NRSC

Harry Reid's Filibuster Flip-Flop

Talking Points Memo reported that Senator Harry Reid spoke earlier today to a group of “progressive” reporters, pundits, and bloggers in which he blamed Republicans for obstructionism – apparently ignoring that until recently, Democrats had a 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. Reid then announced that he would be moving forward with “filibuster reform” legislation. 

In fact, according to TPM, Reid even claimed that GOP “obstructionism” was to blame for his much-maligned decision to yank – and ultimately scale-down – a bipartisan jobs bill last month. GOP obstructionism?  Here’s what actually happened last month, as reported by Politico:

• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid led colleagues and the White House to believe he supported a bipartisan jobs bill — only to scuttle the plan as soon as it was released Thursday over concerns it could be used to batter Democratic incumbents, according to Senate sources.  Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) worked for weeks with Reid's blessing and frequent involvement to craft an $85 billion jobs bill, a measure that seemed destined to break the partisan logjam that has ground the Senate to a halt.  But as Baucus, Grassley and President Barack Obama were preparing to celebrate a rare moment of bipartisan Kumbaya on Thursday, Reid stunned a meeting of Senate Democrats by announcing he was scrapping Baucus-Grassley, replacing it with a much cheaper, more narrowly crafted, $15 billion version.  (Lisa Lerer & Glen Thrush, Reid’s About-Face Stuns Dems, White House, Politico, 02/11/10)

But that wasn’t even the most egregious aspect of Reid’s remarks today. In announcing that he will move forward with filibuster reform legislation, voters are reminded that Reid has made countless statements over the years defending the use and importance of the filibuster. Reid went so far as to declare in his own book, The Good Fight, that “without robust debate, the Senate is crippled.” And while the Democrats were in the minority in 2005, Reid also said on the Senate floor that “the filibuster is an important check on executive power and part of every Senator’s right to free speech in the United States Senate.” 

So what’s changed Senator Reid, other than the fact that Democrats are now in the Majority?

NRSC Communications Director Brian Walsh released the following statement in response:

“When Republicans help retire Harry Reid in November at least he’ll be able to fall back on a second career teaching a college course for aspiring politicians on how to abuse power and skirt the rules.  We’ve really seen it all from Harry Reid in recent months though – from the Louisiana Purchase, to the Cornhusker Kickback, to Gator-aid.  I guess we can call this one the ‘Filibuster Flip-Flop.’  The reality is that behind Harry Reid’s faux outrage is a professional politician who will do or say anything to get his way and ram through the liberal Democrat agenda in Congress. 

“Unfortunately, as has happened so many times throughout his career, Reid’s words come back to haunt him.  So we look forward to hearing him explain why free speech and the importance of a ‘robust debate’ were so important when Democrats were in the minority, while he’s preparing to cast both principles aside when he’s in the majority today.  Until then, we’ve all seen once again, and firsthand, the partisan, bullying manner in which Harry Reid runs the U.S. Senate, and a major reason why Nevada voters want fresh, new leadership for their State.”