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Post by bot on Sept 8, 2014 18:46:17 GMT -5
Why the Battle for the Senate Matters Morning Line: "It's easy to dismiss this election and say it doesn't matter all that much, because there will be continued gridlock. And in a lot of ways, because of the 60 vote threshold to pass almost any legislation, that's true. But here are two reasons why the election does matter: (1) this is an obvious one, but it's about tone and power positioning. For the first two years of the Obama presidency, Washington was dominated by Democrats. Then one piece shifted to Republicans with their taking the House after the 2010 midterms. Obama was re-elected in 2012 and Democrats held the Senate but now that is threatened. If Republicans take the Senate, it will be a further erosion of this president's leverage in his last two years. (2) A more practical and overlooked area is judges. When Majority Leader Harry Reid changed the rules to require just just a simple majority to fill lower court vacancies, this president has been able to fast track his nominees. If Republicans control the chamber, it will be much harder for this president to get them through." Said Jeff Greenfield: "With control over the Senate machinery and all committees, I'm not sure Obama could put a single federal judge on the bench-not to mention the end of whatever domestic agenda he might have." politicalwire.com/archives/2014/09/08/why_the_battle_for_the_senate_matters.html
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