Murkowski Slammed Over Filibuster Vote
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid finally went nuclear. Using a rare procedural move, Reid and a majority of Senators voted 52-48 to overhaul a filibuster rule which had largely worked for decades, but which Republicans had so abused since the beginning of the Obama administration, that judicial and cabinet appointments that once would have been routine, became dead in the water.
The numbers speak for themselves.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with some revealing numbers
The vote was largely down party lines, with 3 Democrats breaking ranks. But at least one Republican we know, who had a history of supporting the concept of the up-or-down vote, cast her vote with the rest of her party Thursday.
Elected only with the support of moderate Republicans, Alaska Natives, women, and Democrats, Murkowski has managed to raise the hackles of all those groups. Now, it’s the moderates’ turn. It’s interesting to note Murkowski’s “flexible” opinion on whether presidential nominations deserve an up or down vote by the Senate.
“Let me make it clear that I support an up-or-down vote on all nominations brought to the Senate floor, regardless of the president nominating them or which party controls the Senate.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski, 2005
“I stated during the Bush Administration that judicial nominations deserved an up or down vote, except in ‘extraordinary circumstances’ and my position has not changed simply because there is a different president making the nominations.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski, 2011
“Today, Senate Democrats decided they want more party line votes to push their agenda forward without needing to engage a single Republican. It’s a power grab, plain and simple… I am astonished that only three Democrats refused to make this drastic political move to change the process.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski, 2013
That last quote came just after the vote Thursday. It was part of a larger diatribe Murkowski posted to her Facebook page. Instead of remaining mum after what was undoubtedly tremendous pressure to vote with her party, Murkowski launched into a full-throated assault on Democrats, leaving many of her moderate constituents flat.
While Alaska is a red state, without a doubt, it has not cast its lot with the Tea Party crowd. The approval of the Tea Party with voters tends to hover around 20%, and Murkowski herself won a historic write-in campaign as an Independent because Alaskans were so adamantly opposed to her Republican Tea Party opponent Joe Miller.
That said, it’s been interesting to note some of the many responses flooding in to her Facebook page just hours after the vote, and after her appearance on a right-wing radio talk show decrying the Democratic “power grab.” And by “power grab” she means that her party is no longer allowed to break the government just because it can. As of this writing, there are 116 comments total on Murkowski’s post, and only 15 are supportive of her vote against filibuster reform – 12% of the total comments. By contrast, Alaska’s other Senator, Democrat Mark Begich’s comments in response to his yes vote are running 64% positive.
Senator Lisa Murkowski tweeted this picture of herself calling in to a right-wing radio show in Alaska to talk about the Democrats’ #powergrab
And that’s the lay of the land in this state with fewer than a million people who elected a moderate Republican and a Blue Dog Democrat.
Here is a sample of comments opposing Murkowski’s no vote on her Facebook page.
BC – Are you serious? What have the Republicans done since Obama was first elected in 2008? Not a single thing but obstruct, obstruct, and obstruct some more. Your side is the side that shut down our govt. Your side is the side of refusing to confirm a single nominee. Please!!! Until your side starts doing the job we sent your side to do your side has zero credibility.
2 hours ago · Like · 28
LN – I love you, Senator, but we all know that the GOP was blocking way too much. It wasn’t about qualified individuals anymore. It was becoming political. I mean dozens of blocked nominees? Come on. The Justice System was starting to suffer massively.
2 hours ago via mobile · Like · 22
TR – Very disappointed with your propaganda. There is still a filibuster, and you can use it. Just not to derail EVERYthing. if there was a working coalition that was acting responsibly, this would not have had to happen. God knows, you had many chances at that apple. Well done Harry Reid, and wondering if I want to vote for you again.
2 hours ago via mobile · Like · 14
JV – Ohhh please…you obviously do not believe what you’re actually saying because you are a moderate politician. The GOP has done nothing but filibuster all major bills which requires 60 votes. This is unprecedented especially with the recent filibuster of three judicial nominees by the President. This obstruction has to stop! Whatever happened to a simple majority vote?
