President* Trump told the Senate on Wednesday to "go nuclear" and eliminate Democratic filibuster rights if that's what it takes to confirm Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.In years past, I've told my fellow progressives, when the Democrats were in power, to not eliminate the filibuster, for it'd be needed when the tables were turned.
"I would say, it's up to Mitch, but I would say 'go for it,' " Trump told reporters, referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
So, conservatives heed this warning: One day, we'll have Democratic control of the Congress and the White House. Eliminate the filibuster, now, and we will most happily ram everything we want down your throats. And we will do it with joy and celebration, remembering the day that you made it all possible.
Trump doesn't give a shit about that. But Senate Republicans, who have been there when the Democrats controlled things, and will be there again, ought to care.
9 comments:
What ???????????
Sounds like what I said, way back then. The "Nuclear Option" was stupid then, and, as you point out, it will be stupid now. Having said that, it was the Democrats who made the rules what they are, and, while I think they were stupid to do so, they get to reap what they sow....
Having said that, unless there is a real good reason to oppose Judge Gorsuch, then why, beside being petulantly childlike, then they shouldn't bother to filibuster. Yer not gonna get another 'Wise Latina" (who is, while liberal, actually a pretty good judge) on the court, and eventually, there will be a replacement for Scalia no matter what they do....
Gorsuch was ok, when Barry appointed him for his position then... so, again, besides being petulant, there is no real reason to filibuster.
Normally the Senate is very protective of its power and privileges. If Mitch did go Nuclear at the command of the Precedent then the rumor that the Republicans put their balls in a jar as a present for Donny would be true.
Unless the Republicans were being petulant, there was no reason to deny Garland a seat on the Supreme Court, right? Oh, you don't agree, perhaps it's more of whose ox is being gored, eh. The Republicans spent a year being petulant, and you complained how many times? You see, it's tit-for-tat politics that is driving the bus off the cliff, and unless some of the children start acting like adults, it's not going to get better.
That being said, your support for Donny and his Merry Men rings hollow, and sounds a little hypocritical when you lecture about how there's no reason to resist Gorsuch. Also, remember Gorsuch was nominated and confirmed under G.W.Bush, NOT Barack Obama...
Good point....except that Gorsuch isn't a radical (Garland isn't either, but he is a lot farther from center than I like in a Supreme). . He's closer to middle of the road. Much more than I would like. I'd prefer a lot of others before him. And face it, there is no way the Democrats can keep Trump from nominating SOMEONE.
My point is that if there is a specific reason to fight his nomination (and there may be, I really haven't researched him as much as I could have) then by all means, fight his nomination....And tell us why that is happening. If they are fighting his nomination just because Trump nominated him, then that is petulant.
I'm all for politics, up to a point. But at a certain point it is just childish. The Republicans were childish, but at least they had some reasons to oppose the nomination. Neither side of the aisle is covering themselves with glory...But if you think it is Ok to be petulant just because you think the republicans were a year or so ago, then you can't also complain when the Republicans pull the Nuclear Option...the Democrats did it first.....
Pick one.
What you call "petulant", B, I call "politics". Which, as Finley Dunne pointed out, over a century ago, ain't beanbag.
Republicans declared that they were not going to confirm any nominee that Hillary would make, if she had won. But now, since their guy won, the Democrats are supposed to just roll over.
You know how Obama and teh ACA got a lot of people fired up who then got involved on your team? Same thing is happening now on the other side. A fair number of the "go-along-to-get-along" professional pols on the Democratic side may end up being primaried out the door.
And I suspect that they're beginning to notice that.
You might be right.
But politics is one thing, the behavior of our politicians, (on both sides, but moreso yours) is abominable.
Listen, McConnell stood right there on the senate floor when the Democrats changed the rules and said "Any Democrats who have ever been in the minority should know better than to do this."
So does he know better?
If so, why would he do the exact thing he said not to do?
Look at it like training an animal. If we let them get away with stealing this nomination, and make no mistake, it is stealing the nomination, without any consequences at all, then that's the way they will behave from that time forward, and we will be partly responsible, because they are Republicans, we know they are Republicans, and we let them get away with what we knew they would do if left to their own devices.
I'm not going to argue with you about who is abominable, but it wasn't us that did Citizens United.
-Doug in Oakland
Obviously, I think your guys are far more abominable. But that's a useless argument, so let's drop it.
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