Another Filibuster? Senate Republicans Mulling A Filibuster Of Jobs Bill

[babylonsister]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/all-aboard-dems-press-republicans-not-to-obstruct-jobs-bill.php?ref=fpa

Another Filibuster? Senate Republicans Mulling A Filibuster Of Jobs Bill
Brian Beutler | February 4, 2010, 10:43AM


Senate Democrats want to vote on the first installment of a jobs package as early as Monday, amping up the pressure on Republicans to get aboard. But for the moment, they're not biting.

"We'll have a vote on a jobs bill on Monday," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said at a press conference today.

There's just one wrinkle: According to the Senate's top vote counter, there is currently no Republican support for the proposal Democrats are putting forth--and with Scott Brown to be seated today as the 41st Republican Senator, they'll need at least one member of the minority to come aboard.

"You need two to tango. And you need Republicans for bipartisanship," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).

"Hope is prospective...we don't have bipartisanship at this moment. I hope we'll have it in a matter of minutes, hours, days."

That sets the stage for a potential showdown between the two parties on the first major issue since the Democrats lost their supermajority, and put health care reform on the backburner.

"I watched the Democrat leadership's press conference just now and what I learned is that there will be a vote Monday on 'a bill,'" said Don Stewart, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "But that they don't know what's in the bill or how many jobs they expect it to 'save or create,' or when anyone beyond the Beltway will see it, or how much it will cost. They did have a nice sign, though, and a pretty handout, so they obviously gave this some thought."

Bipartisanship!

[Arkana]

1. Fuck you, Mitch.

FUCK YOU.

[grantcart]

2. Make them actually fucking filibuster and don't put anything on the agenda until

it passes.

Time to call their bluff.

Do it on a jobs bill.

[gateley]

3. I was just going to post the same thing -- put up or shut up. Half of them

probably don't even know what a filibuster is, other than a word they can use as a weapon.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

6. Grant, again, they can't force that.

You're far too knowledgeable about, well, everything else to have overlooked this fact. You can't force "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". The best you can force is a never-ending series of quorum calls and failed cloture votes.

If you want to do a cloture vote, that's fine, but I don't get the impression that's what you're calling for.

[grantcart]

31. Doris Kearns Goodwin disagrees

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-28-2010/doris-kearns-goodwin

At 3:45 she outlines the rules of filibuster

I believe what you are referring to is filibuster under the current rules.

However the Majority Speaker can invoke a suspension of Rule 22 and force actual filibusters.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filibuster#Procedural_filibuster

In current practice, Senate Rule 22 permits filibusters in which actual continuous floor speeches are not required, although the Senate Majority Leader may require an actual traditional filibuster if he or she so chooses.<18>

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

38. If you're going to take the fallout of bending the rules, just go nuclear.

And don't for a minute think that the fallout wouldn't be pretty damn close to the same.

[Staph]

13. Amen!

Make them filibuster, and tell the American people that the Republicans are refusing to help us get jobs.

Spin, baby, spin!

[GoCubsGo]

29. +1

Yep. Filibustering a jobs bill in this economy would be political suicide. I hope Harry Reid recognizes that and acts appropriately.

[karynnj]

4. They are essentially daring them to filibuster it

This is a point where not having 60 means that we don't have to see McConnell saying, as all his side filibusters, it is the Democrats' fault they have 60 votes.

I hope they put the strongest, most intuitively obvious things in that bill.

[gkhouston]

24. Yes, and they should swing for the fences. Don't nibble at the problem. n/t

[karynnj]

27. Even more important - Do NOT put even one thing in that could look suspicious

Nothing McCain could pick out to ridicule. Now, there will STILL be some who complain that it is wasted spending, but PLEASE don't make it easy.

To show you the extreme where they protest anything - read Heritage Foundation saying Kerry supporting grants to firefighters in MA is a payoff for supporting Senator Kerry.

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/02/01/senator-john-kerry-on-useless-federal-fire-act-grants/

[gkhouston]

32. Oh, definitely. Be ambitious, not stupid. n/t

[Oregone]

5. Quick! Pre-empt them with capitulation and compromise!

Don't make those poor sods stand there talking all night! Create a shitty bill we can pass without them. Don't let any Republicans have to bear any responsibility for the Democrat's shitty compromised bills

[NJmaverick]

7. This would be a good bill to call their bluff and make them filibuter

Watching the repukes save our nation from jobs would make great TV

[polichick]

8. +1

[babylonsister]

10. Oh, I wish! Civility only goes so far. nt

[gkhouston]

17. Yes, it would. I think that's why Reid has become more rudderless than usual

with respect to health care reform. A jobs bill is much easier ground to dare a filibuster on. If the Republicans are smart, one will vote for the jobs bill "for the good of the American people". It's more likely that they'll remain the party of "no", hoping the Dems will cave. If the Dems hold firm and force the filibuster, they will look like chumps and be far less willing to threaten filibuster another time... and we'll have the ammunition to push for a modification of the filibuster rules, even if we have use the nuclear option to get it.

