Harry Reid: 60 Votes Doesn't Mean Anything

New York Times:

"We have 60 votes on paper," Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, said Wednesday in an interview. "But we cannot bulldoze anybody; it doesn't work that way. My caucus doesn't allow it. And we have a very diverse group of senators philosophically. I am not this morning suddenly flexing my muscles."

Indeed, becoming the first party in 30 years to reach the fabled plateau of 60 could create as many political problems as it solves, raising expectations sky high and potentially causing a backlash should Democrats falter on energy or health care.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[oregonbird]

Reid, in YOUR hands, 60 votes doesn't mean anything. You didn't exactly have anything to say during the long, long process of getting the Minnesota sentor in place, did you? You knew you had so little influence and control over your majority, you'd be able to make no use of a 60th vote -- even with a handful of votes available from across the aisle. Still -- how ungracious, that you didn't continue to give public support to the democratic candidate. The republicans managed to throw a little appreciation toward Norm, every now and then -- didn't they?

When you leave, things will get better. Why not let us know about the affair now, you worthless --

[naschkatze]

I felt the Democrats didn't put themselves out for Franken too. The Republicans, on the other hand, poured all kinds of money into Coleman. Harry and the Senate Dems were probably all praying for the Franken cup to be passed from them.

[Cunningham]

The 10 DINO Democrats in the Senate:

1. Evan Bayh (IN)
2. Max Baucus (MT)
3. Maria Cantwell (WA)
4. Mary Landrieu (LA)
5. Blanche Lincoln (AR)
6. Patty Murray (WA)
7. Bill Nelson (FL)
8. Ben Nelson (NE)
9. Mark Pryor (AR)
10 Jon Tester (MT)

Which gives the GOP a de facto majority.

[Montgriz]

I agree with Baucus...not Tester...he represents the best of Montana...an individualist, idealist, and has principles...yes, like the rest of Big Sky Country, he opposes gun control...he is basically neutral on national health insurance because he is fiscally conservative. Had we had more like him, perhaps we would not be in the shape we are in...Baucus, on the other hand, has been bought by the insurance, health and Big Pharma lobbies, not to mention AIPAC...I assume they are busy trying to buy Tester as well...I hope his Montana roots win out...Baucus was not really a Montanan....ever....

[Mikeeee]

You left off feinstein and reid. The dems need 75 seats or it's hopeless.

[Mogamboguru]

Flexing his muscles?

Jellyfish don't HAVE muscles, whatsoever!

[AmericanWarrior]

Could not have said it better myself.

[devanate]

Yes. You can bulldoze. Bush did it with an even small margin. Grow a pair and do your job you pathetic excuse for a man.

[NYC80]

LoL this is funny, this guy Reid was whinning oh we don't have 60 votes to end the Iraq War or do anything. Now the Demos has 60 votes in the senate, an Imperial army in the house, and of course the White house. If these people don't bring order, peace and prosperity to this country between now and the end of 210, I will not vote in the midterms and general elections.

[Tommygun264]

Harry Reid needs to step down and let a real Democrat with a pair like Senator Feingold take over.

[NYC80]

IF Feingold takes over the senate, he better hired an army of secret service because Corporations inc will have a bounty on his head.

[Pablo175]

Reid is an embarrassment. His negatives are astronomical. We need new Senate leadership.

[Montgriz]

BINGO! Reid represents the Mormon interests...he does not represent the people any more..

[Cunningham]

OT

Frank Kucinich, brother of U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, dies at age 60

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2009/07/frank_kucinich_brother_of_rep.html

http://kucinich.house.gov/

My deepest sympathies, Rep. Kucinich. My thoughts are with you and your loved ones.

[noamjunior]

somebody should get a copy of the procedural rules of the Senate for Mr Reid- and smack him upside the head with it !

[Ohsherri]

Why?
It's useless...he is who he is...and he's even openly admitting it.
And this is the Democrat story....excuse after excuse.

[noamjunior]

the democrats did a great job of purging the obstructionuist Gopers in the last two elections- if they want to stay i power they need to do the same with the obstructionist democRATS

[JShankel]

Well, then, if "60 votes doesn't mean anything" then I guess the solution to our problems ISN'T "elect more Democrats," after all, is it?

Is there a difference between Republicans and Democrats? Is there a difference between the toxic and the useless?

[scooperss]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Well repubs do seem to cheat on their spouses more or at least get caught at it more.

[Montgriz]

oh my, you seem to have missed some major stories of the past few years....

