I think that's way overstating the case, though. What happened in the Senate tonight bears some strong similarities to what observers have come to think of as the "nuclear option," but there have been no changes to the rules that would really eliminate or in any way seriously constrain the use of the filibuster.
...At any rate, the discussion on the floor has in fact wandered into rules reform territory, which is not altogether unfitting. If this really were the nuclear option, that would of course mean that the infamous "Gentleman's agreement" was now inoperative, since part of that deal was that neither party would use the "constitutional option" (which would under most definitions encompass the slightly different "nuclear option" as well) in this Congress or the next. Do Republicans really want that door open? We can do that, I guess. But we might as well go all the way, then.
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Whoo Hoo! May I say it's about time Senator!
(The Hill) Alexander Bolton reports ~ Reid triggers nuclear option to change Senate rules and prohibit post-cloture filibusters
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.
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2 comments:
Senator Reid is an idiot. It's that simple. It is "Activation" is the death of knees to the public option. Trust me on that.
Well, knowing the bought and sold incumbents of both party DC pols, that might be their plan.
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