Reid to seek changes to filibuster

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WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called for changes to the filibuster, saying it's been abused by the GOP "just like the spitball was abused in baseball."

Reid, D-Nev., said the Senate would review filibuster rules in the next Congress and said changes are likely.

His comments to liberal bloggers came Wednesday as fellow Democrats pushed to overhaul the filibuster and Rep. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., announced his Rules and Administration Committee would hold hearings on a possible filibuster overhaul, Politico reported.

"The filibuster has been abused," Reid told the bloggers, The Huffington Post reported. "We are likely to have to make some changes in it because the Republicans have abused that just like the spitball was abused in baseball and the four-corner offense was abused in basketball."

Senate Democrats have been looking more closely at possibly altering the filibuster process since losing their filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate with the election of Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in January.

Politico said Democrats concede they don't have the votes for any big changes this session.