By filibustering everything from major votes to procedural formalities to the morning prayer, Republicans have managed to effectively shut down the Senate without paying any political price for it. Maybe the media isn’t interested at letting Americans know why even 97-0 landslide bills can’t make it out of Congress, maybe Democrats can’t message. My answer is yes to both. Whatever the reason, it’s hard to deny that the nimrods who spent years weeping about horrible obstructionist Democrats are in a happy place right now.
That’s why I don’t worry too much when the party of NO!! one1!1!! threatens some sort of procedural meltdown over an obscure Bush nominee. In he post-Enron era it would bother me not at all if the GOP chooses to line up behind a rigidly ideological corporatist fruitcake. Better yet, the Senate is basically shut down already even if most people don’t get why. If the GOP wants to jump up and shout about what they’re already doing then I say great. Let ’em.
Andrei
It’s almost rather unfortunate the GOP didn’t go through with the petty “nucular” option a few years back to change all the rules. It would have been fun to watch them flounder as the minority party without the ability to get their way whenever they feel like it.
Zifnab
You’d think they would have learned back in ’95 and ’96 the steep political price a party can pay when they play politics with the procedural processs. (That could have been clearer, but I decided I needed to get more mileage out of my ‘p’ key).
Seriously, remember back when Gingrich shut down government over a tiff with President Clinton? Remember who walked out a winner by ’96? Hint: It wasn’t Gingrich.
Americans tolerate alot of crap in this country, but one thing the don’t tolerate is a grown man throwing a hissy-fit. That minority in Congress feeling to fat for you, ‘Pubs? Feel free to keep doing what you’re doing. Shut down the federal government, then tell the world. You will be rewarded with exactly what you deserve.
Cain
Republicans are such wankers. But Harry Reid is a wanker too since he’s apparently not able to get shit done and put a cap on the whole thing. Crooks and Liars has a good link to Young Turks where one sentaor said they should force the republicans to filibuster.
This is precisely what they need to do. I hope these fools in congress can try. Maybe we should put someone else in charge instead of Harry who doesn’t seem to know how to play hardball. Maybe we can get Tom Delay to switch sides. haha. He was an effective bastard.
jenniebee
The Republicans figured out that they didn’t need to sell the people on a thing, they only needed to sell their ideas/plans/schizophrenic delusions to The Dobson and The Village and let The Dobson and The Village do the rest.
If Democrats and The Blogosphere can actually reach the same meeting of the minds (and the audiences) then we may actually start getting somewhere. In the meantime, expect to see Reid et al feeling like a minority even with 70+% backing.
And btw, if you don’t read The Social Atom, you really should.
Dave
Well since the Dems can’t seem to get the message out about filibusters. Bring it on GOP!
The Other Steve
Who the hell names a boy Leslie?
Rome Again
* Mr and Mrs. Blitzer?
* Mr. and Mrs. Neilson?
Ummm, any others I’m missing?
Edmund Dantes
The Dems need to stop allowing the “gentlemen’s filibuster” and require the Republicans to actually go the full route if they want to stop votes on all this legislation. Someone on one of the blogs had a list of the things the republicans have filibustered so far, and if they were forced to actually filibuster them up front and loudly, I think the American people wouldn’t be so down on the Democratic Congress.
Jim Parish
“Leslie” was a male name until a generation or so ago. Two more: Leslie Howard (the actor) and Leslie King Jr. (AKA Gerald Ford).
Andrei
One can only hope things will change soon:
Reid to force all night debate
Zifnab
Well, good news.
ConservativelyLiberal
The press showed the Repugs whining about, as someone else here put it, being denied an ‘upperdown vote! upperdown vote!’, yet the Repugs now are blocking everything and you do not hear a whimper out of the press. Lefty MSM? Bullshit.
So much of what the press does is focused on the Dems, and not in a very positive light. Meanwhile, the Repugs get a green light to party away.
These damn Dems need to put up or shut up. All talk and no action is just that. Put up a real fight or give up and go home. Since the majority of the public want action, they better get their asses in gear and damn soon.
Quit worrying about the next election and focus on the reality that is now. Lives depend on it. Be a person of conviction, not re-election.