"Nuclear Option" (2005) - term used by majority Republicans during Bush Administration when threatening to re-write the rules to do away with the filibuster."Nuclear Option" (2010) - term used by minority Republicans during Obama Adminstration when trying to protect at all costs their use of the filibuster.
What a difference half a decade makes. I mean, I realize it undermines my credentials as a world champion cynic to profess shock at hypocrisy in politics, but these GOP clowns really take it to absurd levels.
In 2005, Republicans were in the majority. And they didn't like that Democrats were filibustering ten of George W. Bush's judicial nominees. Dem filibustering on Bush's budget-related legislation they didn't mind quite as much, because for those bills they were able to use a process called "reconciliation" to get around the blockade; a process they didn't hesitate to use. But judicial nominees can't be reconciled, so GOP leadership threatened to eliminate the filibuster altogether as it related to judges. Not only did they refer to it as the "nuclear option" but they actually had the (world's most enormous) balls to call it the "constitutional option". Naturally, thanks to incestuous amplification, their mindless, bleating followers started repeating the same terminology and talking points. If one listened to talk radio, one would have concluded that the Democrats' use of the filibuster was anti-democracy, anti-Constitution and almost certainly meant the end of the Republic unless immediate and radical corrective action were taken.
That's when the so-called Gang of 14 - 7 Senators from each party - got together and forged a compromise. In the end, these 7 Democrats agreed not to filibuster Bush's judges "in all but extraordinary circumstances" and the 7 GOPers agreed not to vote with their leadership to re-write Senate rules to eliminate judicial filibusters. (And thanks to that "compromise" we have extreme right wing corporate whore judges like Priscilla Owen on the federal bench). The Republican "moderates" took a lot of heat from the leadership and the base for that agreement, but boy, I bet they're glad now!
Because now it's 2010. The Republicans are in the minority. And funny thing, now they no longer consider the use of the filibuster "unconstitutional". In fact, they're using it like crazy, for judicial nominees, for routine appointments, for almost every piece of legislation that the Democrats put forward. After all, they're protecting the Constitution! Up is now down, wrong is now right, etc. etc. And can you imagine what they would say if Harry Reid threatened, like they did, to take their divinely inspired filibusters away? Unthinkable. So naturally, the Democrats will do the same thing the Republicans did when they had the power -- they will use "budget reconciliation", when possible, to get around the blockade.
But wait!
NOW, suddenly, conveniently, "reconciliation" is the "nuclear option"! Yes, folks, the very same tactic Republicans repeatedly used to "jam through" (their words) legislation in the face of Bush era Democratic filibusters, they are now describing in terms best reserved for The End of Days. And once again, their mindless, bleating followers are repeating the same terminology and talking points, completely free of any and all irony. If one listened to talk radio, one would conclude that the Democrats' looming use of reconciliation is anti-democracy, anti-Constitution and almost certainly means the end of the Republic unless immediate and radical corrective action is taken.
Of course it's shockingly dishonest. Of course it's stunningly hypocritical. Of course it's transparently silly. But you knew that already. And so do they. They just don't care. Because the truth about conservatives is, they're really good at this kind of hypocrisy and their small tent laps it up. The rest of the public, meanwhile, is hearing about many of these routine parliamentary procedures for the first time.
And why is that? Why didn't the public get riled up about reconciliation when the GOP did it? Because they never heard about it. It was "inside baseball" and the Democrats didn't make a federal case. They lost, they licked their wounds, and they let the chips fall where they may. Elections have consequences and the rules are the rules. They didn't irresponsibly suggest that reconciliation was some sort of fascist putsch because, you know, it wasn't. But these GOP freaks will scream and yell and suck up all the available media oxygen coloring perfectly reasonable Senate actions - actions they have repeatedly availed themselves of - in ridiculously extremist terms. If only their own would call them on it, or collectively shrug, but fat chance.
The funny thing is, the Senate and House have already passed competing health care bills "the proper way". If the House adopts the Senate bill lock, stock then Obama can sign it into law. Many will scream they bludgeoned it through with reconciliation, but they will either be lying or misinformed. It's only subsequent changes or amendments to that law which would then be passed through reconciliation. And big deal. You may not like it, it may mean a bill you despise becomes law, it may mean you lost, but there's nothing at all "nuclear" about it in any way, shape or form. Principled opposition to the bill I can understand. There are parts of it I hate too. But phony mass hysteria about age old process is just insulting.
The GOP is hollering now that if the Democrats use reconciliation to improve the bill once it becomes law, that an appalled and outraged public will throw them out en masse. Probably just wishful thinking, but for the sake of argument, let's say it's true. My reaction is... fine. So be it. It would be nonsensical, but it would be fair. We elect Congress and the President to do a job. Both parties use the tools at their disposal to do that job as they see fit. You don't like the job they're doing, even if I think you're outraged about the wrong things? Hey, that's what we have elections for.
But when the Republicans are back in power, when down is back to up, and wrong to right, and they routinely use "reconciliation" while demonizing the Democrats' use of the filibuster... well, I hope "the American people" aren't stupid enough to have forgotten their newly discovered procedural outrage. What's bad for the cooked Democrat goose needs to be bad for the resurgent GOP gander.