[NJmaverick]

20. I agree the right did a good job denonizing the health care bill

like you said this is an issue the repubs will find little support for obstructing. If the GOP is foolish enough to filibuster this bill they would end up losing more seats come November. This really is a lose/lose for them. On the one had if they let it pass they will look weak to their base. On the other hand if they defeat it with such public display like a filibuster they will lose face with the American people.

[gkhouston]

23. The health care bill is so big and so watered down that it would be a lot more

difficult to defend in its current form. But jobs? In this economy? They're going to have to spin hard to justify voting against something that could provide jobs.

[iceman66]

34. They would be stupid NOT to do this!

Especially considering that the Repugs seem to think they can just cruise to victory this fall because of continued high unemployment!

[FormerDittoHead]

9. Exactly WHEN will the Democratic leadership GET IT???

I thought Obama did an HISTORICALLY great job calling out the Republicans in that their ideology prevents them from engaging in anything that is not exactly what they want.

But it was obvious from the first reaction that they weren't about to consider softening their stance.

So WHEN will Obama (and Reid) WAKE UP and start doing THE RIGHT THING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE play HARD and do what NEEDS to be DONE!??

There are only so many times when Lucy grabs the football away that you stop feeling sorry for Charlie Brown and start to think he's more fool than dreamer.

[polichick]

12. Maybe their agendas aren't really the same as ours. nt

[FormerDittoHead]

25. You might be right, but as I wrote, the act wears out and they'll lose the narrative.

After a while, people don't want to be 'with the losers' and feel better with the people who 'stand for what they believe in'.

There is no way Dems will be gaining seats in either House. They can't play the "we need a veto proof majority" campaign this time.

Again, I really do appreciate what Obama did last week discussing the intractable Republican narriative.

The alternative he gave them ("America loses"?) wasn't enough to make them bend at all, and it won't be enough to bring the people on the fence out to vote in November.

[polichick]

28. imo it's up to Dems to make it clear which party is on the side of the people...

...and then to REALLY be that party.

On edit: That's hard to do with so many Wall Street types in the administration.

[BR_Parkway]

35. Then they'll get turned out in the next 2 elections and someone else

can take their place - I think folks are finally fed up enough with business as usual to dump the incumbents - regardless of party.

[Arkana]

26. And what should they do, I wonder?

At most, Harry Reid could arm-twist all 59 Dems into voting for it. What then? WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENS THEN?

There's still a fucking filibuster and it can't be broken without 60 votes. And clearly, the GOP is NOT concerned with their polling numbers, which happen to be completely abysmal. They obviously DO NOT fucking care what the public thinks, because their stooges in the media will shape public opinion by endlessly blasting Democrats on all fronts.

WHAT THE FUCK DO WE DO? I'D LOVE TO HEAR SUGGESTIONS! BECAUSE I'M AT A FUCKING LOSS!

[Mojambo]

11. And Harry Reid will see the filibuster shadow and scurry back into his hole.

Make them FUCKING talk.

[Cha]

14. Fuck bipartisanship. The gop is there to obstruct only..oh and whine..

so they've had their chance.

Make them filibuster, buster.

[smoogatz]

15. Mulling a filibuster!!!?!?!?!?! Oh noez!!!!!!

Better just fuggedaboudit, 'cause that 41-59 Republican majority will kick our ass!!!

[jefferson_dem]

16. What a fucking crock. The voters are about to get hip to this lock-step obstructionism.

Obama has already thrown down the gauntlet. Mutha Fuckers.

[IndianaGreen]

18. Let them filibuster!

Then beat them in the head for opposing a jobs bill.

[secondwind]

19. can we do this with 50 + V.P. Biden as tie-breaker?

[burning rain]

21. Senate Democrats have themselves to blame for accepting the 60-vote rule.

If they fail, it will be clear that there weren't even 51 of them who wanted to succeed.

[BeyondGeography]

22. Seems like they're walking into the trap...now how do we fuck it up?

My confidence in the process and Senate D's is running low right now.

[Hippo_Tron]

30. Here's a suggestion, bring it to a vote indefinitely until they stop filibustering it

"Senator Brown voted 100 times against job creation" will make a great TV ad.

[Clio the Leo]

33. So the dude who won the Mass election because of the economy and unemployment....

.... is going to (likely) go to DC and vote AGAINST the jobs bill.

I love irony.

[Vinca]

36. Democrats need to cue the videographers and start filming

their campaign commercials as the filibuster begins.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

37. If they fillibuster this one we should braodcast this in every avenue, from every banner, from

every megaphone and radio and not let up till November.