# Harry Reid: Filibuster Reform Will Be Pursued In The Next Congress **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 9, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513 "2012-11-09T19:46:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/301 "2013-11-24T01:15:48Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Democrats, by killing the filibuster for the judicial appointments, just guaranteed complete trench warfare and utter deadlock for the foreseeable future. Except that the public hates deadlock and gridlock. The Republicans got so much blame for their recent escapades in the House (naughty word, I know) that they’ve already had to swear they won’t do it again in the next few battles. I don’t believe it and it appears that you don’t believe it either. That’s incredible. You are stating that the Republicans have no intention of being part of the process, confirming all our worse fears. With friends like you… > [@](#): > > Sure. Go ahead, Democrats. Govern or go home. And stop whining. The Democrats just decided to govern. And I guarantee that all the whining being heard now has a distinctly Republican accent. This is an enormous win for the Democrats. That makes two in a row. Republicans should be feeling very scared now, especially with more budget battles ahead. No wonder the tone here is so bitter. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/302 "2013-11-24T01:20:48Z")
Just came across the video of Reid on the Senate floor. Short, but good. With a great last line. [Here you go.](http://www.ijreview.com/2013/11/96574-mcconnell-snapkicks-reid-filibuster-like-rules-can-keep-rules/) ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/303 "2013-11-24T01:23:15Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Except that the public hates deadlock and gridlock. The Republicans got so much blame for their recent escapades in the House (naughty word, I know) that they’ve already had to swear they won’t do it again in the next few battles. I don’t believe it and it appears that you don’t believe it either. That’s incredible. You are stating that the Republicans have no intention of being part of the process, confirming all our worse fears. With friends like you… > The Democrats just decided to govern. And I guarantee that all the whining being heard now has a distinctly Republican accent. > > This is an enormous win for the Democrats. That makes two in a row. Republicans should be feeling very scared now, especially with more budget battles ahead. No wonder the tone here is so bitter. That Dems will extract some good from this (for them), no doubt. But it will cost them, as well. Especially with Independents. Fortunately, there is there is the stink of Obamacare on all who supported it. A powerful stench indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/304 "2013-11-24T01:31:03Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > That Dems will extract some good from this (for them), no doubt. But it will cost them, as well. Especially with Independents. How do you figure? You think independents like what Republicans have done with the filibuster? I’m thinking this is the icing on the 2014 cake. Your boys are going down, in both houses. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/305 "2013-11-24T01:54:16Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Dems are in fact doing their best to govern, subject to the limits of a screwy system. Whining that the majority in the house refuses to bow to Democrats’ will is not governing. > [@](#): > > Here’s one simple thing Obama can do now that he couldn’t have dared to do a week ago: he can request the resignations of officials whose performance he isn’t happy with. Last week, he couldn’t fire anyone because he had no way of knowing when or if he could bring a replacement on board. Now he can do that. > > You have to be able to do that sort of thing to govern. Of course he already said he won’t do that. Does that mean he refuses to “govern”? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/306 "2013-11-24T01:54:39Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > As odd as it might seem, let me enlist Harry Reid himself to argue for not exercising the nuclear option:tics/Sen-Harry-Reid-s-Filibuster-Floor-Speech"[Harry Reid himself to argue for not exercising the nuclear option:](http://www.talkleft.com/story/2005/05/18/097/40350/otherpolitics/Sen-Harry-Reid-s-Filibuster-Floor-Speech) But, that was 2005. Light years ago. Back when the obstructionist wing of the Republican party wasn’t a force. Different days, different strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/307 "2013-11-24T01:55:42Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The Democrats just decided to govern. And I guarantee that all the whining being heard now has a distinctly Republican accent. > > This is an enormous win for the Democrats. That makes two in a row. Republicans should be feeling very scared now, especially with more budget battles ahead. No wonder the tone here is so bitter. The delusion is thick in this post. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/308 "2013-11-24T02:16:03Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The Democrats just decided to govern. And I guarantee that all the whining being heard now has a distinctly Republican accent. > > This is an enormous win for the Democrats. That makes two in a row. Republicans should be feeling very scared now, especially with more budget battles ahead. No wonder the tone here is so bitter. > [@Terr](#): > > The delusion is thick in this post. You giving odds? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/309 "2013-11-24T02:24:34Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > The delusion is thick in this post. That’s the wonderful thing about the Internet. Posts are always available for checking. We can look back at this thread and find out which one of us was more correct. Just like the posts leading up to the 2012 election. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/310 "2013-11-24T02:48:06Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Whining that the majority in the house refuses to bow to Democrats’ will is not governing. I’m sorry, but I thought we weren’t talking about the House. Was I mistaken? > [@](#): > > Of course he already said he won’t do that. Does that mean he refuses to “govern”? That’s the sort of thing that there’s no way I can buy without a cite. So, please provide. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/311 "2013-11-24T03:05:33Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > You giving odds? 🙂 Odds on what. That this is “an enormous win for Democrats”? Exactly how are you going to quantify this? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/312 "2013-11-24T03:07:50Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I’m sorry, but I thought we weren’t talking about the House. Was I mistaken? When you talk about “governing”, talking about just the Senate is kinda pointless. Go ahead and pass your bills in the Senate - when the House shoots them down see how far that takes you. > [@](#): > > That’s the sort of thing that there’s no way I can buy without a cite. > > So, please provide. [http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/11/white-house-nuclear-option-wont-precipitate-health-178177.html?hp=l11](http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/11/white-house-nuclear-option-wont-precipitate-health-178177.html?hp=l11) White House: Nuclear option won’t precipitate health care firings Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/313 "2013-11-24T03:59:45Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Odds on what. That this is “an enormous win for Democrats”? Exactly how are you going to quantify this? Yeah, I’m trying to envision a world in which you admit that any conceivable occurrence was an enormous win for the Democrats, including Obama’s two electoral victories. I’m failing miserably. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/314 "2013-11-24T04:33:05Z")
