Gibbs: Obama Wants Filibuster Reformed Even If GOP Takes Over Congress

[pgodbold]

I am so happy to hear this. At last congress as it was meant to operate.

"President Obama's commitment to reforming the rules of the filibuster will endure even if Republicans end up taking control of Congress, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Thursday."


Story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/28/gibbs-obama-wants-filibus_n_775525.html
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[Radical Activist]

1. I'm very glad he pushed this at the Daily Show.

I didn't think it was likely to happen. It sounds like they're going to fight for it though.

Nice pic in your sig line!

[veganlush]

2. oh, ok, now that they are taking control,

..take the filibuster away from US. brilliant... or are they saying that they intend to change the rules if they hold the senate? (the only way they could) I'll believe it when i see it..

[Pirate Smile]

3. We probably will maintain control of the Senate. We are more likely to lose the House.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. In which case, again, they will ditch the filibuster when it's too late for us to pass anything

too meaningful, or that upsets the status quo too much.

Sorry, I accept that there have been some accomplishments and nothing would keep me from voting for our party, but in all honesty it does seem to me like there has been an awful lot of "well, we would pass that (like the public option) but we just, we just, we just can't" We let Joe Lieberman and Olympia Snowe determine the paramaters of the possible.

Now, in October of 2010, they've finally figured out that they can ditch the filibuster? What. The. Fuck.

So the excuse will be "If we only still controlled the House.. Oh, well." :eyes:

[Blasphemer]

7. Indeed. It's VERY hard not to be cynical... nt

[Ozymanithrax]

15. At the beginning of the new Congress, the Senate can change the rules...

on a majority vote. In the middl of the 111th Congress it required a 2/3rds majority.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. I didn't know that. Honestly, it makes a difference.

Makes more sense that they would be talking about it, now. It might have been better if they had done it at the beginning of the last congress, but I do understand why they might not have assumed the worst and pushed it through right away.

I stand corrected.

[Chulanowa]

4. They're taking control?

Christ. A prescription for antidepressants should be included for everyone who registers as a Democrat. Fuckers need to stop this doom and gloom shit

[Warren DeMontague]

5. No shit. Now they want to do it. Typical.

They should have done it the minute the GOP started blocking everything under the sun. Sure, they would have screamed, but they've been screaming anyway.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[COLGATE4]

9. And I want a million dollars! I think my chances are better than

Obama's.

[vi5]

10. Ha! I predicted it...

I said (jokingly) several times that the way democrats work they'll start fighting for fillibuster reform once they're in the minority or close to the minority.

Here we go.

[MadHound]

11. This is beyond stupid

This is something we will regret. The 'Pugs will be back in power at some point, and they will be pushing insane bullshit through. We need the filibuster tool in our back pocket to keep the damage to a minimum.

[wryter2000]

12. Harry Reid said something similar on Rachel last night

Speaking in the context of the filibuster obstructionism in the Senate, he hinted very strongly that Senate rules would be changed. We'd better keep the House in that case.

[hughee99]

13. 88 level chess...

since the repukes aren't going to give him anything he wants, Obama should also announce he's opposed to national single-payer health care and supports tax breaks for the rich.

[gulliver]

14. This is the perfect time to say that.

It just underscores that the rules are wrong whoever has the Senate. Then Reid can follow through on the rule changes after the election if we still hold the majority. If the Republicans win, they may not want the changes though. They still have Obama for six more years, most likely, so none of their crazier crap will make it to law. They also know that any small majority they have in the Senate will probably last only two years, followed by a likely re-loss in 2012.

[hughee99]

17. I'm not sure about 2012.

There will be 10 repuke seats and 19 Dems seats up (along with both independents, who both caucused with the Democrats). I'm not sure we'll be able to pick up very much there, even under good conditions.