*Will Republicans Have the Courage to use the Reid Rule* January 6, 2017
*by: the Common Constitutionalist* *No Audio Version* Remember in 2013, when the New York Times wrote this <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/22/opinion/democracy-returns-to-the-senate.html>? “The Senate changed its most infuriating rule and effectively ended the filibuster on executive and judicial appointments. From now on, if any senator tries to filibuster a presidential nominee, that filibuster can be stopped with a simple majority, not the 60-vote requirement of the past.” They didn’t merely write it. They celebrated the news. “That means a return to the democratic process of giving no[image: http://commonconstitutionalist.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/01125115.Par_.89380.ImageFile.jpg]minees an up-or-down vote, allowing them to be either confirmed or rejected by a simple majority,” the Times added. The NYT described the act as one of desperation by then Majority leader “Dingy” Harry Reid. The “nuclear option” as it has been dubbed, was the only way to “return to the democratic process.” Good guy Reid, “was pushed to act by the Republicans’ refusal to allow any appointments to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.” ThinkProgress was a bit more harsh as they wrote <https://thinkprogress.org/why-senate-democrats-had-to-invoke-the-nuclear-option-540c1f24b304#.t5x1yylk7> in 2013 that, “The filibuster allows Republicans to sabotage government and then campaign on the fact that government isn’t working. This is a recipe for more sabotage.” Yes – it was the Republicans fault. They drove Reid to act – like a devil perched on his shoulder. However, the NYT did add that, “Republicans warned that the rule change could haunt the Democrats if they lost the White House and the Senate.” And son-of-a-gun – it’s like kismet. What goes around, comes around, or whatever. Now Reid is out and new Senate Minority leader Chuck-you Schumer is stuck. He has been saddled with Reid’s short-term gain, long term blunder. You can’t say he wasn’t warned. But Schumer can’t really complain about his predicament. He supported the “nuclear option,” as did all but three Senate democrats in 2013. [image: http://commonconstitutionalist.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/QZsow.So_.91-300x197.jpg] 2013 : End the Filibuster! But being a democrat means never having to say you’re sorry or admit a mistake. Predictably, Schumer is blaming the Republicans for even proposing the use of the “Reid rule.” IBD quotes <http://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/filibuster-this-democrats-pay-a-huge-price-for-gutting-the-senates-supermajority-rule/> Chucky as saying, “There should be 60 votes because on such important positions there should be some degree of bipartisanship.” I’ll allow you to finish laughing over the rich irony. Isn’t it funny how the dems always preach bipartisanship when in the minority, and turn on a dime, into the despotic progressive dictators they really are, when they regain the majority. And isn’t it funny how the dimwitted and spineless Republicans always fall for it. Now the shoe is on the hand – or the foot is in the other mouth – or something. In other words – Republicans hold all the cards. It’s all up to Mitch McConnell and his crew – just how far they want to push this. They have their simple majority to pass anything and confirm anyone. If they wish, the Republicans can even do away with the filibuster to confirm Trump’s supreme Court appointment, as it too, is but a Senate rule. There’s nothing in the Constitution that states there must be a 60 vote majority to confirm. The two-thirds majority only applies to Treaties. The commencement of the Trump era is certainly proving already to be very entertaining and quite possibly historic, as long-standing rules give way to simple majority rule. We may also witness the unearthing of the long-lost and forgotten Republican spine. Something we haven’t seen since Newt Gingrich helped ushered in the 1994 Republican Revolution. ------------------------------ [image: Avast logo] <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> __._,_.___ ------------------------------ Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> ------------------------------ Visit Your Group <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZG1pb2FzBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0ODM3NjM4MTA-> [image: Yahoo! 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