McConnell filibusters own bill

>>> lot of obstructionism from the republicans. trying to stop progress has z how they do business. latest move from senate minority leader mitch mcconnell just might take the cake. he threatened to filibuster his own bill. mcconnell proposed legislation to give the president the authority to raise the debt ceiling. under the plan, congress would need a two-thirds majority to stop him. it's a proposal that president obama likes. so why would mitch mcconnell propose such a bill? to embarrass the democrats . he wanted to prove that the democrats didn't have the votes for the legislation. harry reid called his bluff and objected to putting the bill up for a vote, but after discussing it with his democratic members he got the support he needed and had a change of heart . claire mccaskill was priding when mcconnell objected to voting on the bill.

>> is there an objection to the original request?

>> objection is heard. i got whiplash.

>> very strange.

>> dick durbin reacted to mcconnell 's move moments later.

>> so this may be a moment in senate history when a senator made a proposal and when given an opportunity for a vote, filibustered his own proposal. i think we have now reached a new spot in the history of the senate we have never seen before.

>> let's turn to bernie sanders . i'm laughing at it too, senator. this just goes to show either winging it big time . they don't have a plan other than to get in the way. what's your response to what unfolded on the floor and what we can look forward to in the future?

>> i think dick durbin was right. in a time of dysfunctionality, this probably takes the cake when you filibuster your own probably. but the bottom line, this country, as you well know, ed, faces enormous problems. we have people trying to find work. we're trying to deal with global warming and the tremendous problems that that's it going to bring to our planet. we have this absurd citizens united situation and billions of dollars coming into the campaign from wealthy people. a whole lot of issues that have to be dealt with. time after time after time in an unprecedented way. republicans are saying the majority is not going to rule. you're going to need 60 votes. we're going to filibuster. that just eats up the clock. it makes it very difficult for us to do the work that the american people have sent us to washington to do.

>> will these tactics continue? these rule changes that the democrats are talking about and making the move on, will it change the climate?

>> i certainly hope we will succeed with very serious filibuster reform. if we don't, we're going to continue to be tied up in knots. we want to create a situation where the minority has the right to explain to the american people why they feel the way they feel. on the other hand, the majority in this country has the right to rule. has the right to make decisions. obama won the election. we won seats in the house. the american people want action and it is undemocratic. it is un-american when a small minority can deny the majority from going forward.

>> and senator, the fiscal situation they are dealing with in washington, it doesn't look like we have made a lot of progress. what are your thoughts on that?

>> well, it shouldn't just be the speaker and the president. it should be the voice of the american people . it should be the senate and should be the house. on these issues, ed, the election mattered. and poll after poll tells us the same thing. not a lot of debate but that's what the american people want.

>> that's not getting through to speaker boehner.

>> and that's why the president and the democrats have to stand tall. the democrats must not snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. we have the american people on our side. we won the election. poll after poll tells us. the american people understand that the wealthiest people are doing phenomenally well. their tax rates are low. the middle class is disappearing and they are in a lot of trouble. the wealthy and large corporations must be asked to play a significant role in deficit reduction. we must not not social security . that's clearly what the american people believe. and the president, democrats have got to hold firm and when they do, it will finally be the republicans that come to the table rather than just the democrats coming in as has been the case in the past.

>>> bernie sanders , appreciate your time.

>>> coming up, the fight over the fiscal cliff is putting american jobs at risk. one of these congressional members is lying about the problem. we'll use the newest job numbers to get to the truth next.

>>> and republicans in michigan are ramming through antiunion legislation and hurting middle class americans in the process. the people of michigan are outraged. we're talking to lansing, michigan 's mayor. we're