Commenter ellaesther notes that RIGHT NOW would be a good time to get some calls in for the appropriations bill that includes the DREAM Act and DADT repeal.
Kal Penn just tweeted the following (edited to add line breaks and bolding, to make it easier to read):
DADT&DREAM, cloture 2pmEST.
Needed: Collins 202-224-2523
Lugar 202-224-4814
Voinovich 202-224-3353
Snowe 202-224-5344
Brown 202-224-4543
Allison W.
shouldn’t Webb be on that list?
Tim F.
@Allison W.: Only if Webb would seriously vote against a military appropriations bill to spike repeal of DADT. Somehow I doubt he would do that.
Redshift
I called Warner; I haven’t been able to get through to Webb’s office all day. I’m hoping that’s a good thing.
Tim F.
@Redshift: Probably a bad thing. Liberals bitch; wingnuts phone.
Martin
Well, if the Dems needed a line in the sand moment to force the GOP to carry out the filibuster and go on the record, I’d say this is it. They need to see this through to the end.
Joseph Nobles
Collins has already said, sorry, so sorry, but Republican obstructionism is more important than equality here.
Tim F.
@Joseph Nobles: Then call her office and yell about that. It’s cathartic.
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
Dude!
/does geeky, blog-following Snoopy Dance
Also: @Redshift: I got through to Webb’s office after awhile, and basically just said: “I’m a Democrat. Vote how you want when the bill comes up, but please don’t vote against us on this procedural issue.”
Can’t hurt. Keep trying!
Emily L. Hauser/ellaesther
@Joseph Nobles: Absolutely, what Tim F. said.
Call and let her now what you think about that. Call and let her know that these decisions have consequences outside the tony halls of Washington.
freelancer
Msnbc.com is reporting that the repeal is dead because of the inability to break the filibuster.
SenyorDave
At this point I have to blame Obama in large part for the defeat of repealing DADT. Once in a while he has to try to make a case, and he seems incapable of doing that.
It’s a given that Reid and some of the Dems are shitbags, and ALL the Republicans are SPOS’s (subhuman pieces of shit – a term my brother and his friends used when they were residents at Bellvue back in the 80’s).
But Obama just doesn’t seem to want to use what little political capital he has. Very, very disappointed.
By the way, anyone who has kind word for Collins and Snowe can go fuck themselves – at least Demint and his kind show themselves to be crazy SOB’s, the two Maine senators just play at being reasonable.
Lastly, I think the Log Cabin Republicans are the worst type of collaborators – I’m sure if you check their site once this goes down in defeat they will have a million reasons why this is the Democrats fault.
Just wait until November when the GOP screws the country.
Allison W.
@Tim F.:
according to Dkos he hasn’t made up his mind. Someone called his office and was told this.
Mike
Kal Penn is a good dude.
Allison W.
@SenyorDave:
MAKE THE CASE TO WHO? Dems want it, the public wants it. So he should go on tour and “make the case” to the hold outs listed above? tell us how to get those guys to cooperate instead of this political capital bullshit.
Cris
New post tag.
Neil Hudelson
Lugar voting against cloture.
Oscar Leroy
Maybe we can call the president and ask him to use an executive order stopping enforcement of DADT for the rest of his term? Or would that be unfair to the narrative?
Oscar Leroy
@Allison W.:
If Lady Gaga can find the time to go to Maine and pressure its senators to support repeal, then surely the president can, too. Who knows, his word might even carry more weight.
Kryptik
At this point, I’m simply too exhausted to avoid blaming every single fucking person involved in this process, including Obama, Congress, all three branches of the gov’t, both major political parties, the Tea Party, the Professional left, votes, us bloggy folks, and every single fucking person in this country.
Because it’s apparent we’ve all had a hand in creating a system that’s totally unsustainable except to line the pockets of the rich, tell anyone below the wealth line to ‘FUCK OFF AND DIE ON THE STREET’, and enshrining continued bigotry in hopes of capturing those good ol’ days when you could call a black person an n-word in broad daylight and call anyone with narrow eyes a Chinaman. We’re all guilty, our citizenship is proof enough, just fuck it and pass the vodka.
cat48
@Oscar Leroy:
Actually, it’s his fault they are having this vote today because he negotiated in good faith with the gay community & the Pentagon abt repealing the bill BEFORE their study was complete with the understanding that it would not go into effect until after the Pentagon finished.
