to see some Democratic follow-through on this.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)Bonobo
(29,257 posts)rdharma
(6,057 posts)Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)Please forgive me.
You be da man now, yo!
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Skittles
(152,967 posts)LEMME AT YOU
mother earth
(6,002 posts)But, can't say I blame anyone for being fed up that it took so damned long. Having said that, I'll take it, better late than never.
Keep it going, Harry, give 'em hell!
sendero
(28,552 posts)....he would have done this 3/5 years ago. It's not as though this is a new problem.
earthside
(6,960 posts)Now we need to get the filibuster reformed so that good, progressive legislation can pass the Senate.
Sorry, but for the most part and for most of the time Sen. Reid has been wimpy -- why do I apologize to him for doing the right thing he should have done years ago?
Uh?
msongs
(67,199 posts)and actually gets a senate vote on a nominee using the "nuclear option". Nobody who criticized Reid on his behavior needs to apologize.
11 Bravo
(23,922 posts)How's that?
G_j
(40,366 posts)but I am personally very wary of apology demands.
11 Bravo
(23,922 posts)equates to a "demand". But hey, YMMV.
G_j
(40,366 posts)I'm just having a case of apology overload.
I've heard the term used quite a bit lately, in all sorts of ways. It seems like people are a bit obsessed with the idea. It really doesn't mean much anymore.
I'd rather congratulate Reid for a good move.
11 Bravo
(23,922 posts)G_j
(40,366 posts)shut down also. He made some strong statements. I haven't always been that big a fan, but I'm right there with him when he stands up to the bullies.
NV Whino
(20,886 posts)He should have done it years ago.
AndyA
(16,993 posts)or worse.
No apologies, however. This should have been done a LONG time ago. This filibustering by the Republicans isn't a recent isolated incident. It's been going on since President Obama took office. Important functions of government have slowed to a trickle or come almost to a standstill for how long now? How long have critical positions been vacant?
This isn't a game, people depend on government to function--if it doesn't, it can be a matter of life or death.
Reid waited too long. I'm glad he finally stopped talking about it and took action. The fact that he eventually got around to it is not grounds for across the board apologies IMO. He's wasted a lot of time that can never be recovered.
kentuck
(110,950 posts)he should apologize for taking so long and letting the Repubs do so much damage to our government.
Tikki
(14,539 posts)It is a very humbling experience to see where Mr. Reid grew up and where he is now.
I respect him.
Tikki
frazzled
(18,402 posts)eliminate the term "spineless" (or spine, or backbone, or whatever) from the annals of these pages altogether.
It's become the rallying cry of the far right: they're always complaining their legislators have no spine, and they have to primary them and get real spiny guys in there ... you know, the intransigent ones who cling to their ideology like shipwrecked drunken sailors cling to jetsam in a storm.
Whenever I hear the word spineless I just picture the disaster that is the Tea Party. I'd hate to be in the position of seeing who yells "spineless!" loudest.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Reid has constantly tried to negotiate with these morons and no matter how many times it was obvious that you cannot compromise with sociopaths, no matter how many times, for YEARS now people begged him to take some action, any action to let them know who is the boss even when Dems WIN, he ignored us.
Until they became so crazy it was impossible to ignore.
All I can say is, better late than never, but way too late for so many things that could have been avoided.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)Reid needed a majority in the Senate, more than 51 votes, to make these changes, and your 2 Senators were among the last holdouts to go along and vote for these changes.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)have him replaced by a real Progressive Dem.
And what does it have to do with five years of NOT doing anything until now? So much harm and wasted time could have been avoided if Dems when they win would only ACT like they won.
Spirochete
(5,264 posts)and I'm very happy to see him finally getting more hard-nosed with the jerkoff Repubs in the Senate.
No apologies, but a heartfelt "attaboy"
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)As have many other du'ers here. I continue to expect future spinelessness. I would be delighted to be wrong again.
Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)Skittles
(152,967 posts)he should have let them know who won the election long ago
Autumn
(44,765 posts)it took him long enough.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,211 posts)they'll blame Reid for not being able to stop the draconian bullshit of the Republican dominated Senate. I'll admit, I'm torn about this decision, because we may live to regret silencing the minority, even this one.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)that would guarantee that the Repubican wouldnt use it in the future?
The filibuster was intended to keep the majority from running roughshod over the minority. The republicans have grossly abused this rule and are using it to run roughshod over the majority. It isnt working as intended. Fix it or dump it.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)did you change your mind?
It's five years too late, but better late than never.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,211 posts)Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)The minority of Rethuglicans were controlling the Senate, not the Democratic majority!!
The Rethuglicans thwarted every single thing we tried to do in the Senate.
