When we last left our Capitol Hill adventure, Senate Dems were using every parliamentary trick they could think of (or, if you’re a Republican, every “obstructionist tactic” they can think of) to block the GOP agenda. Dems, who have been denied opportunities to participate in the process, feel like they have no other choice.
Roles were oddly reversed just 10 years ago. With a Dem president and a Dem Congress, Republicans were blocking as much as they could. A campaign-finance reform bill, for example, which included an early incarnation of McCain-Feingold, was cruising to become law before a GOP filibuster shut it down. Republicans also used the same parliamentary tricks in 1994 to reject a lobbying reform bill, a variety of health care measures, and legislation to expand Superfund clean-ups.
The Dems complained, but the GOP said, “You have the White House, House, and Senate. If you can’t get things done, it’s your fault.” Voters, unfortunately, largely believed it.
Now, of course, everything’s reversed. It’s funny how similar the rhetoric is.
Senate Democrats this week are launching a more aggressive effort to rebuke Republican charges that they are obstructionists.
Democratic Policy Committee Chairman Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) kicked off the effort with a floor speech Monday, telling Republicans that they control both chambers of Congress and the White House and only have themselves to blame for not being able to pass bills.
[…]
One Democratic aide said that the new effort of countering the obstruction charge “will be folded into everything we say from now on” and that Democrats will be heard every time Republicans charge them with obstruction.
That’s fine, unless and until Republicans decide it’s time to “fix” the system that allows the minority to exert some influence.
At this point, the Dems have very little to loose. As a matter of policy, they’re being railroaded. As a matter of politics, it’s hard for voters to blame the minority party when the majority runs the entire government.
It’s a pleasant surprise to see the Dems defend their justified actions instead of caving under criticism. As long as the Senate rules allow the minority to exert some influence, Dems should keep it up.
Right up until the GOP destroys the Senate rules as we know them.
The Hill reported today that Senate GOP leaders are contemplating the long-rumored “nuclear” option. This is very bad news.
Senate Republican leaders are considering rewriting the chamber’s rules to limit what they call Democratic obstructionism that has slowed the pace of work in the Senate to a trickle.
In particular, Republicans want to eliminate the ability of Democrats to filibuster consideration of the president’s executive and judicial-branch nominees, as well as bar filibusters that block the naming of conferees prior to House and Senate negotiations.
To do so, Senate GOP leaders are considering resorting to what they call the “constitutional option” and what Democrats deride as the “nuclear option” because they charge it would amount to a Republican declaration of all-out war against them.
Keep an eye on this. If Republicans move forward on this, it will create a partisan atmosphere that would make impeachment look like a tea party.
I know Bush was committed to “changing the tone” in Washington; too bad it was a change for the worse.