memeorandum: Democracy Returns to the Senate (New York Times)

10:10 AM ET, November 22, 2013

Top Items:

The Democrats' naked power grab — “Congress is broken,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday before holding a party-line vote that disposed of rules that have guided and protected the chamber since 1789. — If Congress wasn't broken before, it certainly is now.

Discussion: Betsy's Page, Right Turn, Guardian, PostPartisan, GOP.com, National Review, Conservatives4Palin, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Fix, Hit & Run, Questions and Observations and The Gateway Pundit

New York Times:

Democracy Returns to the Senate — For five years, Senate Republicans have refused to allow confirmation votes on dozens of perfectly qualified candidates nominated by President Obama for government positions. They tried to nullify entire federal agencies by denying them leaders.

John Dickerson / Slate:

The Old Senate Was Already Dead — Passing filibuster reform just made it official. — If West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd were still in the Senate, it would be fascinating to see which side of the recent filibuster debate he would take. Byrd was a defender of Senate traditions …

Patterico's Pontifications:

Hysterical Hypocrisy on Filibusters from the New York Times — The New York Times editorial board today, November 21, 2013, editorializing in favor of the judicial filibuster, at a time when we have a Democratic President and Senate majority: … Thank God we have a “return to the democratic process …

Discussion: Hot Air, Power Line and New York Times

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:

Nine reasons the filibuster change is a huge deal — 1. The change the Senate made today is small but consequential: The filibuster no longer applies to judicial or executive-branch nominees. It still applies to bills and Supreme Court nominations. — Goodbye, filibuster. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Discussion: Firedoglake, Outside the Beltway, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, NewsBusters, White House.gov Blog, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, The Plum Line, National Review, ABC News, Talking Points Memo, PostPartisan, Shakesville, Washington Monthly, Washington Center … and Marginal Revolution

Zachary A. Goldfarb / Washington Post:
Senate's filibuster rule change should help Obama achieve key second-term priorities

Discussion: The BLT, PostPartisan, The Daily Caller, Booman Tribune and Wonkblog

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
Partisan Fever in Senate Likely to Rise

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Plum Line, Outside the Beltway, NBC Politics, NBCNews and Prairie Weather

Sahil Kapur / Talking Points Memo:
Norm Ornstein: Republicans Forced Reid's Hand On The Nuclear Option

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Wonkblog, Balloon Juice, The Plum Line, The Impolitic and The Other McCain

Brian Beutler / Salon:
Reid goes nuclear — now bring on the liberal activist judges!

Discussion: Liberaland, The Plum Line, The Week and Wonkblog

Dan Merica / CNN:
The man who coined the term ‘nuclear option’ regrets ever pursuing it

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New Day and Washington Post

Roger Pilon / National Review:
Harry Reid's Nuclear Hypocrisy

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications and protein wisdom

The Daily Beast:
Why the Filibuster Had to Go — By Jamelle BouieNovember 21st 20132:15 PM

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Joel B. Pollak / BREITBART.COM:
NUCLEAR: REID, DEMOCRATS DESTROY FILIBUSTER, 52-48

Discussion: Washington Post and Little Green Footballs

Paul Waldman / American Prospect:
Don't Believe the Republican Cries of Vengeance

Discussion: Washington Monthly, USA Today, First Read, Mother Jones, Right Turn, LifeNews.com, Lawyers, Guns & Money, BBC and The Dish

Dylan Scott / Talking Points Memo:
McCain: Dems Will Pay ‘Heavy, Heavy Price’ For Changing Filibuster

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, rubber hose, National Review, Washington Monthly, The Verge and Daily Kos

Janet Hook / Wall Street Journal:
Democrats Rein In Senate Filibusters

Discussion: DealBook, Via Meadia, The Volokh Conspiracy, Law Blog and Washington Wire

Jose Delreal / Politico:
Paul on Reid: 'We've got a big bully'

Discussion: Reuters, The Fix, Liberal Values, PostPartisan and Talking Points Memo

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:
Why Harry Reid Went Nuclear

Discussion: Guardian and Prairie Weather

Lauren McGaughy / New Orleans Times-Picayune:

Mary Landrieu approval ratings drop, Bobby Jindal's rise in latest polling data — U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu's approval rating dropped and Gov. Bobby Jindal's rose over the last six months, according to polling data released Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013 from Southern Media & Opinion Research.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Paul Steinhauser / CNN:

Obama approval rating sinks to new low in CNN poll — Washington (CNN) - As President Barack Obama's approval rating hits another all-time low, a new national survey also indicates that Americans say the President has less power than congressional Republicans when it comes to shaping events over the next year.

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, TruthRevolt.org, Power Line, Hot Air, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Weasel Zippers and National Review

CNN:
CNN Poll: JFK tops presidential rankings for last 50 years

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Scott Walker / Wall Street Journal:

How to Win the Obama-Walker Voters — If conservative principles are the problem, then why are so many Republicans in office who campaigned on them? — In the wake of the 2012 elections, Republicans are being warned once again that they need to compromise their principles to win at the ballot box.

Discussion: Associated Press and First Read

Jonathan Martin / New York Times:
Health Law Is Dividing Republican Governors

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and First Read

Peter Hamby / CNN:
How Chris Christie took over the Republican Governors Association

Discussion: Guardian, Texas Politics, The Week and Washington Post

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

Expanding Social Security — For many years there has been one overwhelming rule for people who wanted to be considered serious inside the Beltway. It was this: You must declare your willingness to cut Social Security in the name of “entitlement reform.” It wasn't really about the numbers …

Discussion: Business Insider

Politico:

Older hill aides shocked by Obamacare prices — Veteran House Democratic aides are sick over the insurance prices they'll pay under Obamacare, and they're scrambling to find a cure. — “In a shock to the system, the older staff in my office (folks over 59) have now found …

Discussion: Hot Air

Martha T. Moore / Associated Press:

ACLU sues Kansas over voter registration requirements — Group argues against “two-tier” voting system — The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Kansas over the state's refusal to allow residents to vote in state elections without showing proof of citizenship.

Skip Navigation / ACLU:
ACLU Challenges Kansas' Two-Tiered Voter Registration System

Discussion: Politico and Associated Press

The / Los Angeles Times:

Why JFK still matters — President Kennedy was a transformative figure, not just a charismatic celebrity. — Nov. 22 marks the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. (CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images) — This week even Americans …

Brianna Keilar / CNN:

Key part of HeathCare.gov passed test, but Anonymous Shopper shelved anyway — Washington (CNN) — When the troubled federal health care website came online, the key “Anonymous Shopper” function was nowhere to be found — even though it passed a key test almost two weeks before HealthCare.gov launched.

Discussion: Hot Air

Brendan Sasso / The Hill:

House panel approves spying bill, targets leaks — The House Intelligence Committee approved legislation Thursday to re-authorize the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies. — The bill includes an additional $75 million to combat insider threats following the leaks …

Discussion: The Switch

Bloomberg:

Insurers to Get Extra Month to Set 2015 Obamacare Rates — The Obama administration plans to push back by a month the second-year start of enrollment in its health program to give insurers more time to adjust to growing pains in the U.S. law, a move that may stave off higher premiums before the 2014 congressional elections.

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Weasel Zippers, Right Wing News and The Daily Caller