Posted on 10/06/2011 4:42:43 PM PDT by jazusamo
In a shock development Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) triggered a rarely-used procedural option informally called the “nuclear option” to change the Senate rules.
The surprise move stunned Republicans, who did not expect Reid to bring heavy artillery to what had appeared to have been a hum-drum legislative knife fight.
Reid appealed a ruling from the chair that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) does not need consent to force a vote on a motion to suspend the rules to consider an amendment after cloture has already been approved.
The maneuver is highly arcane but momentous. If a simple majority of the Senate votes to uphold Reid’s appeal, the Senate’s rules will have been changed by the unilateral action of one party.
Republicans had considered using this maneuver, dubbed the “nuclear option” in 2005, to change Senate rules to prohibit the filibuster of judicial nominees. Democrats decried the plan and the crisis was resolved by a bipartisan agreement forged by 14 rank-and-file senators known as the Gang of 14.
Thanks...I don’t understand it but if DeMint says it I believe it.
Yeah, but how much damage can the Rats do in the mean time?
[I believe you’re correct. The Rats better understand what goes around comes around.]
lol. Are we thinking of the same GOP. I seem to remember to us agreeing to “power sharing” last time we took control of the Senate. Or maybe I’m mistaken?
They can do that anytime they want. And have had the power since they were formed.
But they don't. Do they?
They don't want to stop spending. Either party.
A pox on all of them.
But I'll give your idea a hearty "AMEN!". I would pray that our Congress assembled would do something like that.
And then I look at them.
Clements had it right. Congress is America's only native criminal class.
/johnny
Burrs a POS!!!
I think we need to give Dirty Harry a bit more credit here...I believe Reid knows he does not have the 50 votes and will leave Obama hanging in the breeze...with this albatross of a jobs bill dragging him down....
Reid knows he has lost the senate majority leadership in 2012 and can lay the blame at Obama feet and Reid must be pissed .
Cochran is MS. Isakson is GA.
Nope! It will be a negative number.
:-)
No, you’re not mistaken. Maybe something like this is what it will take, then again maybe they’re too far gone.
Corrections: Brown (MA), Burr (NC), Chambliss (GA) Cochran (MS), Collins (ME), Graham (SC), Isakson (GA), Portman (OH), Sessions (AL), Shelby (AL), Snow (ME)
A later thought. The dem-o-rats can change the rule right back next week, right?
Mark just added another Pub: Hoeven (ND)
That was already the case. Since Obamacare was passed as a budget reconciliation measure, it can be repealed as a budget reconciliation measure.
I must be missing something. Why would a Republican vote for this? What was their reasoning?
I hope you’re right and that Reid is pissed, he and Nance can sit next to one another starting in 2013.
The communists are shooting their wad and America is watching Dancing with the Stars (OMG will Nancy Grace win after causing that mommy to commit suicide, in my opinion) . No one knows about this nuisance. This is a joke. 4 Million Christian Men went to Washington in 1996 to rally for Jesus. Who cared? Who cares now? All we want is our government check and our stuff. Move On!!
Seems to me that the precedent is now set...so if President Cain can get 51 Republicans (or really couple more, to deal with RINOs) in 2013, we will OWN Congress.
That is a very stupid move by the socialists specially when they do not control the House.
I suppose so but if they tick off enough of the GOP and RINOs it could be bad for them come 2013.
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