Thursday, December 20, 2007

How About That Nuclear Option Now?

I love it when I'm right.

Two years ago, I talked about how Republicans would be stupid to use "the nuclear option" (i.e., their plan to do an end-run around the rules in Congress) to abolish filibusters, because one day they might be in the minority, and want to use the filibuster themselves.

(For those of you who don't remember, the Republicans were very, very upset that Democrats were using... no, actually just threatening to use... filibusters to stall judicial nominations and other legislation that they didn't like in Congress. You see, Republicans hated filibusters so much that they were just going to do away with them altogether.)

So who are the hypocrites now?

Oh... like you need to ask.
The Republican Senate minority today filibustered an omnibus budget bill, setting a modern-day record for blocking the most legislation during a congressional session. A new report released today by the Campaign for America's Future details the 62 times conservatives have used the filibuster to block legislation (or force modification of bills) in the first session of the 110th Congress. In just the first year of this two-year Congress, their use of the filibuster in the Senate topped the previous record, reached during the entire 107th Congress.
The hypocrisy meter will reach 100% when the Republicans start filibustering President Obama's judicial appointees.

You know: Now that I think about it, I'm almost bummed out that the Democrats never forced the Republicans to use "the nuclear option." The Democrats are such pussies that they need all the help they can get. If the Republicans had ended the filibuster back in 2005, then 62 pieces of Democratic legislation would have been passed this year that weren't.

I can't say whether or not that would actually have been a good thing, but it would be much more enjoyable to watch Republicans hoist on their own petard than just simply calling them hypocrites.

Well, maybe next year, the Democrats will put a "nuclear option" of their own on the table, and see what the Republicans have to say about that. Of course, such a move would require elephant-sized — not donkey sized — stones, so I'm not holding my breath.

6 comments:

Steve Loeding said...

As an independent, I worry a great deal about a Democrat becoming president. I think that they are in fact pussies and will lead this country to become more like Europe. Europe is fine but it's not the USA. I don't support social programs for every Tom, Dick and Harry. I don' want to be taxed 50% of my income. I don't want our military to shrink. I don't want more and more rules designed to keep the white male down.

Granted, the Republicans can be a bit religious and they certainly have passed a bunch of laws restricting how much privacy I have in my own home.

To me, neither is a good option. But the liberal Dems are going to make us a bunch of pussies, just like they are.

PS - Have a Merry Christmas in the PI !!!!

Anonymous said...

You think Obama is the next in line? HMmmm too early for me to change my mind. I have said for years Hitlary was next in line, long before she even became a senator.
I think Obama’s name is too close to Osama’s and that alone will throw people off.
But since folks like Doprah have chimed in, it’s a toss up now (IMHO). BTW they are all full of crap, I have been watching Ron Paul since my days as a Libertarian, he has consistently said the same thing, but I do agree we need a STRONG MILITARY.
As far as social programs go, we might as well have them, we already get taxed to death, I figure we are going to be fascist or socialist, one or the other, we might as well get something out of it. The thing about American politricks that pisses me off is we have mastered the art of screwing our own while helping everyone else out. We spend Billions screwing other countries up, then rebuilding them but won’t help our own, I don’t get it.

DAGO

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I feel sorry for you mate.
Or MR. Anonymous name you need a Hug. It must get pretty lonely this time of year for you.

From Jakal

Anonymous said...

You can tell "Anonymous with no name" is an uneducated fool. That makes his comments easy to ignore.

TheMindFantastic said...

Jil, your betting on Obama winning, its him or Hilary winning the DNC. I know your pretty libertarian, w Ron Paul your hope, but we both know he isn't winning the RNC. But thats not the point of the post, the Filibuster is the seatbelt of governmental process... really fricking annoying until it saves your ass. Its bound to never be liked but it will be used when you need it. To not use it when you have no other option would be stupid. It may be the oldest stupidest play in the book, but its in the book for a reason.