I remember being told in 2004 by Senate Dems that they were utterly helpless to stop the GOP jugernaut of 55 Senators when they steamrolled us with god-awful legislation, like the bankruptcy bill written by the credit-card companies.
Dems kept offering amendments to that bill:
--give soldiers a break from bankruptcy serving overseas. DENIED.
--give people a break who are bankrupt because they had no medical insurance and had high hospital bills. DENIED!
The bill passed just the way Bush and the GOP wanted it. They negotiated--by saying my way or the highway. And as expected, our guys caved.
GET US IN OFFICE! The Dems cried. Things would be different!
So we did. We put into office a Dem prez, a supermajority in the House, and a "fillibuster-proof" Senate. NEVER will we have this majority again--but it apparently isn't enough to get any of our signature legislation passed.
It didn't have to be this way...
Reid could have broken the healthcare reform bill in two.
Reid could have at least threatened Reconciliation.
Reid could have at least threatened nuking the fillibuster to 55 votes. (67 to amend rules, but 51 to start fresh).
What did we have to fear? Retaliation? Really? Would the mean GOP "slow down" the Senate? What would that look like? Put the jobs creation bill up...let them try to stop it...just what the F*&K are you so damn afraid of?
Give 'em Hell Harry, my ass!
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