Mitch McConnell's Hysterical Threat

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says that if Majority Leader Leader Harry Reid goes nuclear on presidential nominations.

“There not a doubt in my mind that if the majority breaks the rules of the Senate to change the rules of the Senate with regard to nominations, the next majority will do it for everything,” McConnell said on the floor.

McConnell already requires that all legislation, amendments and nomination pass the 60 vote threshold. McConnell is threatening to do what he already does for all votes. McConnell hysterically filibustered his own.

Democratic Whip Dick Durbin made this comment on McConnell filibustering his own legislation.

“This may be a moment in Senate history when a senator … filibustered his own proposal,” he said. “I don’t think this has ever happened before.”

McConnell's threat should not be taken seriously. McConnell will punish the Democrats, if Republicans win back the Senate. The nuclear option will not sway McConell from blocking Democratic legislation.

The Benchwarmers

People wonder why Majority Leader Harry Reid did not push for real filibuster reform. The same reason why House Speaker John Boehner's 112th Congress passed the lowest amount of bills since the 1940s. It goes beyond ideology and partisnship. Congress doesn't want to have to have tough votes on the roll call. Political cowardness trumps politics.

Remember the vote for the Iraq Resolution. The legislation was based on fiction.

Whereas the United States is determined to prosecute the war on terrorism and Iraq’s ongoing support for international terrorist groups combined with its development of weapons of mass destruction in direct violation of its obligations under the 1991 cease-fire and other United Nations Security Council resolutions make clear that it is in the national security interests of the United States and in furtherance of the war on terrorism that all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions be enforced, including through the use of force if necessary;

Whereas Congress has taken steps to pursue vigorously the war on terrorism through the provision of authorities and funding requested by the President to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized,

committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations; Whereas the President and Congress are determined to continue to take all appropriate actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations;

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to take action in order to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States, as Congress recognized in the joint resolution on Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107–40); a

Whereas it is in the national security interests of the United States to restore international peace and security to the Persian Gulf region: Now, therefore, be it

The kicker is Congress never declared war. The Constitution clearly states only Congress has the power "to declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water." Congress gave Bush the power to decide if he wanted to invade Iraq.

(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to— (1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and (2) enforce all relevant

Senators like John Kerry tried to escape responsibility for their votes.

"We should not have gone to war knowing the information that we know today," Kerry said Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." "Knowing there was no imminent threat to America, knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction, knowing there was no connection of Saddam Hussein to al Qaeda, I would not have gone to war. That's plain and simple."

That is what Senate hearings are for. Don't give President Bush a blank check and expect him not to use it.

Harry Reid is doing everything in his power to avoid gun control legislation. Reid will likely use the excuse that his caucus doesn't support the legistation. This will save Democrats and Republicans from having to vote. Their is bipartisan support in ducking gun control.

“Something will happen. The question is what,” says one senior Hill aide. “What matters to Reid is trying to protect his caucus. I don’t think he is going to want to put Democrats in conservative-leaning states taking votes on something that won’t have a clear pathway to success.”

Sen. Marco Rubio said Congress is too busy to take on gun control. This is coming from the same man that never introduced his immigration bill because he went on a book tour.

Congress can't get anything done because they have no desire to. We don't have elected leaders. WE have benchwarmers collecting a government paycheck.

Why Bernie Sanders Position Is Smart Policy and Politics

Sen. Bernie Sanders tapped into something very special with his near-filibuster. The Senate server temporarily shut down. Obama's neoliberal tendencies and political team's decision that a tax cut deal would play well with independent voters in 2012. Sander's stirring floor speeches is proof that populism sell politically.

The Obama team is made the tax cut deal strictly for their 2012 re-election chances. As the bizarre Bill Clinton press conference illustrates this White House is disorganized. Obama's lame excuse that he couldn't talk about tax policy with President Clinton and the media was disaster. It made Obama appear as if he doesn't care and needs a former president to do his heavy lifting. I think there is truth to the latter. Another example of disorganization is Obama not consulting with leaders of the Democratic caucuses before making the tax cut deal. This was amazingly stupid Obama only has himself to blame for his caucuses being angry at him.

Obama's complaints that Congress should have handled this and progressives should be on his side. Whether you agree with his grievances, it appears that Obama expect other people to follow lockstep with him. At the end of the day Obama is the leader of the Democratic Party.

People have compared Obama to Bush I. The comparison I will make is George H.W. Bush was hated by the Republican establishment, the base, had a slumping economy and went back on a tax pledge. Bush lost his re-election bid.

Sen Sanders Call to Action

Sen, Bernie Sanders said he is issuing a "call to action" and not a filibuster. Progressives are urging 1,000,000 citizen calls to the Senate for a better tax bill. The phone number of the United States Senate is 1-866-338-1015.

Quote of the Day: Bernie Sanders Filibuster

"People are going cold. People don't have enough food. People are homeless."

Sen. Bernie Sanders, on the Senate floor.

Whether or not Sanders filibuster will be successful, he is doing a needed service of reminding America of the disadvantaged people in the country.

Sanders is on C-SPAN right now.