shocking news

[Danzig]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41292728/ns/politics/

Filibuster lives: Senate rejects changes in rules


WASHINGTON — The filibuster lives on. The Senate voted overwhelmingly late Thursday to reject efforts to change its rules to restrict the blockades that have sown gridlock and discord in recent years on Capitol Hill.

[Riot]

I know. I'm bereft We won't get to see Senators have to stand there and hold the floor, as they should.

But, they did do SOME good filibuster reform that will help move things along, especially eliminating secret holds. I think the "gentleman's agreement" for the GOP to stop abusing the filibuster will last .. maybe a month.

Reid and McConnell have entered a colloquy into the record establishing that Republicans would make an effort to filibuster less in exchange for Democrats reducing the use of the "filling the tree" parliamentary procedure to block them from offering amendments.

Other agreements:

· Eliminating secret holds, including the right of senators to pass their secret holds to another anonymous senator to keep a rolling secret hold.

· Eliminating senators' rights to force the reading of an amendment that has already been submitted for 72 hours and is publicly available.

· Legislation to exempt about 1/3 of all nominations from the Senate confirmation process, reducing the number of executive nominations subject to Senate delays