Frist has necessary votes to change filibuster rules

[Pepperbelly]

-snip-

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says he has the 51 votes needed to change Senate rules and make it easier for Republicans to overcome Democratic filibusters against President Bush's judicial nominees, but he hopes such a change won't be necessary.

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050214-121801-4700r.htm

[ComerPerro]

1. They have been discussing this for a while

But I always wonder if they will actually try to do it.

It would be a very bold power-grab.

[sonicx]

2. dems can filibuster the rule change...

[Pepperbelly]

4. no, they cannot.

The way it works is like this: Cheney presides over the Senate. When the Democrats begin to fillibuster, a gop raises a point of order. Cheney rules the debate out of order and at that point, it takes only a simple majority to sustain the chair. Points of order are not debatable.

[sonicx]

8. oh...nevermind

[Festivito]

28. Seems there is a way.

The dems can initiate another point of order, and there is no limit on the length of a point of order, i.e. make it a fillibuster. For Cheney not take the POO (love that acronym) would invalidate the rule change and any actions decided under the new rule until the court rules.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Memo to Frist and the neocons: you'll be sooooooory (later) . . . .

[Piperay]

6. Yes because one day

the Democrats WILL have control again and then the repukes will really wish they hadn't done that. Repukes are so stupid and greedy one day it will all bite them in the ass. :silly:

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. I KNEW THIS IS WHAT THEY WOULD DO!

He hopes it won't be necessary????? :wtf: does that mean? I hope the Dems let us have our way on every friggin' thing we want to do? If not, we will get rid of the filibuster? Can the Dems filibuster the filbuster change? THIS is how they will destroy SS. THIS is how they will get their RW Supreme Court judges through. THIS is how they will destroy what's left of our democracy. BASTARDS!

[Warren Stupidity]

10. the dem 'leadership'

will refuse to fillibuster out of fear of having the fillibuster eliminated. Frist gets to eliminate the fillibuster without even paying the political cost of eliminating it.

So many whimps. Put Boxer in charge. Grow freaking spine.

[papau]

7. The session ends at that point - the Congress ends at that point- until

next election.

Clinton made "shut down gov GOP" and we can do the same again

[sonicx]

13. how?

[papau]

14. Under Senate Rules, which require a 2/3rds vote to change - a Senator

can tie the Senate up for months - and indeed to the end of the term - via procedure calls.

It is just not done because we are nice to each other.

But that may be ending.

[Pepperbelly]

15. Harry can tie them into knots with procedure ...

It could get very ugly.

[WillowTree]

18. And, by the way...

....a quorum in the Senate is 51. They've got that covered, too.

[papau]

20. takes time to get quorum - and other business/meetting/ getting cash

for next campaign event are all stopped.

[WillowTree]

37. Don't be silly.

It won't take long at all for the Republicans to raise a quorum for anything that's important to them (like.....oh.....say.....Social Security "reform") when they're in complete control because the Democrats aren't even in attendance. They'll just put out the word ("Important vote next Wednesday. BE THERE!") and voilà! When they're the only ones showing up, they can plan their 'on the road' events and their 'on the Senate floor' events to suit their own convenience. Do you honestly think they wouldn't be damned sure that there were 51 Republicans there with their fingers poised on the voting button any time and every time a judicial nomination was to be voted upon?

And the bonus for them is that if the Democrats aren't there, the Republicans won't even have to listen to what they have to say or put it in the record.

It would be tantamount to rolling over and being dead.

[WillowTree]

17. Oh YES!!

What a perfect way to prove that the Democrats aren't being obstructionists!

"We're not being obstructive. We're just fixing it so that nothing at all can get done in the Senate because they won't let us have our way."

Because you just KNOW that's how it'll be spun.

[papau]

19. "obstructionists" was the scream Newt used - and folks did not buy it

folks bought "shut down the gov caused by GOP"

These are big stakes poker hands - and those with no spine should leave the table.

