CBS' Bob Schieffer Shocked When Senator Reid Refuses to Rule Out Eliminating Filibuster Entirely

[Tx4obama]

CBS’ Bob Schieffer Shocked When Sen. Reid Refuses to Rule Out Eliminating Filibuster Entirely

CBS Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer appeared taken aback on Sunday when he repeatedly prodded Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to clarify that he was not considering further changes to Senate rules to revoke the “privilege” of minority Republican rights including the filibuster. While Reid said that the Senate was “not there yet,” he refused to rule out further curtailments to the Senate’s minority rights.

-snip-

Article and Video (3:30 minutes) here: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cbs-bob-schieffer-shocked-when-sen-reid-refuses-to-rule-out-eliminating-filibuster-entirely/

Harry Reid Drops A Bomb On Republicans By Threatening to Eliminate All Filibusters

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants Republicans to stop the foot dragging and obstruction. If they refuse to behave responsibly, Reid warned that he is open to eliminating all filibusters.

-snip-

Article/transcript and Video (11:56 minutes), here: http://www.politicususa.com/2014/01/05/harry-reid-drops-bomb-republicans-threatening-eliminate-filibusters.html

[annabanana]

1. Bob Sheiffer's shockability... maybe not such a high bar, but...

I'm not sure eliminating the filibuster altogether is so hot either. I think a TALKING filibuster against legislation is important. I think filibusters of procedural rulings is childish... Cloture maybe shouldn't be filibuster-able.

Of course all absolutist talk about this is childish.

[Berlum]

2. + 1

well said

[drm604]

3. Publicly ruling it out may be a bad idea.

Even if he privately would never consider it, what is there to gain by publicly ruling it out? The threat of it might conceivably cause them to moderate their behavior; ruling it out would give them free reign.

[ShadowLiberal]

7. Agreed, I doubt Reid would actually eliminate it altogether right now

Until democrats control all both houses of congress and the white house again it really doesn't sense for him to go farther, outside of excluding supreme court nominees from being filibustered. Everything else that we'd want to pass probably wouldn't even without a filibuster, thanks to the GOP house.

Still, like you say, eliminating the possibility publicly would be a bad idea, the fact that Reid changed the rules once gives the threat credibility.

[Arkana]

4. Schieffer's one of the old pearl-clutching crowd.

He still lives in an era where cooperation was possible.

[annabanana]

5. Get that man to a fainting couch!

[Countdown_3_2_1]

6. Just wish I read this in Jan 2009 nt