NORM ORNSTEIN.
SENATOR FRANKEN, ITS LIKE -- IT
FELT LIKE JOE MANCHIN REREAD
YOUR OP-ED PIECE TODAY, AND JUST
PUT IT DOWN, AND SAID IT TO
THESE PEOPLE.
>> YEAH, I WOULDNT GET OVERLY
EXCITED.
I MEAN, HE SAYS HES OPEN TO
MODIFICATION.
HES KIND OF SAID THAT ALL
ALONG.
HE WONT GET RID OF THE
FILIBUSTER, BUT WHAT NORM AND I
HAVE PROPOSED IS A MODIFICATION,
AS YOU OUTLINED THAT INSTEAD OF
REQUIRING 60 VOTES TO END A
FILIBUSTER, YOU WOULD REQUIRE 41
FROM THE MINORITY TO GO TO THE
FLOOR AND VOTE TO SUSTAIN THE
FILIBUSTER AND THEN THEY WOULD
HAVE TO HOLD THE FLOOR AND
ACTUALLY DEBATE THE ISSUE.
THATS ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT
JOE OUTLINED TODAY.
AND THATS SORT OF -- THATS
EXACTLY WHAT NORM AND I HAVE
PROPOSED.
>> AND NORM, YOU HAVE BEEN
DISCUSSING THIS FOR A WHILE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF WHERE
SENATOR MANCHIN IS, AS OF
TONIGHT?
>> IM VERY ENCOURAGED ON A
COUPLE OF FRONTS.
RECALL THAT MANCHIN HAD ALSO
BEEN THE ONLY DEMOCRAT WHO
REFUSED TO ENDORSE AND
CO-SPONSOR THE FOR THE PEOPLE
ACT, S-1, HR-1, THE VOTING
RIGHTS ELECTION REFORM BILL.
AND HAS CRITICIZED SOME PARTS OF
IT.
BUT NOW THAT HES COME OUT WITH
A PRETTY REASONABLE BID ON
CHANGING THAT, AND MADE IT CLEAR
THAT IF HE CANT FIND BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT FOR THAT AND FIND MORE
REPUBLICANS TO VOTE FOR THE
COMMISSION FROM JANUARY 6th,
WHICH YOULL RECALL, WAS
FILIBUSTERED JUST A COUPLE OF
WEEKS AGO, THAT HES MAKING IT
CLEAR THAT A RULES CHANGE IS
REALLY IN THE BALLPARK.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU
LOOK BACK AT WHAT MANCHIN HAS
WRITTEN AND SAID, ITS BEEN
MISEXCERPTMIS
MISINTERPRETED BY A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
HE SAID, I WONT VOTE TO KILL OR
WEAKEN THE FILIBUSTER.
WHAT AL AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT
IS REFORMING IT AND IN MANY WAYS
RESTORING IT.
THAT KIND OF FITS HIS OWN VIEW
OF THINGS.
AND FITS, WE BELIEVE, ALSO, THE
HISTORY OF ROBERT BYRD, THE SEAT
THAT HE HOLDS NOW IN GREAT
VENERATION.
SO WERE IN BETTER SHAPE NOW
THAN WE WERE BEFORE.
BUT ITS NOT LIKE THIS IS A
NIGHT AND DAY CHANGE.
BUT ITS CERTAINLY RELEVANT.
>> SENATOR FRANKEN, YOU HAVE
LIVED THIS.
YOU HAVE DESCRIBED TO ME BETTER
THAN ANYONE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO
BE SITTING THERE ON, SAY, A
FRIDAY WHEN THERES A CLOTURE
VOTE RIPENING OVER THE WEEKEND.
AND YOURE WATCHING YOUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES LEAVE FOR
THE WEEKEND.
BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE TO BE
THERE TO VOTE.
BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER NO
BURDEN.
THE BURDEN IS ON THE 60 VOTES TO
PROCEED.
YOURE SAYING IF YOU SWITCH THAT
BURDEN TO THE 41 VOTES TO BLOCK
PROCEEDING, AT MINIMUM, THEY
WONT BE ABLE TO RUN AWAY ON
THEIR WEEKENDS.
WE SAW THEM WIN A VOTE RECENTLY
WITH ONLY 35 VOTES.
>> AND THEY FLEW AWAY FOR THE
WEEKEND, THATS WHY IT WAS ONLY
35.
THIS DISCUSSION STARTED ON A
THURSDAY EVENING, THE LAST VOTE
OF THE WEEK, I BELIEVE IT WAS MY
FIRST WEEK THERE.
YOU CAST YOUR LAST VOTE, EARLY
EVENING, LATE AFTERNOON.
YOU GO TO YOUR OFFICE OR ON THE
SUBWAY.
I SEE JIM BUNNING, WHO AT THE
TIME I DIDNT KNOW WAS KIND OF
GRUMPY.
I SAID, JIM, HAVE A GREAT
WEEKEND, SEE YOU ON MONDAY.
HE WENT, I DONT HAVE TO BE HERE
ON MONDAY.
ITS A CLOTURE VOTE.
THATS WHEN I REALIZED WE NEEDED
60, AND TED KENNEDY WAS SICK, WE
ONLY HAD 59 TO END THE
FILIBUSTER.
AND I SAID, THAT DOESNT MAKE
SENSE.
THE BURDEN SHOULD BE ON THEM TO
BREAK THE FILIBUSTER.
THEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT
THIS.
>> NORM, THIS DOESNT -- IF WE
CHANGE THIS RULE TOMORROW, WHAT
WOULD YOU EXPECT TO CHANGE IN
THE SENATE?
>> SO IF WE CAN GO TO REQUIRING
41 AND REQUIRING THEM TO BE
THERE, IT DOESNT MEAN WERE
SUDDENLY GOING TO SEE EVERYTHING
PASS.
KEEP IN MIND, THEYLL STILL HAVE
TO HOLD ALL 50 DEMOCRATS FOR
SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
AREAS, CLIMATE CHANGE, VOTING
REFORM.
BUT WHEN YOU PUT A HEAVY BURDEN
ON THEM, AND IF WE HAVE A
MAJORITY LEADER WILLING TO PLAY
SOME HARDBALL.
AND MITCH McCONNELL HAS GIVEN US
THE TEMPLATE FOR THAT, YOU CAN
MAKE THEIR LIVES MISERABLE, AND
YOU CAN FOCUS PUBLIC ATTENTION
ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
INCLUDEING GUNS AND BACKGROUND
CHECKS.
THERES A GOOD CHANCE WELL GET
A LOT OF THINGS THROUGH THAT ARE
NOW IMPOSSIBLE.
WHAT WEVE SEEN ON A COUPLE OF
OCCASIONS NOW IS, SENATORS DONT
WANT TO STICK AROUND AND BE
THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
OR ON MONDAYS OR WEEKENDS.
IF YOU CAN FORCE THEM TO BE
THERE, YOURE GOING TO SEE A LOT