{"id":10589,"date":"2013-07-09T00:51:28","date_gmt":"2013-07-09T07:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=10589"},"modified":"2013-07-09T00:51:28","modified_gmt":"2013-07-09T07:51:28","slug":"nuclear-hopes-and-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2013\/07\/09\/nuclear-hopes-and-fears\/","title":{"rendered":"Nuclear Hopes and Fears"},"content":{"rendered":"

The immigration bargain in the Senate is done, and although Democrats gave away far too much pork to grease the palms of Republican Senators, at least they actually did something.   Now they have returned from yet another undeserved vacation, and business returns to confirming the nominees that the executive branch needs to function.  Sadly, what will happen rests largely in the hands of one man.<\/font><\/p>\n

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\"Reid-LegHound\"<\/p>\n

With the July 4 recess over, the fireworks now begin for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. <\/p>\n

In the next month, the Nevada Democrat\u2019s legacy as leader will be set with a decision on the so-called \u201cnuclear option.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will he be the majority leader who allowed the Senate to sink into dysfunction in the face of Republican refusal to allow President Obama to select Cabinet members and judicial nominees? Or is he the majority leader who will be remembered for fighting back against the GOP\u2019s strategy of obstruction through paralysis?<\/p>\n

Time is running out for Reid to get any political value from calling for a vote to blow up the current 60-vote requirement to end filibusters. At the end of the month, the August recess will arrive and then comes September and the start of the Congress\u2019 transition to the 2014 campaigns, further draining any remaining momentum from  Obama\u2019s reelection victory.<\/p>\n

So, in the next three weeks Reid will have no choice but to take action or accept defeat<\/strong>. Having passed its immigration bill, the Senate now gets back to its failure to confirm the president\u2019s nominee to run the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy, and his choice for Labor secretary, Thomas Perez. In addition, the president has a nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau \u2014 Richard Cordray \u2014 also waiting for Senate attention\u2026 [emphasis added<\/em>]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Inserted from <The Hill<\/a>><\/p>\n

Unfortunately I call Reid The Nevada Leg Hound<\/em><\/strong>, because he has made the wrong choice far too many times in the past.  He has seemed infinitely willing to accept \u2018gentlemen’s agreements\u2019 from Republicans, which is the functional equivalent of accepting \u2018Henhouse Security Agreements\u2019 from foxes.<\/font><\/p>\n

Here is Reid last May 18.<\/font><\/p>\n