They didn't think the Democrats would ever get tired of being doormats.
Well, surprise, surprise, after 5 years of being stepped on, the Democrats said "Enough is enough" and changed the freakin' rulez.
We will lose control of the Senate someday. We will cross that river when we come to it. For now, people's lives hang in the balance, and we can not afford to let the Rethuglicans just "play it out" until the next election.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,211 posts)calling Harry Reid every name in the book, won't work to keep the current Senate majority in place. They are seemingly very passionate & active on the internet, but I can't help but wonder if they're just a bunch of malcontent keyboard commandoes, or if they are equally passionate when it comes to electing Dems.
We know the Dem leadership will be attacked relentlessly for this move, I just hope the "casual" Dems who infest the leftosphere will be as loud & obnoxious at election time, as they are between elections.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)this will matter at all in the future. It removes a tool that the Democrats have never known how to use anyway, so in the end it is better for us all.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)none of us should be apologizing to him.
If we expressed ourselves obnoxiously about it, then maybe we should be apologizing to each other. But not to him.
The Magistrate
(95,237 posts)And I confess a bit of surprise he actually did it....
Paulie
(8,462 posts)It's seems to be his MO: one step forward 8 steps of concessions to the crazies.
Bonobo
(29,257 posts)Gothmog
(144,005 posts)Harry Reid barely had the needed votes to use the nuclear option and he only got those votes after the GOP forced him to exercise the option. Reid may have wanted to use the nuclear option earlier but I think that he did not have the votes. The GOP conduct over the last couple of months gave Reid the votes he needed and even then it was a closer than I would like
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)I stand by that criticism. During that time, at least twice he explained that the reason he didnt invoke the nuclear option was that he made a handshake deal with McConnell (a lying Republican). At least once during that time Sen Reid claimed to have the needed votes but chose to make the deal with McConnell. I would be interested in learning why the DINO hold outs changed their minds.
smokey nj
(43,853 posts)yurbud
(39,405 posts)the votes to do it earlier.
Frankly, if I were him, I would have publicly shamed the Democrats who didn't vote to change the rules if he wanted to do it earlier.
PeteSelman
(1,508 posts)For wasting nearly five years. He should have gone full on nuclear in 2010 at the latest. If we only could have passed half of the house legislation this country would be in a major upturn instead of still wallowing in the muck.
I won't apologize.
sandyshoes17
(657 posts)I'm with you, he either takes a long time to do something or keeps his powder dry for the next fight. With the environment we're in right now we need someone that fights back everytime. They are moving us so far to the right, he needed to fight for every inch. I won't apologize either.
idwiyo
(5,113 posts)frylock
(34,825 posts)i'm sorry for doubting him, lo these many years.
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)4dsc
(5,787 posts)Until I see a complete change in Mr Reid I'll withhold any apology.
quakerboy
(13,901 posts)For what its worth, I was wrong.
I'm Fighting my natural urge to add a "but". Reid did good.
JEFF9K
(1,935 posts)Nanjing to Seoul
(2,088 posts)of Majority Leader backbone!
zentrum
(9,865 posts)He's said he would do this for years and every time he did that he emboldened the Reps so that we were more able to have the rogue minority we have.
He taught the right wing to not be afraid of Dems. Reid has been part of the endless appeasement travesty...
It's about damn time he acted like a pre-Reagan Democrat.
I did call his office in Reno today (not my state) and thank him.
libodem
(19,288 posts)I once called him a big pink mouse. I was wrong. I'm kind of a jerk sometimes.
last1standing
(11,709 posts)Maybe it's you who needs to apologize but like you, I'm not holding my breath.
Some will never learn common decency.
ScreamingMeemie
(68,918 posts)We lost a lot by not pushing back sooner.
I'm glad Senator Reid did this, and I hope he continues to act in such a responsible manner.
idwiyo
(5,113 posts)LWolf
(46,179 posts)to say about Harry Reid one way or the other. If I had, though, I wouldn't feel any obligation to apologize to you, lol.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)or voted for DOMA or who advocated 'civil unions are pragmatic goodness' would apologize. It would be nice if certain politicians who hired raging bigots as surrogates and clerics would apologize for endorsing folks who called for war on gay people. Not only would it be nice but to do so it the only correct and righteous course of action. Those who raved about 'Sanctity' and 'God in the mix' as if they spoke for God when trash talking their neighbors really should apologize, make strong amends and do penance.
But I am not holding my breath.
ladyVet
(1,587 posts)Reid finally did what he's been saying he would do. Yay.
Let's see how long it lasts, or what secret handshake deal he made before we get all hot and bothered.