I've come to think that it's too bad the Republican's didn't use the nuclear option in the Senate

[andym]

when they threatened it during Bush's presidency.

If they had, then the defacto rules in the Senate would require 51 votes and today much more progressive legislation would pass.

It's true that a subsequent conservative government could then reverse whatever is done, and institute their own conservative policies, but that is the cost of power. Almost every parliamentary democracy faces exactly this kind of "problem" and many of them have universal health care and a bevy of more advanced social programs.

[Tesha]

1. I argued at the the time that we should have supported them killing the fillibuster. (NT)

[Democat]

2. They didn't use it because the Democrats backed down!

As usual.

[treestar]

3. Understandable if they were the minority at the time

Why would they have wanted to do away with the filibuster then?

[timeforpeace]

4. They were in the majority then. That's the OP's point.

[damntexdem]

5. It's irrelevant. what the GOP did. The Dems SHOULD use it.

But they won't.

And even if the GOP had used it, they would still claim the Dem's use would be an unprecedented attack on precedent, democracy, mom, and apple pie.