Let The Excuses Begin
In 2007 when Democrats got a small majority in the Senate - Majority Leader Harry Reid was dismayed because he just couldn't get anything done. Those darn Republicans filibustered anything the Democrats tried to do. Conversations went a little like this:
Harry Reid: We got this here legislation we want to vote on
Republicans: We're gonna filibuster
Harry Reid: Gosh darn it whatever will we do?
That's right. In a sort of bizarre Senate short hand Harry never made the Republicans filibuster. All they had to do was tell Harry over the phone that if a certain piece of legislation came to the floor then they would filibuster. Republicans were never made to filibuster.
This is quite a striking contrast to when Republicans had a small majority in the Senate. They told Democrats that if they didn't vote on the legislation then they would go nuclear on their asses and get rid of the filibuster. They then proceeded to berate Democrats in the media calling them obstructionists. Of course in the end Democrats caved to Republicans in a bizarre compromise where they promised to allow the vote on Supreme Court nominees if Republicans promised to not get rid of the filibuster.
Well Harry has his 60 votes now in the Senate so presumably things can get done. But we know this isn't the case. Harry promised years ago if he could only get 60 Democrats in the Senate things would move. Well, it's not going to happen.
In all fairness I can't blame it all on Harry Reid. We all know there are several Democrats who really shouldn't be in the Democratic Party (Traitor Joe Lieberman). We all know there are several more beholden to corporations just as much as Republicans.
Still I can't help but think just how weak it makes Harry look as majority leader if he can't get the votes he wants when he needs them. We all know he is weak. His purpose is to kiss Republican ass. What do you think LBJ would have done as majority leader? I am not sure but I am guessing he would have made the Republicans filibuster a few times. And Democrats that failed to get in-line on key votes I am guessing LBJ would lean on them a bit.
What's Harry going to do? The usual...cry the blues to the media.
NYT - What’s So Super About a Supermajority?
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are about to reach the magical threshold of 60 votes, allowing them in theory to sweep aside Republican delaying tactics. But the arrival of that 60th vote, in the person of Al Franken of Minnesota, is not likely to make the party’s very real difficulties in advancing contentious legislation disappear.
The persistent absences of two veteran Democratic senators because of serious illness, the varied ideological makeup of the Democratic caucus and the willingness of individual senators to break with the party if they do not get their legislative way make the new mathematical might of the Democrats a bit illusory.
“We have 60 votes on paper,” Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said Wednesday in an interview. “But we cannot bulldoze anybody; it doesn’t work that way. My caucus doesn’t allow it. And we have a very diverse group of senators philosophically. I am not this morning suddenly flexing my muscles.”


















