Curmudgeon's Corner
cur-mud-geon: anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
The "Nuclear Option"
Remember the last time the “Nuclear Option” was all the rage in the U. S. Senate? It was in 2005 when Harry Reid (D-NV) was the minority leader in the Senate. At that point he was quoted as saying, “This is about removing the last check in Washington against complete abuse of power.” He said he would “never, ever consider breaking the rules to change the rules.”
Now he is, of course, the Senate majority leader and the Nuclear Option is what he is threatening if the Republican minority doesn’t agree with his desires to change the Senate rules so that he could get his agenda passed far more easily.
Changing the Senate rules was no more or less correct in 2005 than it is today.
This back and forth where convenience trumps that which is correct and proper is exactly the kind of action that causes people to question the ethical substance of those we elect. Those who created these rules were wise enough to understand that there were going to be ups and downs for each major party in terms of control of the Senate.
The selective memory of those who demonstrate this kind of deviousness is unattractive no matter which party is in power. Power-mania makes schoolyard bullies of too many of those who bask in the light of political power.
Harry Reid is but the most recent schoolyard bully to strut his stuff in the halls of Congress.
The ‘balance of power’ in national government is among the most important protections ‘we the people’ have. Playing with that balance is unwise and can only lead to things we will come to regret.
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