There is no doubt that the Republicans in the Senate have abused the filibuster privilege -- and they have done it just to spite President Obama. Even after promising to rein in their filibustering (to prevent Democrats from changing the filibuster rules last January), the Republicans have gone right on filibustering everything the president tries to do -- including his appointments to high level government jobs and cabinet positions.
In the past, both parties believed the president had the right to put whoever he wanted in cabinet and top-level government positions -- and these appointments were not filibustered, but voted on by the Senate. But today's right-wing Republicans have a different attitude. They don't just use the filibuster to slow or stop legislation (the traditional use of the privilege), but to block anything the president wants to do -- including blocking his nominations.
Their purpose is to try and damage the administration -- to keep it from doing the business of government. They then want to turn around and claim the administration is not competent -- even though it was their own obstructionism that prevented the government from doing its business.
Well, Majority Leader Harry Reid has had enough of it -- at least as far as the blocking of presidential nominations is concerned. He is throwing down the gauntlet, and daring the GOP senators to continue filibustering presidential nominees. Reid has filed seven cloture motions to stop filibusters -- all of them on presidential nominations. And if the Republicans don't stop those filibusters and allow a senate vote on those nominees, he is threatening to use the "nuclear option" (changing the rules to allow filibusters to be stopped with 51 votes). And after meeting with his Democratic caucus, he says he has the votes to do it.
Those cloture motions will be voted on early this week, and if the filibusters are upheld once again, Reid could act to change the rules as early as Tuesday or Wednesday. Understand, Reid is not asking Republicans to vote for the president's nominees -- but just to allow a vote to take place on their nominations. I think that's a pretty reasonable request. Most of the nominations have already been delayed for far too long.
Does Reid have the backbone to follow through on his threat? I don't know. He has given in to Republicans too many times in the past -- including last January when they snookered him into believing they would stop abusing the filibuster privilege. But I hope he does follow through if votes aren't allowed on all seven nominations.
Even if he does follow through, it wouldn't mean an end to the filibuster. The 51 vote requirement would only apply to presidential nominations. Legislation and appointment of federal judges could still be filibustered under the old rules (requiring 60 votes to bring something to the floor for a vote).
Will the Republicans back down and allow the votes? Will Reid and the Democrats follow through on their threat if the Republicans don't allow the votes? Whatever happens will make for an interesting few days in the Senate.