24 Feb 2010
Obama and Other Democrat Senators Condemn Nuclear Option
Barack Obama, Chris Dodd, Democrats, Diane Feinstein, Harry Reid, Health Care Reform, Hillary Clinton, Hypocrisy, Joseph Biden, Max Baucus, Reconciliation, Senate
Back in 2005, when democrats held up George W. Bush’s judicial appointments in an unprecedented display of partisanship, the Republican majority in the Senate threatened to use the so-called “nuclear option,” i.e., to use reconciliation to overcome the filibuster to achieve judicial confirmations.
Diane Feinstein warns: “It begins with judicial nominations, next will be executive appointments, and then legislation.”
5:00 video
Biden: “I pray God when the Democrats take back control we don’t make the kind of naked power grab you are doing.”
In 2005, John McCain split from the Republican Party and derailed the proposed nuclear option, imposing his own compromise.