Reid changes rules on senate floor - doing what he claimed was unamerican in 2005
- Thread starter Tsing Tao
- Start date
Lol.
BARACK OBAMA 4/13/05: âThe American people want less partisanship in this town, but everyone in this chamber knows that if the majority chooses to end the filibuster, if they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate, then the fighting, the bitterness, and the gridlock will only get worse.â (Sen. Barack Obama, Floor remarks, Washington, D.C., 4/13/05
Another inconvenient truth. Damn, those facts, they are a bitch.
"Today's pattern of obstruction, it just isn't normal," Obama said. "I support the step a majority of senators today took to change the way that Washington is doing business."
However, thatâs only partially true.
Looking at all of Obamaâs nominees across his administration, he has suffered unprecedented levels of obstruction, according to the Wall Street Journal. But when it comes to judicial nominees â the process that sparked Senate Democrats to approve the nuclear option on Thursday â heâs really just suffering from a historically negative trend going back more than two decades.
According to congressional data, former President George W. Bush actually had a lower percentage of circuit court nominees approved during his time in office than Obama.
And when it comes to the amount of time it takes for circuit court nominees to get approved, Bush and Obama are actually in surprisingly close company, with Bush fairing slightly worse. (See chart)
Obstruction of judicial nominees first became a regular practice during President Clintonâs time in office, and the amount of time it takes for a nominee to be approved skyrocketed during George W. Bushâs presidency.
According to a May report from the Congressional Research Service, President Obama had 71.4% of his circuit court nominees approved during his first term, which is slightly better than George W. Bushâs 67.3% level of success during his first term.
President Obama also didn't fare the worst when it comes to district court nominees. During his first term, 82.7% of Obamaâs district court nominees were approved, George H.W. Bush had 76.9% of his nominees approved.
"Today's pattern of obstruction, it just isn't normal," Obama said. "I support the step a majority of senators today took to change the way that Washington is doing business."
However, thatâs only partially true.
Looking at all of Obamaâs nominees across his administration, he has suffered unprecedented levels of obstruction, according to the Wall Street Journal. But when it comes to judicial nominees â the process that sparked Senate Democrats to approve the nuclear option on Thursday â heâs really just suffering from a historically negative trend going back more than two decades.
According to congressional data, former President George W. Bush actually had a lower percentage of circuit court nominees approved during his time in office than Obama.
And when it comes to the amount of time it takes for circuit court nominees to get approved, Bush and Obama are actually in surprisingly close company, with Bush fairing slightly worse. (See chart)
Obstruction of judicial nominees first became a regular practice during President Clintonâs time in office, and the amount of time it takes for a nominee to be approved skyrocketed during George W. Bushâs presidency.
According to a May report from the Congressional Research Service, President Obama had 71.4% of his circuit court nominees approved during his first term, which is slightly better than George W. Bushâs 67.3% level of success during his first term.
President Obama also didn't fare the worst when it comes to district court nominees. During his first term, 82.7% of Obamaâs district court nominees were approved, George H.W. Bush had 76.9% of his nominees approved.