Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whining about the rules she created.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein,
idiot:
"We're here on six-year terms for a reason, to take votes on difficult issues," Feinstein said. "Everything needs 60 votes today. This is supposed to be a majority body. We have crafted an assault weapons bill to really represent the people of America. Every single poll has shown support for this."
Remember, Feinstein was one of the very few Democrats who stymied efforts to reform the filibuster at the start of this year. Here is Feinstein,
late last year:
“I think that’s a mistake at this time but I’ll listen to arguments,” said Feinstein, when asked about the prospect of using the constitutional option to change filibuster rules.
Feinstein said she could support the more modest step of eliminating the ability to filibuster motions to proceed to new business. Changing the rules to make it more difficult to block votes on bills’ final passage would be bigger step.
She specifically sat in the way of reform, then sits there and whines about how the Senate is "supposed to be a majority body"? She
specifically made sure it wasn't!
She's not the only one. Sen. Dick Durbin spent yesterday talking about how "disappointed" he was with Republicans, how "unfair" it was, yet Durbin worked overtime after the election to make sure meaningful filibuster reform wasn't on the table.
There's Sen. Chuck Schumer, another filibuster supporter, spent yesterday blaming the NRA for the legislative failure. But the NRA wasn't able to get majority support for its position on most of the control measures yesterday. It was Schumer's efforts to save the filibuster that ultimately doomed that legislation.
And yet another filibuster supporter, Sen. Pat Leahy, saw his gun trafficking amendment—supported by the NRA—also go down in defeat with 58 votes. (Though to his credit, I haven't heard Leahy whine about yesterday's results. Then again, he probably doesn't give a shit considering he doesn't think it's the Senate's job to get stuff done.)
Fact is, a majority of the U.S. Senate lost a vote on an issue garnering the support of more than 90 percent of the American people.
Senators representing 76% of Americans voted for the background checks bill that FAILED. Our institutions are broken and lives are at stake.
— @rockrichard via HootSuite
But as annoying as those other reform opponents are, it is Feinstein who deserves particular scorn, with her fantastical claims that the Senate is "supposed to be a majority body". But hey, this is progress. If she truly believes that, then she can join the reformers by calling for genuine filibuster reform. (We contacted her office to see if she was "evolving" on the issue, but they refused to answer.)
As even Reid has made clear, it's never too late to change those rules. They can be amended by simple majority vote at any time. Tell them that it's long past time they do so.