“Yes!”...Oregon progressive Senator Jeff Merkley says he would support abolishing the filibuster if the GOP were in the majority

[basquebromance]

i too would vote to abolish it

Meet the mild-mannered progressive who’s breaking the filibuster

More than any other senator, Jeff Merkley has frayed the fabric of the chamber’s vaunted 60-vote threshold. And he doesn’t mind if that’s used against his own party in the future.

www.politico.com

excerpts:

Republicans may capitalize first on Democrats’ plan to weaken the filibuster. That’s OK with Jeff Merkley.

“Yes!” the Oregon progressive says when asked if he’d back a future GOP effort to chip further at the 60-vote threshold that’s become a totem of the Senate. “The test of whether this is fair is whether you will support it when you’re in the minority. Put those shoes on. How would you feel?”

Merkley argues the GOP is unlikely to benefit much from such a change to a talking filibuster, given its prime goals of tax cuts and judicial confirmations. He sees Democrats as the long-term beneficiary even if Republicans make the first move.

The filibuster bothers him so much that he still loses sleep over it. He woke up at 3 a.m. on the day last week that Democrats narrowly failed to install a talking filibuster for elections legislation, going over whether there was some way to sway Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to weaken the 60-vote threshold. Calling it “Operation: Last Hope,” he privately lobbied Manchin on the floor just before the vote.

 

[1srelluc]

 

[two_iron]

He's a fucking liar.

Calling it “Operation: Last Hope,” he privately lobbied Manchin on the floor just before the vote.

What he does with his mouth, as long as it was consensual, is strictly up to him, and his party bosses.

 

[iceberg]

bullshit.

and for the record, i don't want it gone then either. maybe rework the rules but the entire point is to protect minority rights and that needs to be upheld. don't let one side with a simple say +1 majority run roughshod over the other.

 

[basquebromance]

He's a fucking liar.

Calling it “Operation: Last Hope,” he privately lobbied Manchin on the floor just before the vote.

What he does with his mouth, as long as it was consensual, is strictly up to him, and his party bosses.

it's Operation Last Hope not Operation Brokeback Mountain

 

[MarcATL]

bullshit.

and for the record, i don't want it gone then either. maybe rework the rules but the entire point is to protect minority rights and that needs to be upheld. don't let one side with a simple say +1 majority run roughshod over the other.

lol