So what’s happening with Filibuster Reform? If you’ve been following the news here at TPM it was looking good and it still seems like something will happen. There’s a core of very strong advocates for changing the filibuster, centered around Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) of Oregon. There are various details. But the gist of his plan is the so-called ‘talking filibuster’. The minority can still hold things up but you really have to talk on the floor to do it. So it’s visible and conspicuous. Now though Harry Reid is expressing support for a more limited set of changes that proponents like Sen. Merkley, Udall, Warren and others say doesn’t go far enough. It all comes down to the wire early next week. Because these changes can in practice only be made by a majority vote at the beginning of a new Congress. So it happens next week or there’s not another chance until 2015.

I’m very interested to find out what’s happening here, what’s going to happen, who’s supporting and who’s not. So tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM eastern, Sen. Merkley is going to join us for a TPMPrime Live Chat to answer your questions about the state of play. Get your questions in now.

It wasn’t so long ago, coming off a bruising presidential election, that Republicans were looking at ways to increase vote percentages among younger and minority voters to remain a contender in national elections. But it appears professional Republicans have decided that’s either impossible, unnecessary or perhaps just too hard. Because now they’re going for another possibility: rig the electoral college to insure Republican presidential victories with a decreasing voter base.

In other words, nuclear gerrymandering. Read More