He apologized last May to Jeff Merkley and Tom Udall. He said he was wrong to undercut their efforts. He admitted they were right. Harry Reid insisted he was going to change the rules over and over again.
Tom Udall even once said "Harry Reid's got my back".
Elizabeth Warren led right after she was elected. Harry Reid did not cave to Wall Street and gave her a banking committee seat. But I still do not understand why he undercut her here and let her down. Elizabeth Warren's constituents have been affected by the filibuster. The filibuster really has hurt lots of people's lives and exacerbated the chronic problems of society. The GOP has been a big problem. However, Harry Reid is part of the problem.
Jeff Merkley kept insisting that there were 51 votes for reform and for the 41 vote burden aspect at least. Now we know that Harry Reid changed his mind and ultimately still stuck to his institutionalist views. Harry Reid stood in the way.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Ezra Klein also mentioned that Reid was never on Merkley/Udall's side.
So Reid really pretended to be on their side. He trashed Merkeley for making it clear to progressive activists to voice their opinion.
Harry Reid let down Obama who in private was reportedly furious as this article and other sources say.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Obama REALLY wants to get things done and emphasized the need for filibuster reform.
Except for immigration reform, I do not think much is going to pass. At least Obama has the EPA for climate change and lots of other things such as LGBT rights through the SCOTUS can happen.
But we need to work on the long-term project of getting rid of money in politics, electing better Democrats like Liz Warren, and pushing the senate to the left and away from old generation farts like Reid.
Harry Reid is Pro NRA, much less pro-choice, and problematic in other views. Harry Reid does not support some of Obama's gun proposals. Harry Reid has been undermining Obama lately.
I feel optimistic about Obama's second term, but there will still be struggle to buckle things left, evaporate corporatism and money in politics, and really bring "change-change".
The senate is better with Elizabeth Warren and more progressive senators than last year's senate. But we have a long way to go. This filibuster reform deal is better than last year's and it gives some nod to the "talking filibuster" aspect of Merkley-Udall. However, it is a really low bar and baby step. We still need MUCH MUCH better badly.
We cannot give up the fight. This is our time to build up our organizing and pushing with the help of people like Elizabeth Warren.