Reality Invades the Senate

Finally, Harry Reid sticks it to the Senate Republican obstructionists:

I would like to inform the Republican leadership and all my colleagues that we have no intention of backing down. If Republicans do not allow a vote on Levin-Reed today or tomorrow, we will work straight through the night on Tuesday. The American people deserve an open and honest debate on this war, and they deserve an up-or-down vote on this amendment to end it.

Given the Republican leadership’s decision to block the amendment, we have no choice but to do everything we can in the coming days to highlight Republican obstruction. We do this in hopes of ultimately getting a simple up-or-down vote on this and other important amendments that could change the direction of the war.

All Senators will be welcome to speak their mind. Those of us who are ready to end the war will make our case to the American people. Those who support the status quo are welcome to equal floor time to make their case. Let the American people hear the arguments. Let them see their elected representatives engaging in a full, open and honest debate. Let them hear why Republicans are obstructing us on this amendment.

They're allowed, under Senate rules, to filibuster, but we, the people, should be informed that's what they're doing. They've been hiding behind their rules, and it's taken Reid too long to call them on it.

Some comments by Greg Sargent on the move, with a link to Bob Geiger explaining the procedural ins and outs.

Digby has a list of what the Democrats have allowed the Republicans to block without being accountable for it.

I doubt that the public has any idea that the GOP have blocked these bills. And they never will if the Democrats don't force the Republicans to stand up and publicly defend their actions and put their mouths where their money is. I want to see Huckleberry Graham give his famous dramatic reading of Miss Mellie's death scene in "Gone With The Wind" to obstruct passage of the Webb amendment, don't you?

The one thing they don't want is to have to stand up publicly and give reasons for opposing legislation that the majority of the people want and need. Given that they were all over the Democrats in the last Congress for even hinting that they might filibuster (remember the "atomic option"?), I think it's only fair that they should be on notice that they're now on record.

Why did it take so long?

Update:

Mitch McConnell has made a counteroffer: an automatic 60-vote minimum on any Iraq-related legislation. What a crock. Reid needs to slap him down right now.