That handshake filibuster compromise between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky must be a bad idea. Both sides hate it.
A blogger at Huff Post claimed it squanders Obama’s mandate. “This flaccid filibuster ‘reform’ will prove to be one of the biggest political errors of the Obama years. For the U.S. Senate, after a hard-fought election where a Democratic president won re-election and Democrats picked up seats, this cloakroom deal (coupled with the GOP’s control of the House) ensures that Obama will be forced to govern like a lame duck,” Joseph Palermo huffs.
But over at Heritage Foundation’s blog The Foundry, a blogger complains the deal creates four super senators and super-super majority leader. “Only four Senators would be able to offer amendments to legislation, effectively shutting out the other 96 from the legislative process …” writes Amy Payne. “The Majority Leader (now Reid) would have the special authority to add an amendment after debate is finished on a particular bill. Combined with the 51-vote threshold, this change would allow the Majority Leader to jam through just about anything without the Senate even debating it.
Payne then concludes, “In short, this is a terrible plan that would hand all of the Senate’s power to four people and would turn the Majority Leader into a tyrant.”
Stealing American Freedoms one rotten law at a time.
Too late, Reid already thinks he is a tyrant.
Has it not been apparent for years that the culture of the esteemed Senate is to pursue and cherish the substantial authority that resides in that institution; yet to shun and transfer the responsibility that attaches to the office?
Super committees, Presidential regulation of legislative duties and avoidance of any difficult decisions render this “great deliberative body” a disreputable joke upon the American people. A corrupt entity that only an exceedingly shallow media could respect!
Why would one expect a better solution to the intractable partisanship that is the daily banquet of these gormand Senators feeding at the public treasury trough? Have the inept ever combined to produce success?
Since Congress(wo)men have a reelection rate of more than 90%, I guess we know where the ultimate responsibility lies.