The Nuclear Option

 

 

"One's perspective always concerns whose ox is being gored...."

 

Two things are going to happen this week. First off, as with most years, this week will be the hottest (nation wide) of the year. The second, we are going to dive a few feet deeper into the "silly season". The "silly season" really got going last Friday when a "food fight" broke out between Reid and McConnell. The two close friends (they must be, as they keep calling each other "my friend") tossed insults at each other that went from partisan to personal in about 3 seconds.

It seems that because the Democrats are now in charge of the Senate, they don't like the rules they lived by when they were the minority. They want the rules changed. The "Rules of the Senate" can only be changed by a "super majority" (67 votes) of the Senate. Leader Reid, now that he is "top dog", is tired of all the Senatorial wrangling. He wants more votes in the Senate to be simple majorities. In other words, which ever side gets 51 votes on certain procedures will win the day. To change the rules, by not following existing Senate rules, is referred to as the "nuclear option".

Over the years, many of the Senate votes to protect the minority who at times seem powerless, needed a 3/5 (60 votes) majority to carry the day. Using existing Senate rules, votes can be successful by a 51 vote, a 60 vote, or a 67 vote majority. Bottom line - no matter who is in charge, nothing is getting done. The Senate is tied up in knots. In fact, the Senate is so concerned about this issue (along with the fact their approval rating is the same as North Korea - 10%), they are all packing up and going off-site for something between a "love in" or a "battle royal".

I have said many times, the way to get things done in the quickest fashion is to adopt Occam's Razor. What is that you might say? According to Merriam Webster, Occam's Razor is defined as:

A scientific and philosophic rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities.

Huh? What does that mean? It means KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). It means take the least complicated path. It means hit the "easy button" whenever you can.

Gone are the days when the House, Senate and Executive Branch could talk and reason before putting together legislation. I think the recent schism started during the construction of Obamacare. The Democrats controlled all three houses of government and they be damned if they would ask for input from the minority. Ever since the passage of this mess, most Republicans hate his "signature" piece of legislation more than anything else in Washington. Many still want to kill it dead.  One thing has led to another and now nobody wants to work with anybody on anything.

What will happen this week with Senate and the "nuclear option"? Who knows. I do know this - if anything else gets rammed down the throat of the minority, watch out. Paybacks are hell. In addition, living with the enemy can also be hell.