[Marcospinelli]

And since 60 doesn't mean anything, Joe Lieberman can be kicked out of the Democratic caucus and off the subcommittee that he chairs (and the promise to him of a committee chairmanship next Congress broken).

Without committee chairmanships, Ol' Joe may find the Senate a good place to leave.

[naschkatze]

Good point. No excuse for keeping Lieberman if 60 doesn't mean anything.

[noamjunior]

With the democrats in power, when nothing happens in congress you are frustrated
With the republicans in power, when nopthing happens in congress you are relieved

[Cunningham]

Well put.

[Montgriz]

Sadly, we NEED something to happen. In the recent past, it was not need but choice..war, corruption, etc

[scooperss]

Now, now don't be angry.
Just get out your checkbooks and donate so more dems can be elected.
Who knows, maybe with a 100 majority reid can get bills passed that actually help the American people.

[Cunningham]

Reid has no intention of getting bills passed that actually help the American people.

I am giving to progressive and liberal candidates directly through their websites and through ActBlue.com . I refuse to give ANY money to the DNC, DCCC, and DSCC when they continue to fund and support DINOs. Eff 'em.

[NCIndependant]

I just told the DCCC fund raiser that called the other day the same thing.
I will not donate further until they provide me with an alternative to the Blue Dog they've foisted upon us the past two elections. If ever there was a time we could have put a real Democrat in office it was the last election. But we got stuck between voting for a Republican that is generally considered a loon, and a Blue Dog that has voted against his own party repeatedly on the big issues.

[scooperss]

Don't they all share with each other?

[naschkatze]

Good for you. I will support my two Oregon senators when their elections come up. In the meantime, I am giving my money to the ACLU and Amnesty International to fight Obama in the courts.

[blfaul]

Now, now, you know that a 100% percent majority is no guarantee that blah, blah, blah, blah.

[Harvo]

Okay, one more time, for some strange reason this keeps getting deleted.

Why do people vote for this man as a democrat ?
Voting the dems into the majority was a waste of time, effort and money.
They are in the pockets of corporate interest just like the republicans.
Vote them all out and start fresh.

[Periwinkle]

That's what I like to see. STRONG LEADERSHIP. (OMFG we are so screwed.)

[Mij13]

Harry, you wouldn't know how to flex your muscle. Nevada needs change.

[GhiaccioPronto]

In fact we couldn't even build little sandcastles with a plastic bucket and shovel, open the jam jar by ourselves, or reach the cookie jar on the counter.

[Marcospinelli]

If TheBushYears taught us nothing else, it's that anyone can sell anything to Americans, if you're stolid & relentless in your sales pitch & tactics. It's not that BushRove was a genius & knew something that nobody else knew; Bush was just more ruthless (clumsy & careless many political graybeards would say) in doing what politicians & the parties had gone to great lengths to hide from Americans.

Obama didn't get to be the first black president, vanquish the Clinton machine & the oldest, most experienced politicians in our nation's history (including the Rove machine) by not having mastered these skills. Nor do Democratic politicians (more incumbents than ever, in office longer) not know how to do it. How do you think Democrats managed to keep impeaching Bush and Cheney off the table & have us still reelecting them, not marching on Washington with torches&pitchforks?

Obama&Democrats know how to do it -- They don't want to do it.

The trick for them has been to keep the many different populist groups believing that they really do support our issues, but that they're merely inept. And to get us to keep voting for them in spite of their failure to deliver on any of our alleged shared objectives.

Our mistake has been to believe Democrats want to pass any of it. If Democrats could get away with keeping these issues unresolved forever, they'd do that, because it keeps us dissatisfied & powerless, in disarray, but organized just enough to collect our

[Marcospinelli]

Harry Reid is the wrong person for the job.

Most of the Democrats in Congress are the wrong people for the job -- They don't work on behalf of their constituents; they work for Big Business.

I think we need to reassess our support for a Democratic Party that has been taken over by the DLC & is morphing into the NewRepublicanParty. Even the most innocent of explanations for their failure to achieve any of our alleged shared objectives is that they are inept. Now that it's coming down to our very survival as individuals & as Americans on the planet (competing with new world powers for resources in an ever more dangerous world) there is no room for 'inept'.

Personally, I don't happen to think that they're inept. They know how to get our business done -- They just don't want to do it. The trick for them has been to keep the many different populist groups believing that they really do support our issues, but that they're merely inept. And to get us to keep voting for them in spite of their failure to deliver for us.

[Ohsherri]

Great post!
Reid even ADMITS it...he 's NOT going to flex anything!!!!!
He's okay with being a NON-leader.
And apparently the other Dems are too.
There's always excuses when it comes to the Democrats.