Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Harry Reid reigns as lord of the Senate
washingtonexaminer.com ^ | 2/7/14 | David Drucker

Posted on 02/07/2014 10:38:01 AM PST by cotton1706

Harry Reid effectively owns the U.S. Senate.

Democrats and Republicans have long debated how Reid managed to get such a tight grip on the upper chamber. But there is no debating this much: Nothing happens on the floor, or in committee, without the Nevada Democrat's approval.

Most important Senate legislation is written in Reid’s office and sent directly to the floor for a vote on final passage, sidelining committee chairmen who historically have functioned as an influential and quasi-independent force. In the past, a bill would not go to the floor before a series of votes and amendments in whatever committee, or committees, had jurisdiction over the policy it affected.

Reid has sent bills directly to the floor 74 times, according to statistics provided by the office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. That's 10 times more than his predecessors during a decade-long span.

Sign Up for the Politics Today newsletter!

In November, Reid took the unusual step of breaking the Senate's own rules to change them, resorting to the "nuclear option" to limit the minority party's use of the filibuster. The controversial move strengthened the Democrats' power to defeat Republican procedural blockades of President Obama's executive branch and judicial appointees. The administration is now virtually guaranteed that any nominee it sends to the Senate will be confirmed.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 113th; elections; reid; senate; senateoverlord
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last
"Democrats and Republicans have long debated how Reid managed to get such a tight grip on the upper chamber."

It happened because in agreement after agreement, Mitch McConnell has ceded more and more power to the position of Majority Leader...because he thought he would have that position by now. And Harry Reid always said, fine, I'll take that extra power.

And it looks like Mitch McConnell will never be Majority Leader, and will likely not be a senator after November one way or the other.

Harry Reid's tyrannical power can be laid right at the feet of Mitch McConnell

"Fools make feasts. And wise men eat them." - Poor Richard's Almanac

1 posted on 02/07/2014 10:38:01 AM PST by cotton1706
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

At first I read “resign” instead of “reigns”. Alas. Blasted dyslexia acting up again.


2 posted on 02/07/2014 10:41:22 AM PST by rightwingcrazy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706
Harry Reid effectively owns the U.S. Senate.

That means President 0bama effectively owns the Senate.

3 posted on 02/07/2014 10:41:48 AM PST by Zuben Elgenubi (NOPe to GOPe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

Too bad for Mr Cleanface the Senate has been significantly depreciated by Obama and his pen.


4 posted on 02/07/2014 10:43:15 AM PST by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Obama/Reid are absolutely corrupt!!


5 posted on 02/07/2014 10:44:09 AM PST by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

How many times have republicans either taken the senate by a vote or tied it up only to have one republican choose that moment to become a democrat?


6 posted on 02/07/2014 10:44:23 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingcrazy

I did too. . . .


7 posted on 02/07/2014 10:44:24 AM PST by RatRipper (The political left are utterly evil and corrupt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rightwingcrazy

I read it that way at first too.... About fell out of my chair ...


8 posted on 02/07/2014 10:46:03 AM PST by kjam22 (my music video "If My People" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74b20RjILy4)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rightwingcrazy

I did the same thing.


9 posted on 02/07/2014 10:47:24 AM PST by BipolarBob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rightwingcrazy

Me too, caught it before heartrate went into orbit


10 posted on 02/07/2014 10:48:03 AM PST by bigbob (The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly. Abraham Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

‘Harry Reid reigns as lord of the Senate”

Dingey should be sitting in a jail cell!


11 posted on 02/07/2014 10:50:26 AM PST by kenmcg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek

“How many times have republicans either taken the senate by a vote or tied it up only to have one republican choose that moment to become a democrat?”

Once that I know of, at least in modern times. The senate was even after the 2000 elections and Jim Jeffords switched to be an independent.

In 1953 the senate was 48-47 republican, then Bob Taft died and the governor of Ohio appointed a democrat.

There’s also Arlen Specter, who became a democrat to give the democrats a 60 vote majority (though Specter would have voted with the democrats anyway).

The republicans had wider margins than a tie when they took the senate in 1946, 1980 and 1994. They retook it again 2002 by 2 votes.


12 posted on 02/07/2014 10:52:12 AM PST by cotton1706
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: rightwingcrazy

You and me both. And what a let-down when I finally read it correctly!


13 posted on 02/07/2014 10:55:15 AM PST by Twotone (Marte Et Clypeo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: rightwingcrazy
"At first I read “resign” instead of “reigns”. Alas. Blasted dyslexia acting up again."

Same here, the first words out of my mouth was THERE IS A GOD. . . . .

14 posted on 02/07/2014 11:02:32 AM PST by DeaconRed (I hate BO. I am not a racist because I hate Biden too.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

15 posted on 02/07/2014 11:06:46 AM PST by bigheadfred
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

America’s Royalty:

Lord Harry, The Crazy Uncle From The Attic

Cruella Piglosi, The San Francisco Sow

King Barack The Airheaded

Queen Moochie The Human Food Disposal.


16 posted on 02/07/2014 11:07:20 AM PST by Iron Munro ("Show me the man, and I'll show you the crime." - Lavrentiy Beria (& Eric Holder))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

FUHR.

The brothel in Searchlight, NV is missing its janitor.


17 posted on 02/07/2014 11:07:59 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rightwingcrazy
Blasted dyslexia acting up again.

No it's not, I did the same thing and never would have noticed it until I saw your comment.....

That's our subconscious minds wanting to interpret that title in the way we did..........

18 posted on 02/07/2014 11:12:40 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (I think I've lost my mojo.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

Reid was voted in with republican support. You can count on it.


19 posted on 02/07/2014 11:20:48 AM PST by Shery (in APO Land)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cotton1706

If only we could get 1st a Majority (51), the 2/3, then 3/4 of the Senate.

We could REPEAL without Obama, make Him irrelevant!


20 posted on 02/07/2014 11:21:29 AM PST by JSDude1 (Defeat Hagan, elect a Constutional Conservative: Dr. Greg Brannon!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson