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babylonsister

(171,101 posts) Thu Jun 28, 2018, 09:04 AM Jun 2018

Schumer Tells Republicans He'll Keep the Filibuster

https://politicalwire.com/2018/06/28/schumer-tells-republicans-hell-keep-the-filibuster/

Schumer Tells Republicans He’ll Keep the Filibuster
June 28, 2018 at 8:44 am EDTBy Taegan Goddard

According to a senior GOP senator who spoke on condition of anonymity, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (R-NY) “has privately reassured Republican senators in recent weeks that he would not change the rules and is committed to keeping the filibuster,” Politico reports.

Jonathan Chait: “What this means is that the decision to bottle up the agenda of the next Democratic president is being made right now, in private, in a secret deal between Schumer and Senate Republicans.”

“Schumer is surely not alone among Democrats in his fondness for retaining the Senate’s antiquated supermajority requirement… But Democrats are deluding themselves if they think that, during the next Democratic administration, they can keep it in place without provoking mass indignation from their base. The filibuster has already been pared back twice in the last five years. Everybody knows the rules can be changed.”

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Schumer Tells Republicans He'll Keep the Filibuster (Original Post) babylonsister Jun 2018 OP

so the filibuster is bad? bigtree Jun 2018 #1

It's a gamble, but a gamble either way. lagomorph777 Jun 2018 #2

I'd be surprised if McConnell care what Schumer thinks Raven123 Jun 2018 #4

why tip off the republicans of what he plans to do? dubyadiprecession Jun 2018 #3

Setting their minds at ease; business as criminal usual. lagomorph777 Jun 2018 #5

bigtree

(86,008 posts)

1. so the filibuster is bad?

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Thu Jun 28, 2018, 09:12 AM

Jun 2018

...or the filibuster is good.

This criticism wants it both ways, whatever suits their gripe about our Dem leader at the time.

Having a filibuster in place would be a saving grace, right now. Democrats always pick someone who can get over that hurdle (well, until the recent power grab by McConnell.)

I support trying to steer the Senate back to regular order.

lagomorph777

(30,613 posts)

2. It's a gamble, but a gamble either way.

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Thu Jun 28, 2018, 09:15 AM

Jun 2018

I see Schumer's possible logic this way:

Announcing that Dems support the Filibuster pressures McTurtle to keep the legislative Filibuster.
In the upcoming SCROTUS battle, Dems will at least have a little leverage to gum up the works, by blocking all legislation, McTurtle-style. If McTurtle moans, well, roll the videos of him obstructing Obama.

If most Americans are as angry at the GOP as we think they are, Dems make gains in 2018 and 2020. If those gains are big enough, the Filibuster becomes useless to McTurtle after President Warren's inauguration in 2021.

If Americans don't show up enraged at the polls in 2018 and 2020, well, none of it matters anyway, America is gone.