Thanks for the apology, Mr. Reid. Now stand up and make it happen
by David Atkins
Harry Reid seems to have finally seen the light:
But Reid said privately it is time to make a change.
In a closed-door caucus meeting Thursday, Reid began by apologizing to his colleagues for cutting bipartisan deals to avert the nuclear option, including at the beginning of this year. And the Nevada Democrat complained that he allowed votes on scores of conservative nominees under former President George W. Bush after a bipartisan coalition headed off the nuclear option in 2005. But Reid said it had been the right thing to do because Bush had won a second term in the White House.
Now, Reid argued, times have changed.
“I ate sh— on some of those nominees,” Reid told his colleagues, according to sources who were present.
On Thursday, the Senate continued to inch closer to a battle that could have dramatic implications for the institution.
“I don’t know how you open that door and not go to the next level. First, it’s executive nominations, next thing it’ll be judicial nominations, then it will be legislative filibusters,” said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 3 Senate Republican. “The precedent they set here will be not only long-lasting but far-reaching.”
The apology is nice and all, but I’ll believe he means it when he actually pulls the trigger.
As for Thune and McConnell’s fretting that killing the filibuster for cabinet nominees will mean changes to the filibuster in other areas? Good. I’m not convinced there should be any filibusters for cabinet positons. As for judicial nominees and regular legislation? That should be subject to talking filibuster only, and reserved only for the most extreme circumstances.
The Senate is broken. It’s time to fix it.
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