Pic Of The Moment: McConnell Says No To Filibuster Reform

[EarlG]

McConnell says 'Killed The Senate' Will Be On Reid's Tombstone

Follow @demunderground

[yellerpup]

1. We may have to go Egyptian

on their ass and just turn out every one of them who refuses to work for the people they represent. That may not be where we want to go, but that is where the Republicons are taking us.

[bluedeathray]

4. All we have to do...

Is get our military to back us up.

I'd love to know how Egyptians managed to arrange that.

[valerief]

5. Bingo! But the 1% own our military and all their Blackwater dredge. nt

[azurnoir]

11. ummm well: US bankrolled anti-Morsi activists

President Barack Obama recently stated the United States was not taking sides as Egypt's crisis came to a head with the military overthrow of the democratically elected president.

But a review of dozens of US federal government documents shows Washington has quietly funded senior Egyptian opposition figures who called for toppling of the country's now-deposed president Mohamed Morsi.

Documents obtained by the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley show the US channeled funding through a State Department programme to promote democracy in the Middle East region. This programme vigorously supported activists and politicians who have fomented unrest in Egypt, after autocratic president Hosni Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising in February 2011.

The State Department's programme, dubbed by US officials as a "democracy assistance" initiative, is part of a wider Obama administration effort to try to stop the retreat of pro-Washington secularists, and to win back influence in Arab Spring countries that saw the rise of Islamists, who largely oppose US interests in the Middle East.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/07/2013710113522489801.html

[nolabels]

2. I would bet this persons time is short

There are probably a lot young people in Kentucky who are seeing this guy as one of reasons they are being held back

[rhett o rick]

3. Will Sen Reid follow thru this time? nm

[lark]

8. Harry talks big but usually backs down very quickly.

I certainly wouldn't bet on him having a spine and actually taking a stand to end the Repug abuse of the filibuster.

[Bill USA]

14. we better be crossing fingers and toes and hope the ol' pussy doesn't wimp out. He keeps thinking

there is a chance to achieve reasonable agreements with fanatics and terrorists...

[rpannier]

18. He'll never get the support of enough Dems

Feinstein and CO won't go for it

[rhett o rick]

19. Damn conservative Damocrats. nm

[rpannier]

20. She was one of four or five that opposed the change in January

I think Boxer did as well
According to an aide to Sen Nelson (NE), when the Dems brought it up five or six years ago they opposition used Robert Byrd's age as one of their reasons for opposing a rule change. Now it's because they're afraid of what might happen in the Republican's get control of the senate.

My reply is, talk for 20 hours

[rhett o rick]

21. Worrying about what the Republicans will do is asinine. The Republicans will do the worse no matter

what the Democrats do now.

[BrotherIvan]

26. Dry powder and all that rot

My senators just SUCK!

Boxer pulls the same trojan horse bullshit that new dems have perfected. She supports a couple of no-brainer issues to campaign on, then totally disappears for everything else. When she ran last time against the awful Fiorina, the Chronicle didn't endorse either one, because Fiorina was a child's nightmare and Boxer is nothing but an entrenched bench warmer.

And DiFi...there are no words for that woman.

Sorry from CA

[ReRe]

25. I'm not holding my breath..

... McConnell will have him crying pretty soon. Somebody, quick. Give him a courage pill.

[grahamhgreen]

6. No one to blame but Reid

[pansypoo53219]

7. looks like presidenting while black

[Iliyah]

9. Unbelievable that majority of GOPers

have selective amnesia and their base believes them.

[Maedhros]

10. The modern filibuster process is broken.

Back in the day, if one wanted to filibuster in the Senate one had to actually FILIBUSTER - take the floor and hold it for as long as possible. For example, when Robert Byrd staged a filibuster against a 1957 civil rights bill he talked continuously for 24 hours 18 minutes. A filibuster required considerable effort.

However, when Byrd became Senate Majority Leader in 1977 he changed the rules.

From here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/11/how_robert_byrd_jr_created_the.html

The major change in Senate rules that made possible the modern filibuster occurred under the leadership of Robert Byrd during his first stint as Majority Leader. Byrd introduced the concept of "dual tracking" under which the Senate could have two or more bills under floor consideration at any one time. Prior to this change, a filibuster ended floor consideration of all other bills until the one being filibustered had been disposed of. No appropriations, no nominations, no unanimous consent agreements, no nothing. All Senate business came to a dead halt during a filibuster, which raised the stakes on the members conducting the filibuster exponentially. The pressure that would be brought to bear if the entire Senate ground to a halt was one of the reasons filibusters were so rare.

Once Byrd changed the rules to allow dual tracking, filibusters became almost pain free. A Senator simply had to announce they intended to filibuster and the Majority Leader would use his dual track authority to move to other business and get around the road block. Over time, most leaders simply did a whip check and declined to schedule a bill if a filibuster was possible..

This has led to the infuriating "we can't do ANYTHING without 60 votes" mantra that the Democratic Majority uses whenever it fails to fight for us.

Perhaps the only real reform necessary is to undo Byrd's changes and go back to the way it used to be. Make those Republicans actually filibuster to stop a bill. When they do, shine a light on them to show the American people just how obstructionist they are. Better than just folding on formality.

[oldandhappy]

13. I never believed Mitch.

Dear Dems in KY. Turn him out!!!!

[santamargarita]

15. Nuckem!!!

[red dog 1]

16. "Reid said Thursday he would set up test votes next week..

..on seven executive nominations and threatened to change the filibuster rules if Republicans don't approve the nominations." (From Talking Points Memo)

If the Senate Rethugs are smart, they will approve the seven nominations.

But, alas, smart is not a word that accurately describes the Senate obstructionist tea-baggers;
so, the question is, will Harry follow through on his threat?

[red dog 1]

17. Thanks EarlG for posting this.

[blkmusclmachine]

22. Courtesy of ol' Harry Reid,

the best friend a Republican ever had.

[delrem]

23. +1, your pics are all spot on.

[tofuandbeer]

24. I really love this one. Thanks!

[Hutzpa]

27. The ni@@g32 hate is definitely showing

on this chart.