Republicans Have Little Leverage to Block Nuclear Option

Ezra Klein: “What’s so odd and interesting about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s threats to eliminate the filibuster on executive-branch nominees is that the… majority is considering rules changes precisely because there’s nothing more the minority can obstruct that they really, really care about.”

“These aren’t usual times in the Senate. So far as Reid is concerned, Republicans have already killed pretty much everything else the Democrats might want to do. When he’s been confronted with the argument that Republicans might bring everything to a stop if Democrats change the rules, I’m told Reid’s reply is sharp: ‘And that would be different how?'”

Roll Call: Reid defends his threat to go nuclear on filibusters.