Senator Nelson (R-NE) votes no on cloture...

[backscatter712]

Hey, if FOX News can do it, so can I! :evilgrin:

[BrklynLiberal]

1. LOL. Well done!!

[WhiteTara]

2. so did Harry Reid?

what is up with that?

[Segami]

3. It was a procedural move .

"...Majority Leader Harry Reid also voted no -- a procedural move he had to make in order to bring the motion up again later.


<http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/republicans-block-debate-on-financial-reform-bill.php?ref=fpa>

[WhiteTara]

5. thanks. I was at a loss as to why he would do that. n/t

[backscatter712]

7. Yep, exactly.

You have to be on the winning side of a vote in order to file a motion for reconsideration, which means at least one guy, usually the Majority Leader in cases like this, switches his vote to no on a failed cloture vote, to be able to move to revisit the bill later.

[Better Believe It]

4. So what happened to the bold move of forcing Republicans to filibuster?

Didn't Senator Reid force Republicans to filibuster as promised?

[backscatter712]

8. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington doesn't happen anymore.

Unfortunately, that's due to rule changes as well - all the GOP has to do to maintain a filibuster is have one guy say the magic words "I suggest the absence of a quorum." and you get that scene on C-SPAN with the interlude music, the occasional Senator milling about on the floor, and nothing else. In the meantime, every single Democrat has to be there, 24/7, answering nonstop quorum calls, while the single Rethug sits there, saying "I suggest the absence of a quorum." over and over and over.

The most effective tactics to deal with filibusters are to send Senators to the news programs and talk show circuit, accuse the opposition of obstructionism, of collaborating with and being bought by radioactive interest groups (like Wall Street), and incessantly demand an up-or-down vote. That's what I think is going to happen in the next few days - the PR push to shame the GOP into caving.

Alternatively, one can take this bill, and attach it as an amendment to a must-pass bill, like a defense authorization bill or an appropriations bill, and dare the GOP to filibuster it and shut down the government.

John Straayer, one of the old-school political science professors where I go to school, predicts about two or three rounds of cloture vote attempts before the GOP caves. Wall Street is extremely radioactive right now, and the Democrats are going to make hay with that.

[Better Believe It]

9. Only because Democrats fail to use Senate rules to force Republican filibusters.

The hard facts regarding this have been posted many times on DU.

If you haven't read them and would like them posted again let me know.

[backscatter712]

10. I know what's in the Senate rules.

The short version: Reid cannot actually force the GOP to go on dictionary-reading marathons on the Senate floor, because all the Repubs would have to do is have one of their Senators on the floor, saying the magic words "I suggest the absence of a quorum" over and over, force repeated quorum calls (cue the elevator music on C-SPAN), and the Democrats have to have nearly all of their Senators on the floor answering quorum calls, because if there aren't enough senators there for a quorum, the Senate automatically adjourns. Meanwhile, all the Republicans, except the one demanding quorum calls, and they can take turns doing that, can stay home and laugh.

More details here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/23/the-myth-of-the-filibuste_n_169117.html

Though I do like the idea of the Majority Leader ordering the Sergeant At Arms to arrest Republicans who refuse to show up at the Senate floor, so a quorum can be established...

Reid and the rest of the Senate Dems are doing the next best thing - forcing this whole show into the spotlight, moving for repeated cloture votes, and making the Republicans get bathed in the radioactivity from the Wall Street banksters.

[Better Believe It]

11. You clearly don't. Just more bogus excuses for inaction by Senator Reid!

You clearly don't understand Senate rules and the United States Constitution. And you seem to accept conservative and corporate media "talking points" on filibusters without reservation.

Would you like me to post information on how Senator Reid can either force Senate Republicans to engage in real filibusters or how he can stop Republican filibusters dead in their tracks if that's what he really wants to do?

You should make an effort to see beyond political "talking points" and determine the objective truth regarding these bogus "filibusters".

[Raineyb]

6. Well at least YOU are accurate.

And there were people saying that running ads against him was counterproductive? Would any of them care to take that back now?

[Hubert Flottz]

12. Yeah but...

You ain't lying!