From our good friends at _Daily Kos_, lefty cootie central for the intertubes… > **[Rush Limbaugh compares Senate rules reform to rape](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2013/11/22/1257708/-Rush-Limbaugh-compares-Senate-rules-reform-to-rape)** > > Yes, Rush Limbaugh wants attention and outrage at all times. But ... **Rush Limbaugh compares Senate rules reform to rape** Now there is a man with a real genius for the inappropriate sexual Nintendo. In your window. Something, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/315 "2013-11-24T06:20:19Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > But, that was 2005. Light years ago. Back when the obstructionist wing of the Republican party wasn’t a force. Different days, different strategy. The minority party is always the “obstructionist” party. The difference then was that the Dems were in the minority. That and and the Dems were aware that principles are important. Yep, things change. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/316 "2013-11-24T08:20:55Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > … when Clarence Thomas – one of the most right-wing Justices ever – was appointed to SCOTUS, the Democrats controlled not merely 41 Senate seats, but _ **55 seats** _. I’m not surprised that none of the GOP apologists have responded to this. That Democrats let Bush make his choice despite having 55% of the Senate, while Republicans take the opposite position with only 45% demonstrates that the two Parties have opposite views on the country’s power sharing and role of opposition. It might be informative if GOP apologists did dare to respond. I’ll make it easy; just click one of the boxes: [ul][li] ( ) This example just shows how timid and stupid the Demos are. As long as they had at least 41% of the Senate they should have obstructed either of the Bushes at every turn, whining and threatening so they could get their way.[/li][li] ( ) Bad example. Clarence Thomas is an upstanding centrist Justice free of the slightest whiff of personal scandal, while Elena Kagan is probably a card-carrying Marxist lesbian.[/li][li] ( ) When we do it, we’re doing the Baby Jesus’ bidding. If the Democrats did it, it would be Satan acting through the zombies he controls.[/li][li] ( ) Gee, thanks for pointing this out, septimus. I guess the present-day GOP really is shamefully despicable after all.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/317 "2013-11-24T12:13:10Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > When you talk about “governing”, talking about just the Senate is kinda pointless. Go ahead and pass your bills in the Senate - when the House shoots them down see how far that takes you. That’s amusing, when the example I gave was that the removal of the filibuster on Executive branch appointments would enable Obama to replace people he was unhappy with. But it’s good to know that in the overall discussion, we’re talking about the House and the Senate both, because there seemed to be some confusion on that point. > [@](#): > > [http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/11/white-house-nuclear-option-wont-precipitate-health-178177.html?hp=l11](http://www.politico.com/politico44/2013/11/white-house-nuclear-option-wont-precipitate-health-178177.html?hp=l11) > > White House: Nuclear option won’t precipitate health care firings > > Ignorance fought. To back up your claim, you’d have needed to produce a cite of Obama saying it won’t result in dismissals _anywhere across the Executive branch_, rather than in one particular part of it, which is all your cite says. In order to fight ignorance, you have to be able to distinguish between things like this. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/318 "2013-11-24T13:40:23Z")
Much could be said about attitudes about the 40 vote blocker in the Senate prior to the time, the last twenty years, where parties and their positions have become so diametrically opposed. Once upon a time, each majority party had liberal and conservative wings…and support for some legislation could be found by approaching people from each party. Today? Nope, one party has moved so far from the middle…and have deliberately financed campaigns against the more moderate members of their party…that ‘compromise’ is not generally available for most issues. Perhaps for some major issues…a big bargain on the future budget, for example, a compromise can be reached, by each side getting some major concession from the other. But, frankly, the parties are so philosophically opposed to each other today, not just in Washington, but all over the USA, that cracks in the fabric are appearing and will only get worse. Young people today are choosing to live where the political system they support is in control, not just 'where the best jobs are, or the climate suits us, or the sports available are to our liking… ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/319 "2013-11-24T15:51:24Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > To back up your claim, you’d have needed to produce a cite of Obama saying it won’t result in dismissals _anywhere across the Executive branch_, rather than in one particular part of it, which is all your cite says. Apparently you can’t read. “Though the threshold for Obama to get his nominees confirmed fell by nine votes Thursday’s change in Senate rules, it doesn’t mean he’s going to be firing Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius\*\* or others\*\* anytime soon, press secretary Jay Carney said.” ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513/320 "2013-11-24T16:01:15Z")
Of course they’re not going to fire anyone. But the typical pattern is that the White House expresses complete confidence in the person right before he resigns to spend more time with his family. I’m not saying it’s going to happen to Sebelius or anyone else, but Carney’s statement doesn’t rule it out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-reid-filibuster-reform-will-be-pursued-in-the-next-congress/640513.md?page=17)