Eugene Robinson: Republicans Would Have Gotten Rid Of Filibuster Sooner
On the Monday broadcast of MSNBC's The Ed Show, columnist Eugene Robinson said if things were switched and Republicans controlled the White House and Senate they would have invoked the nuclear option on all filibusters and would have done it sooner.
ED SCHULTZ: Republicans have blocked major pieces of legislation. Everything -- you know, from jobs to fairness in the workplace. What should the Democrats make of -- how far should they push on this? I mean, this is just for the executive, and it's also for judicial appointees. But what about legislation?
EUGENE ROBINSON, WASHINGTON POST: Well, you know, I think they're not at that point yet. And I think Harry Reid believes that would be another big step to essentially take away the filibuster for legislation. Look, you can argue about policy. I think you can make an argument that policy is different from appointments, which, after all, should be the president's purgative. The president doesn't get every single piece of legislation that he wants. And Republicans, the minority should be acting much better than it's acting now. And perhaps it gets to that point. But Harry Reid clearly decided it hadn't gotten to that point yet.
It's interesting to do the experiment, however, If the shoe were on the other foot. If there were a Republican president, if there were a Republican majority in the Senate that was being thwarted by a Democratic minority, time and time again, do you think it would take longer than a New York minute for them to get rid of the filibuster in any and all circumstances? I don't think so.
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