How Democrats Paved the Way for the Confirmation of Trump's Cabinet

[FarCenter]

A little over three years ago, Senator Mitch McConnell stood on the Senate floor and issued a warning to the Democrats who then controlled the majority.

“I say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, you’ll regret this,” McConnell, then the minority leader, told them. “And you may regret it a lot sooner than you think.”

At the urging of Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democrats had just voted along strict party lines to change the rules of the Senate, deploying what had become known in Washington as “the nuclear option.” McConnell and his Republican colleagues were furious. Under the new rules, presidential nominees for all executive-branch position—including the Cabinet—and judicial vacancies below the Supreme Court could advance with a simple majority of 51 votes. The rules for legislation were untouched, but the 60-vote threshold for overcoming a filibuster on nearly all nominations was dead.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/democrats-trump-cabinet-senate/513782/

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Would happen regardless.

GOP has fantasized for decades being able to destroy everything good about this country, they are doing it no matter what.

[SaschaHM]

2. I'm old enough to remember when...

they were being screamed at and called cowards because they wouldn't do away with the filibuster.

And this is tamer than half of the post election, "Do this or you are all non fighting cowards" action plans that have been posted here.

[pkdu]

3. like that wouldnt have been voted on by the senate Jan 3rd 2017 at 9.05am n/t

[joshcryer]

4. True, that.

[citood]

10. Gang of 14

The last time they had to option to do this...they didn't.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_14

Assuming Collins, McCain, and Graham would do as before, it is not a given that they would have had enough of a majority to overcome it.

[emulatorloo]

5. Let's take a day off from shitting on Dems and praising Mitch McConnell

Ya'll can do that tomorrow.

[Kingofalldems]

6. Yep.

[SaschaHM]

7. What gets me is that folks were shitting on dems for not...

doing exactly this to get rid of their obstruction. And they wonder why every "revolutionary plan to stop something from twitter" isn't followed. Actions have wide ranging consequences and power shifts too often to ignore them.

[emulatorloo]

8. You're absolutely right.

[still_one]

9. yup, damn if you do, damn if you don't