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Trump to GOP: "Go nuclear" on filibuster if SCOTUS nom is deadlocked

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N

nature boy

Member
Video in the link:

https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/826839344489000960

Hardly surprising

For those asking:
The nuclear or constitutional option is a parliamentary procedure that allows the U.S. Senate to override a rule or precedent by a simple majority of 51 votes, instead of by a supermajority of 60 votes. The presiding officer of the United States Senate rules that the validity of a Senate rule or precedent is a constitutional question. They immediately put the issue to the full Senate, which decides by majority vote. The procedure thus allows the Senate to decide any issue by majority vote, even though the rules of the Senate specify that ending a filibuster requires the consent of 60 senators (out of 100) for legislation, 67 for amending a Senate rule. The name is an analogy to nuclear weapons being the most extreme option in warfare.
Click to expand...

Republicans need 8 Democratic Senators to reach 60.
 
T

TheOfficeMut

Unconfirmed Member
Trump did say he wanted to use nukes.

I also wager that Trump thinks the majority party also possesses their own nuclear weapons arsenal and that he wants the republicans to physically nuke the democrats.
 
M

marrec

Banned
Someone should check and make sure he realizes that "the nuclear option" is metaphorical when speaking about the Senate.
 
T

thestopsign

Member
Can someone clarify what he is talking about, is there some option or extreme way to bypass the block?

Edit: ah the filibuster.
 
M

marrec

Banned
Generalpsyduck said:
What the hell does that mean?
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Change the senate rules to remove the option of Filibuster on SCOTUS appointee.

Basically, push through Gorsuch.

This would set a precedent going forward though, neither side wants it to come to this, so it's used as a threat constantly.

I say the Dems call the bluff.
 
P

PSqueak

Banned
Is it figuratively as in "will throw a huge tantrum" or is it a threat of actually firing a nuke somewhere?
 
A

adj_noun

Member
The thread title abbreviation you see here if this thread is at the top of OT is

Trump to GOP: "Go nuclear if...

That was a bit nervewracking.
 
C

Carpe Carnim

Member
We all knew it was going to play out this way, or some 'gang' of Senators giving in, officially. So best we do away with any pretense of comity, and get down to this Cold Civil War we have going on in America. Eat, or be eaten Dems. Remember that always
 
B

benicillin

Banned
Democrats literally have nothing to lose by calling their bluff because the GOP is in control. At least expose them for the partisan twats they are and make them own everything every step of the way.
 
RPGCrazied

RPGCrazied

Member
Duh. They don't play by the rules. They just pushed two of his cabinet nominees for floor votes without any Democrats present.
 
B

benicillin

Banned
Lowmelody said:
They would have done it anyway. Anyone who folds is a sucker and a traitor.
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If they were going to do it they would have done it anyway. If they really didn't want to do it, this puts McConnell in a hard place against the President, because this kind of decision has consequences.
 
A

Apharmd

Member
Sorry for the uninformed question, but what is the future fall-out, so to speak of McConnell going this option? To be specific, the consequences benicillin spoke of.
 
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
February 2017 - GOP eliminates filibuster on SCOTUS nominations
March 2017 - GOP eliminates filibuster on everything
December 2018 - GOP reinstates filibuster on everything
 
P

Pai Pai Master

Banned
BoboBrazil said:
Too bad Obama didn't have balls like this.
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Obama also had humanity, dignity, and was actually literate.

But yeah that didn't get us very far in comparison.


Apharmd said:
Sorry for the uninformed question, but what is the future fall-out, so to speak of McConnell going this option? To be specific, the consequences benicillin spoke of.
Click to expand...

If McConnell goes through with this, republicans will have a tough time when the tables eventually turn and a Democrat majority is getting liberal-leaning judges confirmed. It's always a two-way street and Democrats right now are facing the consequences of doing this to cabinet appointees during Obama's term.
 
A

Amalthea

Banned
Maybe he's gonna nuke himself because he convinces himself and his goons that they are in Washington State and not D. C.
 
D

DudeWithNoName

Member
marrec said:
Change the senate rules to remove the option of Filibuster on SCOTUS appointee.

