Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate


Texan_Til_I_Die

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Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D - Nev) has threathened to shut down all Senate activity by ordering his fellow Democrat Senators to not attend any committee meetings or floor votes. This action is his response to the Republican's efforts to invoke the Constitutional Option, sometimes called the Nuclear Option by the left, to end the Democrat minority's unprecedented practice of filibustering the President's judicial nominees in order to block any confirmation votes.

Oddly enough, several Democrat Senators have made statements on this very subject in recent years. Let's see what they had to say...

Barbara Boxer – 5/14/97:

“It is not the role of the Senate to obstruct the process and prevent numbers of highly qualified nominees from even being given the opportunity for a vote on the Senate floor.”

Dick Durbin – 9/28/98:

“If, after 150 days languishing on the Executive Calendar that name has not been called for a vote, it should be. Vote the person up or down.”

Tom Harkin – 1/5/95:

“I do not believe that I as a member of the minority ought to have the right to absolutely stop something because I think it is wrong, that is rule by minority.”

Ted Kennedy – 3/7/00

“The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court said: ‘The Senate is surely under no obligation to confirm any particular nominee, but after the necessary time for inquiry it should vote him up or vote him down.’ Which is exactly what I would like.”

Pat Leahy - 6/18/98

“If we don’t like somebody the President nominates, vote him or her down. But don’t hold them in this anonymous unconscionable limbo, because in doing that, the minority of Senators really shame all Senators.”

Seems to me that they all think (at least they did when they had a Democrat President) that EVERY nominee deserves a vote!!!

AND I AGREE WITH THE 5 DEMOCRATS ABOVE. GIVE THE PRESIDENT'S NOMINEES A VOTE!

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Re: Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate

Yes, every nominee deserves a vote, but rules should not be changed at the whim of the ruling party which the Republicans are planning on doing in order to get these people to a vote.

Before ya'll start complaining about how the Democrats want to block everything and hold things up, I seem to remember back in the 90's, when there was a Democratic president and the Republicans ruled congress, they had no problem shutting down the government.

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Re: Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate

[ QUOTE ]

Before ya'll start complaining about how the Democrats want to block everything and hold things up, I seem to remember back in the 90's, when there was a Democratic president and the Republicans ruled congress, they had no problem shutting down the government.

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Totaly different situation. That fight was over the budget, not judicial nominees. And the "government" wasn't shut down, only "non-essential services". Which begs the question - If they're non-essential, then why in the heck were/are we paying for them???

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Re: Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate

Even still, I think that they should make an amendment, much like the last amendment added to the constitution which prohibits congress from voting on pay raises until the end of sessions, they should do the same prohibiting rules changes in the middle of the current congress, if they want to change the rules regarding procedures in the house and senate they shouldn't be allowed until the current congressional session is over, that way, neither side will be able to change rules in order to better help them advance their agendas.

As far as non-essential services, the things that were shut down were things like museums and national parks, things of that nature.

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Re: Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate

[ QUOTE ]

I seem to remember back in the 90's, when there was a Democratic president and the Republicans ruled congress, they had no problem shutting down the government.

[/ QUOTE ]

Today is today, lets not hold grudges and let that stand in the way of doing what is right for the people of this country. That mentality beats all, seems quite childish. How really does what took place in the 90's have anything to do with this.

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Re: Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate

[ QUOTE ]

Even still, I think that they should make an amendment, much like the last amendment added to the constitution which prohibits congress from voting on pay raises until the end of sessions, they should do the same prohibiting rules changes in the middle of the current congress, if they want to change the rules regarding procedures in the house and senate they shouldn't be allowed until the current congressional session is over, that way, neither side will be able to change rules in order to better help them advance their agendas.

[/ QUOTE ]

Seens to me its the Senate Democrats that have changed the rules. Never before in the 200+ year history of the US Senate has there been a requirement that Judicial nominees receive a 2/3 vote for approval, but that is exactly what the Democrats have forced onto the American people since George W. Bush was elected President in 2000.

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Re: Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate

[ QUOTE ]

Yes, every nominee deserves a vote, but rules should not be changed at the whim of the ruling party which the Republicans are planning on doing in order to get these people to a vote.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, how about putting a gun to their heads to get them to do the job they were elected to do?

Sluggo says that the Democrats are only doing the same thing to the Republicans that the Republicans did to Clinton's nominees. So ... Let me put my challenge to Sluggo or anyone else out there with time to waste. Give me just one example where Republicans used a filibuster to block a vote on a judicial nominee who had already received a "confirm" vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Look it up…you won’t find one single instance. So you can go ahead take that conspiracy theory and shove it…..oh man, I’m starting to sound like Teresa Heinz-Kerry.

This is purely a case of democrats unable to cope with the Republican victories that swept the land last November and now the democrats have devised a strategy on how to deal with George W. Bush…they're going to pound their fists, hold their breath until they turn blue, and just generally throw a temper tantrum and do everything they can to obstruct anything government related. It’s this obstructionist attitude that has many democrats, including your leader Daschle to lose their races last year. I hope they continue this practice because the majority of people will finally get fed up with it. Of course there will always be that small group of idiots that condone it.

So what, Frist wants to change the rules to 51 votes, that’s still a “majority” vote and lets not forget the weasel group that adopted the “super-majority” vote….the democrats. Somehow I think that those who wrote the Constitution would have put their super-majority provisions in there if that had been their intent. And I do not believe that the Constitution demands a super-majority vote on judicial nominees whether it’s democrats in control or Republicans.

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Re: Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

Yes, every nominee deserves a vote, but rules should not be changed at the whim of the ruling party which the Republicans are planning on doing in order to get these people to a vote.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok, how about putting a gun to their heads to get them to do the job they were elected to do?

Sluggo says that the Democrats are only doing the same thing to the Republicans that the Republicans did to Clinton's nominees. So ... Let me put my challenge to Sluggo or anyone else out there with time to waste. Give me just one example where Republicans used a filibuster to block a vote on a judicial nominee who had already received a "confirm" vote from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Look it up…you won’t find one single instance. So you can go ahead take that conspiracy theory and shove it…..oh man, I’m starting to sound like Teresa Heinz-Kerry.

This is purely a case of democrats unable to cope with the Republican victories that swept the land last November and now the democrats have devised a strategy on how to deal with George W. Bush…they're going to pound their fists, hold their breath until they turn blue, and just generally throw a temper tantrum and do everything they can to obstruct anything government related. It’s this obstructionist attitude that has many democrats, including your leader Daschle to lose their races last year. I hope they continue this practice because the majority of people will finally get fed up with it. Of course there will always be that small group of idiots that condone it.

So what, Frist wants to change the rules to 51 votes, that’s still a “majority” vote and lets not forget the weasel group that adopted the “super-majority” vote….the democrats. Somehow I think that those who wrote the Constitution would have put their super-majority provisions in there if that had been their intent. And I do not believe that the Constitution demands a super-majority vote on judicial nominees whether it’s democrats in control or Republicans.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why do you get out of bed in the morning with that much hate inside...pretty pathetic.

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Re: Harry Reid Threatens to Shut Down Senate

I thought Tommy Daschle was a twit and the Dems. couldn't possibly find someone worse, and then along comes "Dusty Harry", as Rush so fondly calls him. Hopefully, he will carry out his threat and the fine citizens of Nevada will see fit to send him packing. Too bad Senators are elected for 6 yr. terms and it won't happen soon enough.

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