Why won't Democrats force the Republicans to filibuster against the financial reform bill?

[Better Believe It]

Was there a filibuster today or not and if not, why not?

I thought Senator Reid indicated he would force Senate Republicans to engage in a real filibuster against a bill.

Just bring a proposal to the Senate for debate, amendment and an up or down vote.

So what happened?

You need 60 cloture votes to end a Republican filibuster debate in order to begin a debate .... is that what happened on the floor of the Senate today?

Everyone understand that? In order to begin a debate you need to first end a filibuster debate against having a debate .... or something like that.

I haven't had time to read all of the details regarding the latest parliamentary tricks and manuvers so perhaps someone can explain what happened today .... in laymen's terms if possible.

:)

[AlinPA]

1. The republicans filibustered the bill with 41 No votes and no debate can take place.

They won.

[Better Believe It]

2. And what Republicans took the Senate floor during that alleged filibuster?

Did he make the Republicans hold the Senate floor a week, a day, 6 hours, 5 minutes, 10 seconds before Senate Reid moved a cloture vote?

How long did it take?

I'm getting the impression this was one of those non-filibuster, phantom filibusters and Senator Reid was full of crap when he threatened to make the Republicans filibusters.

The Democratic majority in the Senate have the power to force an old fashioned "stay on the Senate floor" filibuster but the Democrats once again refuse to use it.

[AlinPA]

4. "Filibuster" has changed to be simply a vote against cloture. It's not "Mr Smith Goes to

Washington" anymore. I wish it were.

[Unvanguard]

6. They actually don't. They need unanimous consent, or 60 votes, to open debate.

They got neither. There really isn't anything they can do about it, except wait for the Republican concession that seems to be in the works.

[Better Believe It]

9. The Democrats can't do anything about the bogus filibuster. Yes they can!

They can force the Republicans to engage in a real filibuster on the floor of the Senate.

That much is very clear under Senate Rule 22.

Senator Reid admitted that during the health care debate.

[Raineyb]

3. Because when it comes down to it, they're relieved. n/t

[WeDidIt]

5. The vote today was to start debate.

Starting debate requires 60 votes.

The Dems couldn't get 60 votes, so debate cannot start.

There was a 'filibuster', but only in the sense that debate cannot start on the bill. This wasn't a cloture vote to end debate.

[Better Believe It]

10. Duplicate Deleted

Deleted

[Better Believe It]

11. So this was a cloture vote to start a debate!

"This wasn't a cloture vote to end debate."

That gives a whole new meaning to the term "filibuster".

So the Republicans engaged in a phantom filibuster in order to prevent a vote to start a debate so that they would not have to engage in a filibuster to continue a debate by voting against cloture to end a debate.

Well, that makes perfect sense.

The Democrats can't control the Senate agenda and debate with a significant majority in the Senate but the Republicans can with only 41 Senators that represent less than 20% of the population of the United States.

Who won the 2008 election?

[branders seine]

7. that's their plan

they can pretend to do something without doing anything.

"See? We told you it wouldn't work. Excuse me, but now I have to go to the cocktail reception at the American Banking Institute."

[Major Hogwash]

8. Where there is no debate, there are no new bills being made about reform.

They can't decide if they want to secede or just bring the entire country down with them.
Gawd, I hate the GOP.

[kentuck]

12. It's the new modern way to filibuster.

If it can't be debated, it can't be passed. They have to be willing to sacrifice and to bear the pain. Simply signing a statement saying that I don't want to debate this or that is nonsense. Let the Democrats bring it up for debate tomorrow and the next day. Let it go on for a couple of weeks just to educate the people about what is happening. Hammer the hell out of them.