(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
History was made in the Senate when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-SC) filibustered his own bill and got PWD by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Really. Not kidding.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wanted to prove on Thursday that Democrats don’t have the votes to weaken Congress’ authority on the debt limit. Instead they called his bluff, and he ended up filibustering his own bill.
The legislation, modeled on a proposal McConnell offered last year as a “last-choice option” to avert a U.S. debt default, would permit the president to unilaterally lift the debt ceiling unless Congress mustered a two-thirds majority to stop him.
McConnell brought up the legislation Thursday morning. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) initially objected, seemingly proving the Republican leader’s point that it cannot pass the Senate. But then Reid ran it by his members and, in the afternoon, agreed to hold that same vote. This time it was McConnell who objected.
“The Republican leader objects to his own idea,” Reid declared on the floor. “So I guess we have a filibuster of his own bill.”
Here is Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) full response along with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
The signs of desperation are starting to show. Here’s hoping that the Democrats hold and strengthen their line on the fiscal bluff. Sen. Reid has my respect for that move.
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