2 hours ago via mobile · Like · 20
BS – You Republicans worked hard for this. Look in the mirror if you want to find fault.
2 hours ago via mobile · Like · 20
WK – Senator, a few months ago you were saying you went with the other side to cut off the fillaibuster and believed that issues should be voted on, not stopped from being voted on. Now you are upset that a change of rules is going to do exactly what you advocated. Please make up your mind, you can’t have it both ways.
about an hour ago · Unlike · 15
CD – lisa, you are a woman I have respected for many years but you need to quit towing the party line and think for yourself. quit whining. if the rest of the republicans want to sit on their butts and cry how unfair life is and screw Americans at every turn, well that is on them but don’t you be that republican. because that republican gets no respect and will soon get no votes.
about an hour ago · Like · 6
BA – I, like most thinking people who currently disapprove of Congress to the tune of 85%, are pretty sick and tired of virtually nothing getting done due to your party’s unshakable obstructionism, so something was finally done about it. With the unprecedented hold up of 3 judiciary nominees by your party for no clear reason, you broke the camel’s back. It’s time you all start working together, instead of just saying you should.
about an hour ago · Unlike · 10
LW – Sorry Lisa, I can’t get on board with you this time. It’s about making what has been called “the world’s greatest deliberative body” function the way the Framers of the Constitution intended. Republican obstruction should not go so far that nominees do not get a fair up or down vote. If things continued business as usual the Democrats would pull this b.s as well but instead, thankfully they put a stop to it.
2 hours ago · Like · 16
AA – Ms. Murkowski, I read your post, and that dog won’t hunt. Your side abused the filibuster and now it’s gone. Actions, meet consequences.
2 hours ago · Like · 24
JF – Sorry Lisa, the violin section is getting louder.
2 hours ago · Like · 13
And here are some of the comments supporting her:
CP – Begich sold us out.
2 hours ago via mobile · Like · 4
ML – How soon do we forget the Bush years when the Democrats did the exact same thing. But I applaud you, Senator, for taking a stand for the rules that should apply for everyone. I just can’t wait to see when this rule backfires on the Dems.
2 hours ago · Like 0
VH – mark stood against you again… he needs to go.
2 hours ago · Like 0
DW – I will say it, and probably get arrested. Obama is a tyrant, the United States of America is now a socialist country being prepared for totalitarian declaration by Obama to be the Dictator of our country. Sadly, we the people are not getting off our collective asses and taking a stand. And our elected representatives are so worried about re-election they are not doing what really needs to be done and stand up against those that are nullifying the very Constitution our country was founded on.
about an hour ago · Edited · Like · 4
DB – Lots of Demokrat vitriol here this evening. Sounds to me like the Kool-Aid is flowing freely.
about an hour ago via mobile · Like · 1
SK – The negative people on here must be the 30% that approve of the currant state of this country. Dem plants as stated earlier. When are you people gona wek up and stop drinking the Kool aid. This country is hurting and the dems are right there pushing it over the cliff. Sad sad sad
about an hour ago via mobile · Like · 1
TT – Senator. .you are spot on with this one…I wholeheartedly support your position on this….negative comments are obviously dem party plants
2 hours ago via mobile · Like · 0
Lisa is as partisan as they come. Any howling going on by GOP when House changed rules so that one person, and one person only, could bring a bill to the House floor for a vote to end the shutdown??
http://tinyurl.com/muudbce
The economic cost of filibuster reform. Good short read. Rethugs used the filibuster and the DC Circuit Court to deny Wall Street regulatory reforms. I can see why they don’t want a Liberal majority on the DC court.
I’m so beyond tired of Ms Murkowski’s endless mixed messages routine and partisan horsepunky,
All the tea cake doofs in the state who call her a Dem in disguise haven’t got a clue what a lockstep R she really is.
Dear Senator M-
Please keep quiet on this subject until and unless you are ready to truly engage with the questions surrounding the number of filibusters of nominees during Mr Obama’s terms of office so far.
Truly explain why and how the huge backlog of unfilled seats fulfills the Senate’s obligation as regards advise and consent stuff.
