R's may want to think twice about changing filibuster, may not have votes!

[flpoljunkie]

Republicans may want to think long and hard before they change the rules of the Senate on filibusters for judicial nominations--especially when we may well kick their asses in November and take back one or both houses of Congress. Do they really want to go down this road?

Call their bluff! Make Dick Cheney come in, if necessary, and break the tie to change the filibuster rules on judicial nominations.

Article from when this last came up in April, 2005:

Filibuster Vote Will Be Hard to Predict
Undecided Republicans Are Big Unknown

By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 28, 2005; A04

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/27/AR2005042702088.html

Republicans are angry that Democrats have used the filibuster -- which can be stopped only by 60 votes in the 100-member Senate -- to block 10 of President Bush's appellate court nominees. Senate GOP leaders want to ban such filibusters, but some of their 55 members dislike the idea. All 44 Democrats and the chamber's lone independent flatly oppose it.

Democrats say a two-thirds majority is required to change Senate rules, but Republicans plan to use a constitutional argument to contend that a simple majority will suffice to ban judicial filibusters. For three months, lawmakers, aides and lobbyists have speculated on whether Frist can muster the 50 votes needed to enable Cheney to put him over the top.

Frist can lose only five Republicans, and three appear almost surely gone. Sens. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.), John McCain (Ariz.) and Olympia J. Snowe (Maine) have condemned the proposed rule change so sternly that party leaders assume they will side with Democrats. Many Republicans also expect to lose Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), although she remains publicly uncommitted. Collins "believes that the filibuster has been overused but would like to see the situation resolved through negotiation rather than a rule change," her office said yesterday.

If Collins, Chafee, McCain and Snowe oppose the change, then Frist could suffer only one more GOP defection. Speculation hangs most heavily on Sens. John W. Warner (Va.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Arlen Specter (Pa.), all of whom say they are undecided.

[snowbear]

1. Leahy, Boxer & Dorgan are on Big Ed today...

..and it sure doesn't sound like a filibuster..



Dorgan has already been on.. Leahy & Boxer will be on later in the show.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Big Ed seems to be saying no to Dems' pursuing filibuster as it might

trigger the dreaded "nuclear option." The Republicans' plan was and is to use nuclear option, changing filibuster files, only for judicial nominations.

[LynneSin]

3. I just don't think they're going to announce if they're filibustering

That's giving away the whole game plan and gets the repukes on the nightly news opening the can of worms called "Nuclear Option"

I think what is going to happen is quite simple. All of the democrat will pretty much be uncommitted to almost negative about the filibuster. Then the vote will come and BAM!!! Filibuster.

The media is not our friend so if the democrats announce their game plan then we're pretty much crucified. Frist & Cheney will be rolling out the nuclear option so quickly that our heads will be spinning wondering :wtf:

I think the filibuster is on but we won't know a thing until it is actually happening. If that is the strategy then it will force the republicans into negotiations because I suspect not only will the democrats filibuster even if it means reading the damn phonebook but Reid will resort to a little known senate rule which would allow him to introduce bills directly onto the floor for senate vote without having to go through committee. And that vote will be on such core issues as vet benefits, healthcare, education etc that if the repukes vote against these bills they'll look like shit to the people who vote for them.

[snowbear]

4. Well.. after Boxer & Leahy are on, we'll definitely know more..

It should be interesting if they had the same response as Dorgan..

They should be on soon.. http://www.bigeddieradio.com/