Flashback: Biden rants about changing Senate rules by simple majority vote
posted at 4:05 pm on October 7, 2011 by Allahpundit
Friday fun from 2005 via JWF in honor of Reid’s nuclear meltdown on the Senate floor last night. Two important differences between then and now. One: Biden was inveighing against the GOP’s proposal to end Senate filibusters of judicial appointments. Reid’s move last night isn’t similarly limited by subject matter; his proposal was to end the right of the minority party to offer post-cloture amendments — period. Two: Unlike the GOP six years ago, Reid actually pushed his proposal through. The standoff over judicial filibusters was resolved by the Gang of 14, but the standoff last night was resolved by Democrats voting via simple majority to overrule the Senate parliamentarian. Irony of ironies, ignoring the opinion of the parliamentarian is what has Biden worked up in the clip. And what opinion did he accuse the GOP of ignoring at the time? The idea that … you shouldn’t be able to change the rules of the Senate via simple majority. Nuance.
Ah well. Fifteen months from now, when the GOP is back in control of the Senate, it’ll be nice to see the filibuster and post-cloture minority amendments suddenly cool again on the left.
Blowback
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This is why Obama picked Biden to be his running mate and why Biden ended up as Vice President.
Insurance.
Simple as that.
coldwarrior on October 7, 2011 at 4:08 PM
You beat me to it.
listens2glenn on October 7, 2011 at 4:10 PM
It is a really insane state of affais when Biden comes across as the grown up for 3 days in a row.
Schadenfreude on October 7, 2011 at 4:11 PM
And energy prices would “necessarily skyrocket”
orfannkyl on October 7, 2011 at 4:11 PM
Democracy and progressivism is only when the left wins.
They hijacked the terms.
Schadenfreude on October 7, 2011 at 4:12 PM
Here’s more fun. I found the one percent.
http://themorningspew.com/2011/10/07/the-one-percent-speaks-out/#comments
bloggless on October 7, 2011 at 4:15 PM
Another reason we need a new breed in the GOP, the current crop of seedless cowards isn’t up to the task of confronting the ‘rats.
Bishop on October 7, 2011 at 4:16 PM
Sounds like fun…
Seven Percent Solution on October 7, 2011 at 4:17 PM
I would hope, in a bipartisan fashion the Dems are sooooooooo famous for….Biden stepped in, and told Reid and his minions the error of their ways, and why it’s wise NOT to do this.
Ok…I know that won’t happen, but I could hope. LOL They’re all a bunch of d@mn hypocrites, and morons.
capejasmine on October 7, 2011 at 4:19 PM
Liberals are almost always the first to brandish a weapon in matters of civility and decorum.
scotash on October 7, 2011 at 4:19 PM
There’ll be a lot of stuff suddenly in again. Anti-war protests. Tough questions from the White House press corps(e). Anger over gas prices. Disappointment with only 100,000 new jobs created in a month. Concern with the deficit.
It’ll seem like the left was in a coma for 4 years. For the rest of us, it’ll have been a waking nightmare.
Doughboy on October 7, 2011 at 4:19 PM
Oh, that’s hysterical! “it’s a lie! A lie!” is now “necessary”.
I will bet you that Reid in the minority will be roundly disliked by his fellow Democrats, and they will blame his inability to manage the Senate for putting them in the position of losing power to the majority Repunlicans.
I hope McConnell does not cut a deal to fix this before taking back the Senate.
MTF on October 7, 2011 at 4:24 PM
Modern technology can be so cruel. Thing is, it doesn’t bother any of them to be caught. I’m not sure Sheriff Joe can even be embarrassed.
a capella on October 7, 2011 at 4:25 PM
Sorry. Your prayer has been denied.
forest on October 7, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Get on your knees and start praying, Smirky!
evergreen on October 7, 2011 at 4:31 PM
His head was extraordinarily shiny back in 2005.
Key West Reader on October 7, 2011 at 4:32 PM
By all rights this should be a siren blaring headline story, but it’s so complicated it will barely be a blip on the news radar. The fact that nearly half of Republicans can’t identify a single candidate hints at why this tyrannical act has little hope of being noticed – even if it could be reduced to a 30 second soundbite.
Buy Danish on October 7, 2011 at 4:35 PM
+100
BacaDog on October 7, 2011 at 4:37 PM
The filibuster should go away. Hell scrap all the arcane Senate rules and start fresh.
55 votes to pass a a bill.
Each side gets to propose 5 amendments.
Each amendment has to pass with 51 votes.
Every bill gets 100 hours of debate.
Every amendment gets 10 hours of debate.
Then you vote on the bill as a whole 72 hours after the end of debate.
angryed on October 7, 2011 at 4:42 PM
And single subject bills. No burying a zillion dollar appropriation in a bill to rename a post office.
BacaDog on October 7, 2011 at 4:49 PM
Gee…minority-party Senators like minority rights, and majority-party Senators don’t. Who’d a thunk it?
Filibusters are a lot like football–how you feel about it depends on which side of 50 you are.
We’ll hear from the 2005 Biden again next time he’s on the short side…sometime in 2013. Hopefully those on the long side will handle it better than they did in 2005-06.
Steve Z on October 7, 2011 at 4:50 PM
Dimocrats: remember this moment in January 2013, when you are the MINORITY party in the House, the Senate, and President (fill in the Republican nominee) is living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue…
“Revenge is a dish that’s best served cold.”
Khun Joe on October 7, 2011 at 5:01 PM
And it will be fun to re-air Dingy Harry’s antics from this week all over again, just to remind people. Unless of course, Roger Ailes has completely lost his cholesterol-laden mind by that time.
cynccook on October 7, 2011 at 5:21 PM
I don’t see a problem here; both Biden and Reid are Democrats, after all.
churchill995 on October 7, 2011 at 5:26 PM
Someone needs to tell Biden to cut his hair and to try to look and act his age.
It’s one thing if HRC, Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein want to preserve themselves in formaldehyde – they are women.
But being Biden’s age and getting hair transplants and letting his hair grow out makes him look as foolish as his tongue tends to make him appear.
It’s like the Rolling Stones, still a venerable and iconic rock band, trying to look cool at their advanced ages.
The GOP’s ability to attain a cloture-proof majority in the Senate is within the realm of possibility if it doesn’t nominate a RINO like Mitt Romney.
molonlabe28 on October 7, 2011 at 5:26 PM
Biden better Hope and Pray that when conservatives take the Senate, they don’t take what remains of the Democrats AND SHOVE THEM IN A CLOSET.
GarandFan on October 7, 2011 at 6:09 PM
Just as the Democrats changed the Senate definition of a supermajority to only 60 when they faced with a determined Republicans minority, they’ll likewise change the rules whenever it suits them.
The Democrats protect themselves and their voters, the Republicans are largely gutless and mostly useless.
RJL on October 7, 2011 at 6:43 PM
He knew you were being insecere so He tuned you out.
rukiddingme on October 8, 2011 at 12:59 AM
His comb-over is cute. Maybe the plugs were a waste of money.
And one of them slipped off talking points Friday and said “We need 2/3rds, I mean ‘sixty’ votes to pass……”
Their dirtbaggery is getting really noisome. And they absolutely will not stop.
Squiggy on October 8, 2011 at 6:26 AM