Remember that "nuclear option?"

[Guest Joe S.]

Remember back when Republicans threatened Democrats in the Senate with a

"nuclear option" when the Democrats threatened to filibuster some of Bush's

rightwing wackadoodle judicial nominees?? And several Republicans warned

their leadership not to push it too far because payback is hell??

 

Well, guess what: IT'S PAYBACK TIME.

 

Reid is going to force the Republicans to support either GWBush and his

losing war that he started with a pack of lies, or, support the troops.

 

Payback is hell.

 

On the Senate floor a few moments ago, Sen. Harry Reid challenged the

Republicans to decide: are they going to continue to protect the president,

or are they going to protect the troops?

 

Reid is making the very generous offer that Cornyn's "side-by-side"

legislation, the GOP "version" of Levin/Reid be offered an up or down vote,

as long as Levin/Reed also get that simple majority vote. To do this, he

just announced on the Senate floor that he's invoking cloture on the

Reed-Levin troop redeployment bill and, if the Republicans filibuster it

tomorrow, he's going to force the Senate into an all-night session -- with

cots brought in and everything -- to make them stand up in public for their

beliefs. Unless they agree to a simple-majority vote on Reed-Levin, the

Senate stays in ongoing session.

 

Bob Geiger has the details:

 

In making this move (based on my understanding of Senate rules), Reid is

invoking the provisions of Rule 22 (Precedence of Motions) of the Standing

Rules of the Senate, which provides, at the Majority Leader's discretion, up

to 30 hours of debate if a filibuster is initiated -- as the Republicans

will most certainly do, knowing that Reed-Levin may very well have the 51

votes needed for passage.

 

Sixty votes are needed to achieve cloture (end debate) and move

legislation to a full, deciding vote.

 

Reid will be using the provision of Rule 22 that allows for up to 30 hours

of continuous debate once it's made clear -- in this case, by Republicans

trying to avoid an up-or-down vote on Reed-Levin -- that there is a desire

to continue debating the issue.

 

In other words, the Majority Leader is saying "You want to debate? We'll

stay all night and debate."

 

Senate Democrats are prepared to speak all night and to force Republicans to

stay in the chamber by invoking ongoing quorum calls. This is theatrics,

yes, but it's theatrics to bring to light the ongoing efforts by the

Republicans to block any and all efforts to force a change of policy in

Iraq.