Basically, push through Gorsuch.

This would set a precedent going forward though, neither side wants it to come to this, so it's used as a threat constantly.

I say the Dems call the bluff.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I think they should confirm Gorsuch, and here is why.
We all know Trump is a petty, vindictive douche nozzle. My worry is, if the Democrats stall the confirmation, Trump has the ability to change the nomination to a complete right wing nutjob. Just to be a dick. And at that point you then risk the nuclear option there too, and now Drudge, Breibert or some other fucker is on the court. Instead of a guy that by all accounts is moderate-right-leaning.
 
M

marrec

Banned
Apharmd said:
Sorry for the uninformed question, but what is the future fall-out, so to speak of McConnell going this option? To be specific, the consequences benicillin spoke of.
Click to expand...

It would just be for SCOTUS nominees so the fallout would be limited in that regard. However it's likely Trump is going to get another nominee out of this term (2 more if he goes 8 years) so with the filibuster nuked he could conceivably get really crazy with his nominees.

Then of course, the DEMS would inherit the nuked filibuster but it's usefulness is specific to SCOTUS nominees.
 
H

hydrophilic attack

Member
Standing on the edge of the underworld
Looking at the abyss
And I'm hoping for some miracle
To breakout to escape from all this
Whispers in the air tell the tale
Of a life that's gone
Desolation, devastation
What a mess we made, when it all went wrong
 
B

benicillin

Banned
epmode said:
Couldn't they just reinstitue the filibuster if they screw up an election? Like, right before the Democrats take over.
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It sets the precedent that the other side can do the same thing when they have the majority that the GOP does. It's like opening pandora's box.
 
M

metalslimer

Member
epmode said:
Couldn't they just reinstitue the filibuster if they screw up an election? Like, right before the Democrats take over.
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And democrats could remove it again. The filibuster is literally just an artificial construction. There is no reason for it besides both sides being too scared to not have it in the future
 
T

TumblingHippo

Member
Sad part is, let's say Dems get back into power (lol) and Repubs start obstructing, Dems will just roll over and say they want to work together with the other side.

I'm more and more approaching the attitude of "fuck the dems for being cowards again and again".

Remember all the threads about "if we dump the dems we'll be in a bad spot!?" and even I was in full support of keeping Dem-party status quo. Well we tried supporting the dems and we're in an even worse spot, and it's gonna keep getting worse if dems keep letting us down.
 
O

Ogodei

Member
BoboBrazil said:
Too bad Obama didn't have balls like this.
Click to expand...

We have to remember that Obama's call for "Change" was mostly about ending partisan acrimony in Washington, which was why he was so eager to cut deals for so long. He genuinely believed he could be a peacemaker, but sometimes one group is just irreconcilable to the idea of peace. "Be nice and preserve comity" was a foundational guideline for him.

Doesn't mean the next Democratic president should go full Trump on them by going out of their way to demean and belittle the opposition. The ideal is to make a compelling case for your principles and then stand by them, not hating the opposition personally (and damn, do i know how hard that is...) but hating what they stand for.
 
B

balladofwindfishes

Member
DudeWithNoName said:
Honestly, I think they should confirm Gorsuch, and here is why.
We all know Trump is a petty, vindictive douche nozzle. My worry is, if the Democrats stall the confirmation, Trump has the ability to change the nomination to a complete right wing nutjob. Just to be a dick. And at that point you then risk the nuclear option there too, and now Drudge, Breibert or some other fucker is on the court. Instead of a guy that by all accounts is moderate-right-leaning.
Click to expand...

There's no difference between this guy and a hard right crazy person. They will vote the same as each other 100% of the time. If you're not a swing vote like Kennedy, it doesn't really matter how far right he goes.
 
A

Apharmd

Member
marrec said:
It would just be for SCOTUS nominees so the fallout would be limited in that regard. However it's likely Trump is going to get another nominee out of this term (2 more if he goes 8 years) so with the filibuster nuked he could conceivably get really crazy with his nominees.

Then of course, the DEMS would inherit the nuked filibuster but it's usefulness is specific to SCOTUS nominees.
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
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