Category Archives: Harry Reid
Scorched Earth Response to Filibuster Nuclear Option
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell gave a “scorched earth” speech last week. Democrats have been threatening to end the filibuster which requires 60 votes to pass legislation. But McConnell said if they do that they’ll turn the Senate into a “100 car pile-up.” And nothing will get done:
Let me say this very clearly for all 99 of my colleagues: Nobody serving in this chamber can even begin — can even begin to imagine — what a completely scorched earth Senate would look like.
Mitch McConnell on the U.S. Senate floor
Senate rules require the consent of all its members to conduct business. So Republicans could easily grind the place to a halt. For example they could withhold consent to minor votes without quorum calls.
Harry Reid invoked the “nuclear option” in 2013 to kill the filibuster for approving most presidential appointments. But when the worm turned McConnell added Supreme Court nominees to Reid’s list and Trump landed three new justices.
Harry Reid’s Nuclear Winter
During Harry Reid’s tenure as Senate Majority Leader he didn’t get President Obama’s nominees approved at a pace to his liking. Democrats had a simple majority but not the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. So Harry invoked the “nuclear option”. Which is to say he changed the rules. Now, under the new Senate rules, only a simple majority of 51 votes is required to approve most presidential nominees. Supreme Court appointments not included.
Nuclear Option
Until the November 8 shocker, the Majority Leader had expected Hillary Clinton to win the presidency. In October he bragged that he had set the table for easy approval of future Supreme Court nominees too. And so he had.
But what he didn’t count on was a Republican president and 52 Republican senators.
Now, as Harry Reid retires to his own personal nuclear winter, he leaves his colleagues glowing in the dark.
Integrity Beyond Question
Attorney General Loretta Lynch was caught red handed discussing grandkids with Bill Clinton. Bill’s wife, Hillary, was under investigation at the time for her secret email server. So the AG turned over her decision making authority in the caper to FBI Director James Comey.
When Comey decided not to prosecute, a Greek Chorus of Democrats sang his praises. But when he reopened the case, due to emails found on Carlos Danger’s laptop, they changed their tune.
Integrity Beyond Question
Harry Reid, having pronounced Comey’s integrity beyond question, questioned it by accusing him of violating the Hatch Act. At least he hasn’t accused Comey of not paying his taxes. Yet.
Harry Reid Whups the Truth
From the Senate floor in 2012, Harry Reid, without a shred of evidence, claimed Mitt Romney hadn’t paid his taxes for 10 years.
From his bathroom floor on New Years day 2015, Reid claimed some exercise gear beat the crap out him.
CNN’s Dana Bash recently asked Reid about his Senate floor claim. He didn’t apologize or back away. He simply answered, “Romney didn’t win, did he?”
Amnesty
Senate Democrats filibustered a bill that would withhold funding from Homeland Security until the president pulls back his executive order on amnesty for illegal immigrants. Not gonna happen.
Besides, a federal judge in Texas already suspended the Obama order. Republicans must have got the news yesterday. Mitch McConnell caved.
