JOE MANCHIN MIGHT CONSIDER AND
WHICH JOE MANCHIN APPEARS TO BE
NOW CONSIDERING.
JOINING US IS NORM ORENSTEIN,
AND NORM, WHEN I LISTENED TO JOE
MANCHIN I THOUGHT, THIS IS A
HUGE PUBLIC BREAKTHROUGH IN HIS
THINKING ABOUT THE SENATE RULES,
AND TWO, I THOUGHT, HE’S BEEN
READING AND LISTENING TO NORM
ORENSTEIN.
>> I THOUGHT THE SAME THING,
LAWRENCE, AND I WAS GIDDY, AS A
MATTER OF FACT.
WE’VE STILL GOT A LONG WAYS TO
GO AND WE’LL SEE WHAT DETAILS
WORK OUT.
BUT I CONSCIOUSLY, AND AL
FRANKEN AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING
TO SENATORS AND WE’VE BEEN
TALKING THIS THROUGH FOR A WHILE
AS WELL, BUT CONSCIOUSLY WANTED
TO LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT I KNEW
WOULD RESONATE WITH PEOPLE LIKE
MANCHIN AND SINEMA AND FEINSTEIN
AND SOME OTHERS WHO WERE NOT
GOING TO BE WILLING TO
COMPLETELY ABOLISH THIS RULE 22,
BUT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE A REAL
DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF GIVING
DEMOCRATS A FIGHTING CHANCE AND
MORE TO GET SOME TOP PRIORITIES
THROUGH.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE I
THOUGHT ALONG THOSE LINES IN THE
LAST DAY OR TWO, GABBY GIFFORDS
IS NOW SPEARHEADING THE EFFORT
IN THE HOUSE AND THEY’LL VOTE ON
IT REAL SOON TO GET UNIVERSAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS.
IF WE DIDN’T CHANGE THE RULES ON
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT WOULD
JUST DIE IN THE SENATE.
NOBODY WOULD REALLY PAY
ATTENTION TO IT.
90% OF AMERICANS SUPPORT IT.
MAKE HIM HAVE TO COME UP WITH 40
VOTES ON A REGULAR BASIS TO
EXPLAIN WHY THERE ARE UNIVERSAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS ON GUNS.
THAT DEMOCRACY REFORM AND OTHER
THINGS, WE CAN BEGIN TO GET SOME
TRACTION IF WE CAN MAKE SOME
SENSIBLE CHANGES.
>> NORM, WHAT I LOVED ABOUT YOUR
ARTICLE AND THE REASON I WANTED
TO HAVE YOU ON DISCUSSING THIS
LAST WEEK IS YOU SAID IN THE
ARTICLE, AND YOU TOLD US, THAT
YOU HAD BEEN LISTENING VERY
CAREFULLY TO WHAT JOE MANCHIN
HAS BEEN PUBLICLY SAYING IN THE
PAST ABOUT THIS SENATE RULE.
YOU’VE BEEN LISTENING VERY
CAREFULLY TO WHAT SENATOR SINEMA
HAS BEEN SAYING.
AND WHAT YOU TRIED TO DO WAS
COME UP WITH A PROPOSAL THAT
ACTUALLY ANSWERS THE CONCERNS
THAT JOE MANCHIN HAS PUBLICLY
PRESENTED, AND THAT IS EXACTLY
THE WAY YOU FIND COMPROMISE IN
THE SENATE.
YOU FIRST OF ALL LISTEN TO WHAT
THAT PERSON IS SAYING, AND AT
FIRST IT SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE,
THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO WITH
THIS.
BUT YOU THOUGHT YOUR WAY THROUGH
IT.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST IDEAS YOU
HAVE IS THIS FLIPPING OF THE
60-VOTE REQUIREMENT WE CURRENTLY
HAVE IN THE SENATE, A 60-VOTE
REQUIREMENT TO END A DEBATE, AND
THEN GO ON TO VOTING.
YOU’RE SAYING MAKE THAT A
40-VOTE REQUIREMENT TO CONTINUE
THE DEBATE.
THAT WOULD GIVE JOE MANCHIN THE
MINORITY’S PROTECTION THAT HE
WANTS TO GIVE THEM, BUT IT WOULD
BE MUCH HARDER FOR THE
REPUBLICANS TO ACTUALLY ACHIEVE
THAT THE WAY YOU SEE IT.
>> EXACTLY SO.
AND THE IDEA HERE IS, IF YOU
BELIEVE WHAT MANCHIN HAS BEEN
SAYING, THIS SORT OF NOTION
THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO HAVE
A MINORITY THAT FEELS INTENSELY
ABOUT AN ISSUE, HAVE TO GO TO
THE MAT LITERALLY AND THE
MATTRESSES LITERALLY TO MAKE
THEIR POINT OF VIEW KNOWN AND TO
BE ABLE TO AT LEAST BLOCK THINGS
FOR A WHILE, BUT NOW THERE IS NO
PRESSURE ON THE MINORITY.
THEY HAVE TO DO NOTHING TO DO
FILIBUSTERS ON ANY ISSUE.
SO LET’S RETURN AND MAKE IT
PAINFUL TO USE.
AND WE CAN ADD A NUMBER OF
THINGS THAT MAKE IT MORE PAINFUL
AND MORE DIFFICULT.
AT MINIMUM THEY’RE ONLY GOING TO
DO IT INFREQUENTLY BECAUSE IT
WILL BE A DIFFICULT THING FOR
THEM TO ENTERTAIN, AND IF WE CAN
DO THIS ON ISSUES THAT REALLY
MATTER FOR PEOPLE WHERE THERE IS
STRONG MAJORITY SUPPORT, WE CAN
BREAK THAT, AND WE CAN ACTUALLY
ACCOMPLISH SOME OF THE AREAS --
PROGRESS IN AREAS LIKE DEMOCRACY
REFORM WHICH ARE ABSOLUTELY
ESSENTIAL.
AND WE HAVE TO, AS YOU SAY, YOU
KNOW THE SENATE INSIDE-OUT.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO GET TO 50,
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO MEET
PEOPLE AND MEET THEIR
OBJECTIONS, AND I THINK THERE
ARE WAYS TO DO THIS AND WAYS
ALSO -- YOU KNOW, HE WANTS TO
HAVE DEBATE AND DELIBERATION.
THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE DEBATE
AND DELIBERATION.
IF WE MAKE HIM STAY ON THE FLOOR
AND IT HAS TO BEBE JERMAINE, NO