Posted on 12/23/2013 4:04:48 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
Democrats may have changed the rules on filibusters, but far from ending the intense battle over President Obama’s nominations, the move has pushed Republicans to fight harder — and to pioneer other tactics.
The latest move was made late Friday, just as the Senate was preparing to adjourn for a two-week recess. Republicans refused to allow a courtesy request to keep the full slate of Obama nominees pending. As a result, the nomination process must restart early next year.
It was a capstone of a year in which a deal on filibusters frayed and finally collapsed, leaving the Senate atmosphere more poisoned than it has been in generations.
Restarting the nomination process is a small procedural hurdle, but it’s the latest sign that Republicans intend for Democrats to feel the pain from using the “nuclear option” in November to change the filibuster rules.
“The normal way the Senate has operated for a couple hundred years has been destroyed this year, and to ask that normalcy come about now is just beyond the pale,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said as he delivered the parliamentary blow that forced dozens of nominations to be killed for lack of action.
Republicans did confirm a number of military nominations but blocked all pending judicial, ambassadorial and civilian Cabinet posts.
Such action is by no means unprecedented. Indeed, Senate rules state that if the chamber adjourns for the end of a session, any of the president’s nominations that haven’t reached at least the floor will be sent back to the White House.
That rule has been waived occasionally as a courtesy, but Republicans said there is little room for courtesy after Democrats changed the rules and made it possible to end filibusters of nominees with just a majority vote rather than the 60-vote standard
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Linda Grahamnesty fighting? He must be up for election in 2014, just as his Maxi-Me from Arizona turns conservative one year out of six.
So the new rules may have put Harry Reid in the hospital? May be a silver lining here ...
Yes SHE is, bless her heart, poor dear...bitch.
Linda is confused, she thinks everyone has forgotten all of her sashays across the aisle in her blue dress to provide verbal head for the demonRAT enemy.
Linda, Lee Bright is coming to the rescue.
Lindsey is now a conservative. Huckabee has been running tv ads in SC telling us that.
Good!
There is a reason people refer to the GOP as the stupid party.
Huckabee has been running tv ads in SC telling us that.
***
And, of course, Hucksterbee wants his face all over the TV because he has big plans of running for president again. Lord, deliver us from these amnesty-loving RINOs.
Awesome! The only good communist is a dead one.
“which Senate aides speculated Friday could have contributed to the exhaustion that landed Mr. Reid in the hospital.”
I am disappointed! I was hoping we would find out that Dingy Harry had been diagnosed with a terminal illness!
> Republicans refused to allow a courtesy request to keep the full slate of Obama nominees pending. As a result, the nomination process must restart early next year.
Thanks afraidfortherepublic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.