And leave out the usual well-it-wasn’t-a-perfect-answer-so-I-voted/am-against-it stuff. Tired of that too.
We don’t even get to hear about what might or might not be unsatisfactory about nominees anymore. We just hear the Rs endless and resounding NO!.
Pffft!
And you can take the power-grab crap and shovel it somewhere else m’dear.
After the last few years any R who toots that one is a hypocrite.
And I hardly ever call anyone a hypocrite. Almost never.
Your unhappy and disgusted constituent,
Pi
Wouldn’t that be the same Lisa Murkowski who said she would not vote in lockstep with the Rethuglicans?
The very same one. Pffft!
Yup, that’s her
Power grab?? What about YOUR party’s power grab? The one that says it’s ok to “rule” by filibuster?
Like a bunch of playground bullies, they cry fowl when someone stands up to them.
What is it with wingers and Kool-aid? Do they somehow imagine they’re being clever and hip? What, they have no mirrors in their homes?
If Derp were terminal, these dopes would be six feet under.
Really looking forward to seeing how the Tea Party dynamic plays out in the GOP primary, as they clamor to see who will oppose Begich. Seems like Treadwell is the strongest candidate of a weak GOP field. So if he wins will Miller throw in as an Independent in the general? The TP types can’t be too comfortable with an east coast, Ivy League type like Treadwell, however much he denies such in the primary. Begich wins by the narrowest possible margin, is my puny prediction.
Might be room on Mt Rushmore for you,right next to other visionaries. 🙂
Maybe $creech Paylin (R-Facebook) will throw her wig into the ring to rilly shake things up — NOT.
Bwahahahahahah
If I understand aright, and I admit I may not; this rule change applies only to executive appointments and not legislation so the republicans still have carte blanche to block legislation. Yep, that there is a sweeping takeover of government power. After about five years of trying to compromise with a bunch of petulant , hostile
and overtly racist obstinate obstructionists, the senate, finally has decided to go back to work instead of standing in the playground and kicking the sand while shouting no no no!
People here, who spent a couple decades living under the rule of military dictators, are not much amused.
They do not see the US as the great savior. Our overwhelming military might is a tacit threat. You either
toe the line or we get in your face. A lot of people who might agree with us at some level bristle when threatened. What we do affects the world. and the world is aware of it even if we are not.
One can only hope rwnj get a taste of a real dictatorship so they can finally understand how infantile their whining about socialist,commie,Muslim Obama and commie Libs really is. Spoiled they are and pampered beyond belief. How is your bird watching going? 🙂
{Like} — Last sentence cracked me up…ta hell weeeth ‘segues’! ;-). beth..
{LIKE! beth.}
I like beth., 🙂
Right back at ya’, mike from iowa! beth.
–And yes! I’m still sorely missing the “like” button for comments. I’ve been reading all sorts of WONDERFUL –as always– comments by ‘flatters these past few days, but feel making a separate post to say so (IE: posting “{Like. beth.”}) for each one would be a tad obnoxious. I truly hate to ‘read and run”, but what’s a girl to do? Do I take up interwebs space by making a ‘post’ for each one… OTOH, not leaving any ‘mark’ makes it seem as if the post hasn’t been read (by anyone). Not having the “like” button makes me have a sad. A very large one. b.
Agreed, beth! We need a “Like” button here!
Yes to a Like button! It only takes a simple widget addition – come on AKM!
I have it on good? authority from Fake Noise that Mitch McCturtle has placed a rilly secretive,secrety hold and filibuster on the Mudflat’s like button. Un-‘murrican says he,with glee.The new Q-P doll(Quitter Palin for the uninformed) is being sent to distract normal people so Darrell Issa’s Investigate Everything Liberal commitee can tie this into Benghazi and women’s rights. David Blaine has been hired to make Mt Denali appear to disappear so Boner and crew can file impeachment charges against Obama for theft of a rilly important mountain. Moron this later as more fauxknee fax become available. 🙂
😀
What Alaska Pi just said. beth.