If Nate Silver is right, and the Repugs may be poised to re-take the Senate, does that change ...

[11 Bravo]

anyone's mind vis-a-vis the "Nuclear Option"?
I have been worried about eliminating the fillibuster for exactly that reason. I have no doubt that Democrats would exercise such an option judiciously, and only to provide Executive Branch nominees a shot at an up or down vote. I fear that Repugs, on the other hand, would use it to run roughshod over Senate Democrats in every instance, most especially with regard to lifetime judicial appointments.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. It's obviously a realistic fear, IMHO.

[geek tragedy]

2. Like they wouldn't anyways.

At some point we need to be willing to play chicken with them and win, instead of letting them bully us into submission.

[onehandle]

3. Americans are idiots. nt

[factsarenotfair]

4. I just posted about that on another thread.

Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me!

[Warpy]

5. Not mine, but it has to be done the right way

and that is to trigger its abolition whenever there are 50 bills/appointments being filibustered and to bring it back when the opposition party is no longer abusing it.

[ceonupe]

6. This ^^

Is why gun control is dead for the foreseeable future and why healthcare mandates got pushed back and I expect the Indvidual mandate to be pushed back as well.

[otohara]

7. Leader McConnell

Thank God marijuana will be available for purchase - I want the ability to forget how fucked up this county will 24/7 if these creeps take over the Senate too.

[dsc]

8. No

Elections ought to matter. If they win the Senate then they win the Senate. If they do things the people don't like they can be thrown out.

[KharmaTrain]

11. Exactly...

...this isn't a full nuclear option; only for judges. Executive appointees can (and surely will) be filibustered. This is intended to stop the rushpublican stonewalling of confirming judges and clear up a real backlog on courts across the country. We might even replace some of the right wing asshats with more moderate ones (I don't hold out for much more these days).

Also...who says that the rushpublicans wouldn't/won't use the "nuclear option" and change Senate rules the moment they take control. Turtleman's threats are hollow as he never plays by the rules. It's time to end some of this beltway constipation...now let's see if the Democrats have the stones to follow through...

[dsc]

12. actually it is the opposite

it is for executive but not judicial appointees.

[srican69]

9. which may be reason for their refusal to play ball .. they will have dems change the senate rules

and they reap the benefit of the rule change.


Imagine if we had forced the pukes to go nuclear ....imagine what we could have accomplished over the last 4 + years..

[ananda]

10. Weren't we cautionary a while ago that this is what happens when ..

.. Dems act like Reeps.

[pansypoo53219]

13. as if democrats used filibusters when needed.

GIVE THE PEOPLE A REASON TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS.
like block the stalling of change by the UNLOYAL OPPOSITION.