We need to nuke the filibuster.

[chieftain]

A major reason we have almost half of this spending bill in tax cuts rather than real stimulus is the power that the current cloture rules give the minority. I admit that the ability to hold up W's worst judicial appointments was a good thing, but we were judicious in using the tactic. The GOP are a ruthless bunch of dead-enders who will stop at nothing to wreck Obama's presidency. Needing at least 60 votes to pass anything in this Congress guarantees a center right legislative agenda and reduces Obama's odds for a successful first term. Let's ban the filibuster asap. There will be no significant health care progress unless we do. That is the lesson the past few weeks has taught us if only we are bold enough to act on this hard earned knowledge.

[NaturalHigh]

1. Be careful what you wish for.

The only reason the Republicans never nuked the filibuster was because they knew there would come a day when they were in the minority and would need it. As hard as it may be to believe right now, there will likely come a time in the future when Democrats will again be in the minority in the senate. Democrats would be wise to heed the lesson and leave the filibuster alone.

[truebrit71]

2. Fair enough, but we need to at least make the buggers actually filibuster...

...rather than just threaten to filibuster...

I am sick and tired of Reid saying we need 60 votes to pass anything...that was NEVER the case when the rethuglicans had the majority in the Senate, so nothing should have changed...

[NaturalHigh]

3. You're definitely on point with that one.

It's one thing to get beat in a fair fight. It's quite another to run from a bully shaking his fist at you.

[DeepBlueC]

4. agreed

[JeffreyWilliamson]

5. We can't do that, it will come back to haunt us...

For the same reason that if the Repugs would have done this a few years ago that we would hold all the cards now. The rules of the Senate allow an out for the minority if they are willing to hold their ground. We may need that right ourselves in the future.

This wasn't an issue of rules being against us, it was an issue of poor leadership. I really, really don't think the Repugs would have gone through with it. A filibuster on a jobs bill in this economy would have been electoral poison. They would have sealed their fate for a generation in 2010 if they were to do it.

The filibuster isn't what caused us this problem, it's our own leaderships lack of vision, foresight, and spine.

[Spoon]

6. Hell no, the filibuster is vital as a check.

However in this case, Reid Co had absolutely no reason to fear it. None, whatsoever.

[Thrill]

7. People make the mistake of thinking this was only about the Republicans

The problem was the Blue Dog Democrats. Thats one of the reasons Reid couldn't force a fillibuster

[mindwalker_i]

8. I think a much better approach would be through more press

What Obama did today was great, but we need a lot more of it. The repubs really don't want democrats fixing the mess they got us into because it would make them look bad and have trouble getting elected. Point it out! Loudly! They would rather see America in The Great Depression 2.0 than see a democrat fix their shit.