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"You really are clueless, an embarrassment to the name. Hope you're adopted." -- June Dever
"this guy is right about conserving a clue. he hasn't one and that leaves more for the rest of us." -- Jim Lovell
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| Filibuster It! |
| Posted by: dever on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 03:00 AM |
Apparently, back in the care-free days that made up my time at Rocky River High School, I missed a very, very important lecture in government class. You see, I've always thought that the Senate operated on a majority system when it comes time to do things like, say, appoint a federal judge. I missed the day where the teacher explained to us that you actually need a super-majority of more than 60 senators to do such a thing, and if you fall between that number and 50, all the opposition has to do is whisper the word "filibuster" and you've lost.
But that doesn't seem to be the only lecture I missed. I've also been equally misguided into believing that a filibuster was a measure of last resort and considerable hardship to the senators, requiring senators of a particular party to continue a debate over an extended period of days and nights, not yielding the floor back to the chair who would, in turn, call a quorum and vote. Apparently, as far as the Republican leadership is concerned, a filibuster should only be conducted during normal debate times in the Senate, with everyone returning home at night to a hot meal, a romp with a hooker, and some fine scotch and a cigar. (Oh wait, is that Ted Kennedy or Babe Ruth? It's easy to get the two confused.) Otherwise, why aren't they forcing the Democrats to put up already?
Letting the Democrats filibuster a judicial nomination, instead of just pulling it at the slightest threat, would be the best thing the GOP could do. But I mean a good old fashioned, stand on the floor of the senate and read "War and Peace" throughout the middle of the night, we're open twenty four hours, we never close, Jerry Lewis Telethon style action. Let the spectacle go on for a couple of days. If there are Democrats willing to stand on the floor of the senate talking, reading, preaching, or lecturing 24/7 for an extended of period, let's see it in action. All the GOP needs to do is stand outside, point a finger, and exclaim, "Come see the Democratic party in action, stonewalling and gridlocking congress from getting anything accomplished."
The Democrats can't filibuster everything. Eventually they will tire of the effort, probably long before the American public does. Not only does this prevent the Senate from doing other things, like passing bad laws for a short period of time, it makes the Democrats look like the bunch of obstructionist jackasses they are. To me, that's called a win-win situation. It would be the first major PR coup for the GOP for the 2004 Senate elections.
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