When you hold the winning hand, you do not fold because the idiot on the other side of the table goes all in.

[fasttense]

25. Who cares how it will be spun?

It's not like the Dems got much to lose. They have already lost most everything and the Repukes ain't going to stop until they have everything. Dems better start liking the word obstructionists because there just ain't no other way to hang on to what little they got.

[mattclearing]

26. Fuck the spin.

So what? Have you seen how low the news media polls?

Let them spin it any way they want. They have no credibility.

[fasttense]

23. I'm not sure what you are saying.

Do you mean that even if they change the rules about Filibusters, the Dems can tie up the Senate with procedure calls?

[Pepperbelly]

24. no unanimous consent ...

votes on EVERY procedural issue.

They could tie it up like a locked bowel.

[papau]

32. yes

:-)

[LynneSin]

9. Wait, isn't the filibuster part of the constitution or something

:shrug:

It's early Monday morning so I could be wrong

[Warren Stupidity]

11. nope. just a senate rule nt

[sonicx]

12. i don't think so

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. Can the Democrats shut down the government by not showing up?

Can the repukes just go ahead and run the gov for the next 4 years without the Democrats being there? Would it even matter if the Dems were there or not?

The Democrats need to go on the offense NOW! Don't wait until the repukes can have the upper hand. The Dems need to get out in the public and explain to the sheeple what exactly is going on and the repercussions of it are. Stay on the defense. Make the repukes look like the slimeballs they are. Dr. Dean!!! We're calling you!

[papau]

21. a Dem in Senate must make the motions - but we need at most 2 per week

to attend. The rest of the Dem Senators - the rest of the time -will be on TV in the home state screaming about the GOP!

[annabanana]

22. I don't think they will, and here's why:

If you watch C-Span enough, your hear the chair say
"without objection" and "accept as read". If there is someone in the chamber that insists that whatever it is is "objected to" and not "accepted as read"... every huge xxx,xxx page bill will have to be read aloud. At least I think this is the case. Anyone here know anything different?

(maybe it would be a GOOD thing to make sure these guys actually hear what they're voting for?)

[fasttense]

27. Annabanana? I use to have friend with that nick name in High School.

I love the screen name. She was a fun person.

Anyway, I love your comment about hearing what they actually vote on. Might improve their voting record.

[Norquist Nemesis]

31. Excellent idea!

The SHOULD know what they're voting for...as well as the rest of us. :)

[ProfessorGAC]

29. If Their Ideas Are So Valid & Good For The Country. . .

. . .why do they have to change the rules? It would seem that great ideas would be pushed through despite partisan wrangling because they would be the best for the whole country.

This would appear to be a complete admission that they do not have ideas and proposals that are the quality they say. If they were, they wouldn't need to change rules that have been around for 150+ years.
The Professor

[No Exit]

30. "but he hopes such a change won't be necessary"....

... because inside Frist is nothing but a wussified, cowering, WIMP.

Well, c'mon, Billy the Catboy, "bring it on"!

[paineinthearse]

33. Poppycock

Frist is posturing. He needs 50 votes (assuming a tie, when Cheney would break it). I do NOT see moderate Senators voting with him

Snow & Collins - Maine
Hagel

Others?

[Pepperbelly]

36. I disagree ...

I think that Dracula's brides in Maine will poormouth about obstructionism and then get with Bush's program.

[Toots]

34. I guess Republicans feel our Forefathers weren't such smart fellows aftera

They seem to want to change everything our Forefathers set forth. I call that complete and utter Arrogance

[spanone]

35. Sounds like a threat to me. Hey Bill Frist, go back to medicine.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

38. Let the fucking cat killer do it.

Let the Repukes see how much of a mandate they DON'T have when they start fucking around like this

[txaslftist]

39. I agree...

...when the dems retake control of the senate in '06 see how they like our nominees being rammed down their throats.