Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
By J. Patrick Coolican (contact) 
Thursday, May 17, 2012 | 2 a.m.
J. Patrick Coolican
Sun archives
Majority Leader Harry Reid reversed himself last week and came out in favor of reforming the Senate filibuster. Better late than never.
The filibuster is a procedural tool the minority party uses to force the majority party to win 60 votes out of 100 to move ahead with anything, thus paralyzing the routine functions of government.
The advantage of the filibuster for the minority is that the public is only dimly aware of what it is and why it is used. All that voters know is that Washington is gridlocked and broken, and they tend to blame the majority party, not the party using the filibuster to do the gridlocking.
It might seem obvious that Reid would back changes to the filibuster, given that he’s in the majority and is so often the victim of it. But Reid, like many in the world’s most exclusive club, is an institutionalist and traditionalist. He opposed changes proposed in early 2011 by Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., which would have weakened though not eliminated the filibuster. That’s why his statement last week was so important.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is interviewed by the Las Vegas Sun in his office in the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
To Republican readers: You should welcome Reid’s attack on the filibuster, as Republicans are bound to take back the Senate eventually, and perhaps as early as this year. You’ll have legislative priorities, and they won’t go anywhere if Reid is minority leader and still has the filibuster as it is currently practiced.
As minority leader, Reid used it in 2005 and 2006 to school then-Majority Leader Bill Frist, grinding down Republican legislative initiatives.
More important than any of that, however, the filibuster is just plain wrong, at least as it’s currently being used. The framers of the Constitution were explicit about when a supermajority should be required for Congress to act — impeachment, amending the Constitution, etc. (I’m indebted here to The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein, who recently wrote a persuasive article on the subject.)
The filibuster was once a minor annoyance, used sparingly. We used to have less party discipline because there were northern liberal Republicans and conservative southern Democrats. And there were social norms — essentially a gentlemen’s agreement — that you didn’t block the majority party just for its own sake.
Now, all Senate business stops without 60 votes.
As a result, important executive branch positions requiring Senate approval are unfilled and even legislation that Republicans support is left to languish because they’ll happily blame Democrats for government inaction and know the public will be none the wiser.
The real test for Reid will be if the Republicans win the majority. Reid understands better than anyone that Washington accusations of hypocrisy on these process issues mean little to the public. So my fear is that if the Republicans win the majority, he’ll reverse course, ignore hypocrisy cries, claim the almighty importance of the filibuster and use it to stop Senate business at every turn. (Then we’ll be forced to endure the bellowing of the conservative talk radio chatty dolls, who will suddenly be extolling saintly majority rule.)
I hope he doesn’t do that. I hope that for the good of the country, a minority leader Reid would do the unthinkable by giving up some power and agreeing not just to reforming the filibuster, but to eliminating it.
Shssssss....I will tell you a little secret because "newspaper" guys like kool-aid Coolican will never tell you.
Reid has made record use this tactic called, "Filling the amendments tree".
It is where he uses his power as majority leader and files so many bogus amendments that nobody else can file an amendment.
That leaves the only recourse for the Republicans to do is to filibuster.
Cause...... and...... effect......
"As minority leader, Reid used it in 2005 and 2006 to school then-Majority Leader Bill Frist, grinding down Republican legislative initiatives."
----------)
If Reid and Obama were not so divisive more things would pass. When they stop calling Conservative the enemy we might make progress.
The main problem with the filling position for judges is Obama has only nominated 33 out of the 70 open positions.
The approval of Obama judges is 78% which is the same as for Bush and Clinton
They should change it back to how it was when keeping debate open meant that senators had to continue to speak on the senate floor. I'd love to see modern day senators make fools of themselves trying to block legislation. I've only been able to read about people like Strom Thurmond speaking on the senate floor about gibberish for more than 24 hours trying to filibuster the civil rights act. Just think of all the funny material it would provide for the daily show!