He agreed to negotiate that agreement after the gay community requested it; for all the good it did him. They didn’t want to wait any longer.
Bobby Thomson
FYI/semi-OT: Chris Coons just sent out a fundraising e-mail based on DADT repeal and O’Donnell’s bigoted statements about gays. It’s all pandering, because Coons will not be in a position to do anything about DADT repeal in the next session. (If it isn’t passed now, it won’t be again until Republicans lose some seats or public attitudes change even more.) Still, it’s the right kind of pandering, and a sea change from the pitch that Mike Castle would be making right now about standing up to the president.
Ben JB
@ellaesther,
Unrelated to this post’s topic (but here b/c you might see it here), but IIRC, you’re up, northern Chicagoland-way–maybe around Skokie? (If that’s untrue, the rest of this post won’t mean much.) I’ve been doing some volunteering for Daniel Biss, running for state rep in IL-17, and if that’s your district I was wondering what the word on the street is there. Do people like him? (I don’t know, b/c I live in Ukrainian Village. That’s right: I drive up to Skokie to walk door-to-door. Also, I hear there are good bagels up there.)
Allison W.
@Oscar Leroy:
Yeah Ok! If Lady Gaga can make time? WTF? did you just suggest that Lady Gaga is busier than the president of the united states?
if Lady Gaga can make time? fuck me.
Nick
@SenyorDave:
OMFG, he’s made the case 100 times.
SenyorDave
MAKE THE CASE TO WHO? Dems want it, the public wants it. So he should go on tour and “make the case” to the hold outs listed above? tell us how to get those guys to cooperate instead of this political capital bullshit.
Allison W.,
Things don’t happen in a vacuum. Snowe and Collins are Republicans in a blue state. I suspect Maine residents are overwhelmingly in favor of repealing DADT.
I am beginning to get an image of a insulated president. The least he could do is strongly endorse the idea of ultimately repealing DADT.
Nick
@Oscar Leroy:
This is a joke right? You can’t possibly see the difference between a pop star and PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
Good God people, the reason Lady Gaga did that is in part because the President can’t be all things to all people.
Martin
@Bobby Thomson: Coons gets seated immediately after the election, so he’s there for the lame duck session – that could allow him to vote on it if Congress brings it up before the next Congress is seated.
stuckinred
McCain wants to hinge this on a “survey” of the troops. Motherfuckers never surveyed me about shit!
Martin
@SenyorDave: He has. Repeatedly. What part of ‘filibuster’ and ‘supermajority’ can’t you guys get through your thick heads?
Nick
@SenyorDave:
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5914&MediaType=1&Category=25
4tehlulz
@stuckinred: I’m sure this survey would uphold the highest standards of privacy and security.
stuckinred
Amazing. Leibershitz is for it!
Oscar Leroy
@Allison W.:
What I mean is, it isn’t Gaga’s job to make the country a better place. It *is* the president’s job.
But maybe another $30,000 a plate fundraiser would be a better use of his time.
stuckinred
@4tehlulz: YOU WILL FILL OUT THIS FORM!
Davis X. Machina
Collins’s staff (there is no actual person in there, just staff) is bucking for a VP nod as the ultimate ticket balancer — not-male, not-southern, not-evangelical, not-smooth & polished, not (obviously) batshit insane — as the anti-Palin or anti-Huckabee.
She’s sold her soul for rock n’ roll through the primaries in 2012 at least. Not that she was much help before then.
Persia
@stuckinred: I wonder if we can also survey the troops about pulling out of Afghanistan? Maybe we should just let them elect our Presidents too. Fuck McCain.
stuckinred
@Persia: Or about whether or no they are going outside the wire tonight.
Nick
@Oscar Leroy:
It’s all our jobs Tonto
you mean one for a candidate that supports repealing DADT where he argues we should repeal DADT?
Chyron HR
@Oscar Leroy:
Of course. If the Legislative effort to repeal DADT is unsuccessful, then we have no choice but to push for an Executive remedy.
