Republican chicanery creates renewed interest in filibuster reform
This, from TPM, is good news. Although it probably depends on Harry Reid not being played for a sap, so…
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) is signaling that Democrats may revisit filibuster reform in the wake of high-profile Republican filibusters including the Chuck Hagel nomination, the plan to avert sequestration and the judicial nomination of Caitlin Halligan.
According to Roll Call, Durbin said the existing rules change agreement doesn’t seem to be working.
“I hate to suggest this, but if this is an indication of where we’re headed, we need to revisit the rules again,” the Illinois Democrat said. “We need to go back to it again. I’m sorry to say it because I — was hopeful that a bipartisan approach to dealing with these issues would work.”
“It’s the best thing for this chamber, for the people serving here and the history of this institution,” Durbin said of the bipartisan arrangement. “But if this Caitlin Halligan nomination is an indication of things to come, we’ve got to revisit the rules.”
“Durbin said the existing rules change agreement doesn’t seem to be working.”
Glad to see we have the best and brightest working for us in Washington.
“I’m sorry to say it because I — was hopeful that a bipartisan approach to dealing with these issues would work.”
How many times in the past 15-20 years has a bipartisan approach to anything worked? I’m sure not even the most optimistic of Democrats thought this would actually work.
The invasion of Iraq was bi-partisan. I mean, uh… never mind.
In the vein of jason:
No Child Left Behind was bi-partisan.
So, if I recall the vote correctly, was the unfunded Medicare prescription drug benefit.
So was the passage and repeated renewal of the Patriot Act.
So was warrantless wire-tapping.
jason’s right … never mind.
The stunning illogic of Reid’s cave on filibuster reform is now clear to everybody. The basic premise: ‘We won’t do it because could you imagine how bad it would be if the other side does it to us?’
The illogic: They’ll do it anyway. As soon as they possibly can.
End this bleeping filibuster BS and at least enable Obama to put justices on the bench who are not Scalia clones.
I mean, how much more obstructionist crap do you need to see before this imperative creeps its way into your ossified brains?
The moment has passed unfortunately, true reform will never come from the senate itself and must be forced upon the little kings and queens by the American people. We’re headed for more filibusters from more far righties like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, like Tom Carper I suggest you bank on it.
fillibuster being called chicanery is incorrect. Only shows you think the constitution is chicanery, because that is where it is specifically allowed.
Rand Paul is defending the right to due process which predates this country. It is a fundamental constitutional right that all partisan politicians. That the, currently, 11 hour filibuster is not getting major coverage says enough.
Now if it were Ashley Judd from Kentucky, we’d all be paying attention.
It would appear that Paul and Cruz are against defending America against terrorist who would bring harm to America, now how UN American is that?? Typical Repuks if President Obama is for it they will oppose
No problem with the ‘talking filibuster’. It’s this kind of crap that needs to stop:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/give-caitlin-halligan-an-up-or-down-vote/2013/03/06/51f81e5e-86b0-11e2-999e-5f8e0410cb9d_story.html?hpid=z4
And please spare me any talk about ‘activist’ judges. While decrying activist judges, the Rethugs have stacked the courts with activist judges–with the willing aid of Tom Carper and others.
Karl Rove talked openly of this when Dubya was President, and the Rethugs did it. Now we have Harry ‘The Ditherer’ Reid. Obama will be Prez for better than 3 3/4 more years. Time to give him the same chance to shape the judiciary as Bush got.
Truth Teller is 100% incorrect. If an American citizen is on the “kill list” (the fact that there’s a secret kill list is itself insane)… so an American is on the secret kill list. And he/she is somewhere in the US… can’t the person be assassinated without due process? Now this person isn’t engaged in combat. This person isn’t actively engaging in illegal activity… This person is eating lunch, reading a book or driving his/her kids to the mall. Can the POTUS authorization a missle be fired from a remote control flying killer robot into his/her home, a restaurant he/she is in, a car he/her is in with family members and kids?
We do this frequenly in Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, etc… So does this apply inside the US? It’s a great question and filibustering the Brennan nomination (as he’s an architect of it) is 100% appropriate… especially since Paul at least had the bollocks to stand there and actually fo it.
It’s not OK when Rebulicans did it and it’s not OK now.
Yep. I hate to admit it, because 99% of the time he is a grandstanding moron – but this time Rand Paul was right.
“So does this apply inside the US? ”
No it does not apply to US citizens physically in the United States. In fact, there is a specific prohibition for that.
Further, if an American citizen is engaged in combat against American forces operating with legal authority somewhere outside the United States, that American is an enemy combatant and President Obama and any future President has the authority to take action against that enemy combatant. Unless, we can get someone like Sheriff Christopher from Sussex County over there to arrest the citizen (if he comsiders such arrest to be constitutional that is).
rustydils, please quote the article and section of the constitution that legitimizes the fillibuster? Don’t think you’ll find that.
Jason, will you consider reinstalling the “stupid filter” to the comments? It’s starting to look like the letters to the editor in the News-Journal
Police kill American Citizens every day with in the law so it also applies to terrorist. Dorian it appears that you and others have forgotten 911 and the folks that did that. We are in a war with terrorist and should U.S. citizens join their cause then they are open targets. It’s your type of thinking that would have us give aid and comfort to the enemy now how UN American is that??
There’s “specific prohibition” against government sponsored assassination as well… and torture… and secret kill lists… and Navy SEALS raids into countries we aren’t at war with… I could go on. When secret kill lists exist I’m not taking anybody’s word for it.
I love the Bush administration “buzz words” enemy combatant… anybody in the blast zone of a hellfire missle…
Jason’s correct… Rand Paul is loony… but so were those drum circle weirdos calling W Hitler and protesting the Iraq War… except turns out… they were correct… No WMD… No greeted as liberators… no in-and-out in weeks… no oil money paying the tab… those hippie loons were right and 98% of us were wrong. Don’t forget that.
Don’t forget 9/11! What a weak response!! The last throes of a losing argument…
If you want to suspend liberty, due process, etc… and assassinate people because of 9/11 I submit that the unAmerican person is you, not me.
(My parents were on the same block as the WTC when the 2nd plane hit and my brother lived (and still lives) in the city. I haven’t forgotten. I just don’t let it cloud my judgement.)
On American assassinations, this is a very interesting read: American Assassinations for Dummies. I saw this over at Balloon Juice earlier.