For the record, I am a long term opponent of the filibuster that requires 60 votes for cloture and as long term proponent of the Nuclear Option. I even coined the term, "Nuke the Filibastards" years ago. Those views have not changed, and early in the Obama administration, I predicted that the party that changed it would have a huge advantage. If the Nevada Leg Hound, Harry Reid, did not consign the 60 vote requirement for cloture to the trashcan of history, Republicans would do so if they ever got the chance, as it appears they are about to do. If Reid and the Democrats had done so then, we would have gotten the Public Option, Glass Steagall, and a robust stimulus. Republicans could not have sabotaged the nation. Trump would not be. Now, a traitor that may not even survive politically until the midterms will get to pack SCROTUS (Republican Constitutional VD) with Whoresuch, a fascist so extreme that he makes Scalia look liberal, to oppose our Constitution for life.
Sens. Roger E. Wicker (R-Miss.) and Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.) are not usually partisan firebrands, particularly on presidential appointments.
Back in 2013, Wicker helped temporarily defuse a showdown over Republican filibusters of President Barack Obama’s nominees to the judiciary and agencies. More than a decade ago, Carper voted to confirm President George W. Bush’s first Supreme Court nominee and opposed Democratic efforts to filibuster the other.
Now, with about 10 days left in the showdown over President Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, both Wicker and Carper have turned dour in their outlook for what the battle means for the Senate — and the country.
Wicker is all but certain that Democrats have enough votes to block Gorsuch’s confirmation next week with a filibuster — by demanding a procedural step that takes 60 votes to clear. That, in turn, probably would prompt the Republicans to change the rules unilaterally to allow Gorsuch’s confirmation, and all other Supreme Court picks thereafter, by a simple majority.
“I think it’s a done deal,” Wicker said Tuesday. “That’s the way it’s headed.”
Carper agreed, explaining that he would rather see Republicans eliminate supermajority thresholds for Supreme Court nominees, further poisoning the already toxic atmosphere in Washington, than do anything to support Gorsuch.
From <Washington Post>
Graphic Credit: Left over Rights
It does not often happen that I agree with Carper, but I do now. I still fully believe in elimination the filibuster an d refuse to be a hypocrite pretending that I don’t. I just wish we had a way to delay that change.
RESIST!!
11 Responses to “Republicans Going Nuclear on Whoresuch?”
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Yeah. I don't know what to say on this. No kind of happy ending for the nation and the 99% looks at all likely.
Gulp. This is bad. Really bad.
Just to be clear, Sen. Reid DID get rid of the 60-vote requirement for cloture on nominees "below the level of Supreme Court" (i.e., Judges, cabinet members, etc.)
Reid's invoking of the 'Nuclear Option" for those appointments did not have an effect on legislation. And if McConnell does (as anticipated) go "Nuclear" on even Supreme Court nominees – it's doubtful he'd broaden it to legislation.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/feb/03/6-questions-answered-about-nuclear-option-filibust/
I agree, but the only reason Republicans have not gone nuclear in the and other areas is that, they got their way by other means. When Republicans have threatened going nuclear in the past, Democats have caved in exchange for promiuses from Republicans, which have never been kept. I suspect Democrats won't cave for more deceitful promises, and Republicans will go nuclear in those areas too.
Caught between a rock and a hard place! Let's hope that Drumpfenfarten does not get another SCOTUS pick!
RBG, stand your ground against this bully POTUS!
Resist and Persist!!!
Not only the Washington atmosphere has gone toxic over the last decade or so, it's American politics as such that have gone completely unworkable by the number of changes to, often outdated, legislature and rules of working by whatever party had the majority in a House or a Senate. Gerrymandering, disenfranchising of voters, the Electoral College, filibustering, Nuclear Options and a limitless list of archaic and obscure rules and regulations that get pulled out of a hat whenever one party or another wants to have it its way no matter what.
The Freedom Caucus has "safe seats" in Congress through extreme gerrymandering; we've seen the newly elected Democratic Governor of North Carolina, Cooper, rendered almost powerless by NC's Republican-run General Assembly, we now see an extreme-conservative about to fill an open seat in SCOTUS through changing voting rules (Nuclear Option) in Congress for a seat that is already "stolen" because Republicans simply refused to work according to the rules. This nomination and likely appointment has nothing to do with Drumpf (he just nominated the man on top of the list of judges he was given who was also willing to "do him some favors in return"); this has everything to do with Republicans and broken democratic system that will not be mended because it works in favor of the party that has gained – and will retain – the majority by making full use of it. If anything, things will only get worse with a 5-4 Republican SCOTUS and a nominee that is a proponent of textualism and originalism for his own special blend of right-wing interpreting.
RESIST & PERSIST!
Very well said Lona!
I have said before that the US system is far too partisan. The parties should not control things such as drawing districts, registering voters etc. I used Canada as an example that has a federal commission, Elections Canada, that does that. In BC we have Elections BC that has a clear mandate and reports to the Legislature, not one party or another.
I agree. Throughout the entire process, however, Democrats have been willing to negfotiate in good faith. Refusal to do so has been exclusively Republican. In fact, every time Democrats have agreed to Republican proposals, Republaxans hgave abandoned them and demanded more concessions..
Thanks all! Hugs!!