Oh, wait, you just wanted the O-Bots to put on their O-Faces and O-Bsequeiously praise their O-Verlord O-Bambi. Sorry for being “unfair” to your “narrative”.
Bobby Thomson
@Martin: Good point, but if Manchin loses in WV it won’t matter because that senator will also be seated immediately.
Speaking of which, what the hell is up with Manchin polling two points down?
FlipYrWhig
@SenyorDave:
They probably are. And yet Snowe and Collins won’t vote the way their citizens want them to. I guess they decided they didn’t stand to lose enough by going against their citizens’ wishes; I guess they’re more scared of Mitch McConnell than they are of losing reelection when they face their voters next. What do you propose to do about that?
stuckinred
CSPAN ain’t showin the scoreboard!
Nick
@Bobby Thomson:
West Virginians are saying “Hey, we like ya Joe, but we really need a teabagger Congress so the muslim negro President can be stopped”
Cris
Fuckin’ Collins:
A situation that is going to shut down debate. Yet ironically, blocking cloture is doing exactly that. Sue.
Oscar Leroy
@Chyron HR:
No, I’m just suggesting that a stopgap like an executive order might be nice as far as not ruining careers and uprooting lives at a time when we need as many good servicemen as we can get.
Nick
Remember this the next time you say Democrats are weak and don’t fight and always pre-compromise.
joe from Lowell
There are a whole butt-load of senators whose names start with a B.
Nick
@Oscar Leroy:
Yeah, why waste our time trying to actually repeal it when we could just temporarily stop it.
For people who bitch Democrats always run from a fight, this is hysterically ironic.
Anyone else think had Obama did this to begin with, we would’ve heard bitching about “he’s scared of the fight in Congress” and “half-assed measures?”
stuckinred
@Nick: And if he does an executive order the shit will hit the fan.
gwangung
Which state repealed same sex marriage, now?
stuckinred
Brown, Collins, Snowe no, that’s it right?
Phil
Fucking Voinovich is NOT EVEN RUNNING FOR ANYTHING. It costs him nothing to vote for cloture. Nothing. God, what an asshole.
TooManyJens
Brown, Collins, Snowe, Lugar, Pryor…. we’re at 39 No votes right now by my count. Don’t know who hasn’t voted yet.
Martin
@Oscar Leroy: Yeah, just as Roe v Wade has totally settled the abortion issue.
If you want to resolve something, you legislate it. Period.
Besides, if he did the executive order, what’s the incentive for Congress to actually solve the problem? They’ll just pass the buck to the next Congress until such time as a Republican president is elected who will promptly reverse the order.
Oscar Leroy
But I found that quote in THE MEDIA, so take it with a grain of salt.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/09/21/doubts-persist-as-todays-dont-ask-cloture-vote-approaches/
Does “The Advocate” count as THE MEDIA?
http://www.advocate.com/printArticle.aspx?id=143698
TooManyJens
…and there go Bennett and Chambliss voting No.
Linda Featheringill
Can’t get through to Sen. Voinovich, only a busy signal. Got another telephone number and that one is busy, too.
Maybe that means that lots of people are calling him. Hope so.
If you get through to him, give him twice as much grief, once for you and once for me. :-)
TooManyJens
And Blanche Lincoln. Fuck.
stuckinred
reid no?
Nick
@Oscar Leroy: Oh gee, the media is blaming Obama for something, big fucking surprise.
Surely they know the White House doesn’t whip votes on every piece of legislation out there.
TooManyJens
@stuckinred: That’s procedural, so that he can bring it up again.
Nick
@stuckinred: No to bring it back up later. It’s a procedural motion.
Tom Q
@FlipYrWhig: Actually, Snowe is far more afraid of being Castled in a primary by a tea-bag challenger than she is of failing to win back those “independent” voters if she survives to the general election.
Olympia Snowe — I’m not really a moderate, but I play one on cable TV.
Martin
Good luck with that re-election, Blanche. Your DADT vote isn’t going to win over any independents.
stuckinred
Thanks ya’ll!
Nick
This should be another page in our fight against the filibuster, instead it will become another flame war.
Martin
Obama is all in on the tax issue. He’s not going to lose votes on that for DADT. DADT won’t bring over undecided voters – taxes will.