I thought Reid should have let Frist change the filibuster back then even though he was trying to restrict abortions. I suppose Frist knew better then fight too hard for it because it really helped his rich doctor buddies in the recent past. All in all the fillibuster is not good for the poor.
Funny how reporters always make statements that the voters don't know how the government works.
Mr. Cooilican we aren't as stupid as you may think.
Reid would not be in office were it not for the illegal aliens, therefore, they get all the discredit for the lack of progress in the Senate!
Illegal Aliens do NOT want to live as Americans, they want to CHANGE America.
Absolutely Senators should be required to stand on the Senate floor if they want to avoid cloture.
.
Blocking the country's business should be a little harder than merely filing a piece of paper or two.
.
That its members would change the filibuster rules in such a way shows the true nature of the Senators' work ethic.
Mr. Coolican,
Perhaps you are unaware that many of your fellow citizens awaken daily and hope & pray for government inaction. Hence, we fully support all talk and no action.
Regards
Purgatory
This imbeciles record of keeping his mouth shut leaves much to be desired. He constantly suffers from foot in mouth disease.
Once again we see Harry the Red for the hypocrite he really is. The jerk used the filibuster to thwart almost every proposal put forth by George W & the Republicrats when Dumbocrats were in the minority and, now that it's come back to bite him, as it should, he's crying like a baby. Nevadan's made a terrible mistake reelecting the fruitcake and now not only do we, but the entire nation suffers for that!
Remember when Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle were in Spotlight and swore to a crowd of people with teabags hanging off their heads that they were gonna 'take out' Harry Reid?
I do....
:-)
America, Wall Street and the business world has had a boot on Nevada's throat since Harry become majority leader, he has horrible carma and for a good reason probably.
Markey,
Yes, we all remember and we are very happy that you remember as well. Now, please let us all know how that has changed your life.
Purgatory
Kudos to the LVS for incessantly giving kudos to Harry Mason Reid.
JPC,
You are soooo funny.
Reid does what's good for Reid at any given moment. He'll change tomorrow if he thinks he would benefit him.
He is an embarrassment for Nevada. Who uses their kids and grand kids as "cover" for a position on Protection of Marriage? Harry does.
Embarrassment is really putting it mildly.
The arc of justice is long but it bends toward justice. Just as the direct election of Senators was adopted; I think the fillibuster should be banned.
It will be interesting to see how many of those here who want to ban the filibuster will still say that if the Republicans take the Senate this year, which might happen.
deliberance.
"Deliverance" Patrick, that's what Harry has been doing to America and especially Nevada. The last thing they will talk about is the birth certificate fraud.... Markey, you must have forgotten the midterm elections were 63 Democrat representatives, 6 democrat Senators and Nancy's gavel were FIRED in large part because of Sarah Palin. Sarah's response, "SPIN THAT"
There is absolutely NOTHING that Harry Reid deserves kudos for. NOTHING. If he were a Republican I would be so embarrassed.
I thought he was a Republican !
Reid and this proposal are both a disgrace. I dont need to argue the case vs Reid...his record & national legacy speak for themselves. But this idea of weakening the filibuster would be catastrophic & GUARANTEES the likes of more "crimes against democracy" like Obamacare sailing through without proper debate, amendments, or input from the opposition.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Removing the filibuster gives the simple majority party NO INCENTIVE WHATSOEVER to reach across the aisle & compromise on anything. The House is the gas pedal reflecting the will of the people...the Senate is suppose to be the brakes to make sure we dont do something stupid & so majorities dont rule absolutely.
The problem isnt with the Senate rules that are there to force compromise, bipartisanship & produce better law..its with the leadership's manipulation of them for strictly political purposes. All this does is promote partisanship & hurt democracy regardless of who is in power. It turns the Senate into a 6yr version of the House. It is retarded. No wonder Reid supports it.
Harry The Hater follow the rules?? Since when??