Beware of short-term memory loss; it will bite you in the…
Let’s set the stage: Remember 2013? No? Let me help you: Senator Harry Reid, Democrat, Nevada, was the majority leader of the senate. He, against the wishes of the opposing party, eliminated the three-fifths vote requirement for executive branch appointments and judicial appointments. Yup. He pulled off the so-called “nuclear option” and changed the senate rules. Then he lost the senate in the very next election cycle.
The results of that were this: A simple majority could do whatever they wanted on appointments. This allowed a near-frictionless appointment of Obama judges; then the same for Trump judges. And three Supreme Court judges, appointed by Trump. Including Amy Coney Barrett, weeks before the last election. Feel that bite in the buttocks yet?
Harry put politics before principle. Let me say that again: He put politics in front of the way things should be done to force some semblance of compromise while also providing some balance.
Remember 2005? When then-Senator Obama gave a speech DEFENDING the filibuster? Remember? No? Here is the direct quote – you can see the exact video all over the internet:
“The American people, they sent us here to be their voice. They understand those voices can at times become loud and argumentative, but they hope we can disagree without being disagreeable. And at the end of the day, they expect to both parties to work together to get the people’s business done. What they don’t expect is for one party, be it Republican or Democrat, to change the rules in the middle of the game so that they can make all of the decisions while the other party is told to sit down and keep quiet.”
It suited the dem purpose at the time. Today Obama is calling the filibuster a “Jim Crow relic”.
Let’s not forgot, the filibuster was used 244 times in history – ALL of history – before Trump came it. Then the Democrats used it 314 times. Three hundred and fourteen times! Including the more notable ones, like when Senator Tim Scott, R-SC, introduced a good police reform bill following George Floyd’s death. The dems wouldn’t even allow the debate to take place. Tim Scott is African-American, incidentally.
Now the dems call it “racist” (how totally ironic, since the recent Tim Scott maneuver). Of course, it was used decades ago to try to block a lot of civil rights legislation. It was use by DEMS then. But today they suddenly call it racist, to fit their current narrative and desire to drive an increasingly unpopular agenda.
So here we are again.
This is yet another move that will serve to cement a huge swing in 2022. If this goes through, the only major check-and-balance to a completely ridiculous and radical agenda is removed. We already pay – out of our taxes – over $345 billion dollars in interest on our national debt. That was BEFORE the covid hits. That number should top over $400 billion this fiscal year. Just interest. Biden has added 2 more trillion that was 10x more than what was needed. The dollar is quickly diluting, faster than the markets can compensate. Inflation is already starting. Gas prices are on the rise. Food prices are on the rise. Interest rates are heading north. He wants another $3-$5 trillion for “infrastructure” – laced with a slew of non-infrastructure projects as well. Just like the “covid relief” bill that wasn’t. And there’s more coming. Do we really want to remove to only remaining senate sanity-check?
Over the years, look who is reasonable and doesn’t change rules. And look who isn’t, and does.
Yes – short-term memory may come around to bite you in the buttocks if you do something stupid. Again.