Nick
@Martin:
it doesn’t matter, there was no way he was going to flip three votes. Especially since at least two of those votes were from SUPPORTERS of repeal who were upset the GOP wasn’t getting enough attention.
The President slapping them around isn’t going to cut it, unless you think the good people of Maine, who appear to be on track to electing a teabagger governor this year, are going to RISE UP and DEMAND their beloved princesses stop playing politics.
The WH released a statement earlier supporting the repeal and calling on Senators to vote for it.
lacp
@Nick: Yeah, here in Pennsylvania we have regular epidemics of wingnut flu; that’s why I suspect we’re going to have Sen. Toomey for a few years. Hot man-on-dog redux, with even more Social Security privatization!
Linda Featheringill
It looks like the Senate has moved on to DREAM debate.
themann1086
@lacp: I refer to him as “Crazy Person Pat Toomey”. He really is a nut. I think Sestak can win though. 8-10 point deficit with 6 weeks to go? He’s got him right where he wants him!
celticdragonchick
DADT dead for another ten years.
No chance in hell this White House will pick it up again.
DOMA as well.
I’ll be chipping in some money for the LCR. They seem to be the only ones making any headway.
Nick
@celticdragonchick:
Since your issues seem to be only one that matters in your world, don’t let the door hit you on the ass and all that.
Michael D.
@Nick:
Equality. Just “an issue.” And not only “just an issue,” it’s just one of “our issues.”
I bet it really pisses you off to have to deal with “us” doesn’t it, Nick – that you have to feign support for gay rights and other of “our issues”? You might be a Democrat, but you really are one of the worst kind.
4tehlulz
I was going to be all depressed about this, until I remembered that DADT repeal is still in the Defense Authorization Bill.
They’re going to have to vote on it eventually. Hamid Karzai will have a sad if the the military runs out of money.
Nick
@Michael D.:
Actually, you know what, it does. The whole “I’m going to huff and puff and go give money to Republicans because President Obama didn’t somehow, someway, scream and yell at get three Senators to change their votes, so screw the unemployed, poor,immigrants, Muslims, minorities, and young people.”
The Democratic Party is much better off without these single issue goons using it as merely a conduit.
And what pisses me off even more is the idea that somehow I’m “feigning support” for gay rights because I’m not joining in the conspiracy theory of “Obama hates teh gay and iz usin’ teh gay for monies” bullshit.
August J. Pollak
Yeah celticdragonchick, you are soooo annoying! And no one’s forcing you to read this blog. God, just shut up and stop talking. Oh remember to vote.
Bob Loblaw
@Nick:
Considering they appear to have failed to whip very well within the Pentagon to begin with, I’m not sure how this possibly makes them look good. But I’m sure there’s always some explaining the White House’s failure somehow. After all, they got Ben Nelson and Jim Webb on board! They just happened to miss the entire state of Arkansas somehow in their count…
Tom Q
@celticdragonchick:
“DADT dead for another ten years.
No chance in hell this White House will pick it up again.”
Contrarily, they do some sort of filibuster reform in the next session, and today’s 57 fucking yes votes actually get to count.
Between you and Oscar “Obama’s to blame” Leroy, I’ve about had it with the Democrats who are angrier at the people who voted for repeal than the shitheads who voted against it even while knowing better.
Nick
@August J. Pollak:
and yet I’m not the one threatening to give money to the party that just unanimously blocked my “issue” from coming up for a vote.
In your eyes, the worst kind of Democrat is the one who doesn’t agree with your lies and conspiracy theories, got it.
brendancalling
@Michael D.:
ignore him, it’s not worth it.
Nick
@Bob Loblaw:
who said it made them look good? I’m one who argues don’t bring shit up for a vote until the votes are there.
The professional left are the ones who want Dems to force Republicans to vote on things, well they did, Republican filibustered, they made them do it, they made them stand in opposition.
celticdragonchick
@Nick:
Hit a nerve with you?
Nobody forces you to read whatever I post. By all means, do let a big fucking door hit your ass on the way out. Buh bye!
Tom Q
@Nick: And those folks who pushed them to do it are now pissed off to the exact same degree, because there must have been a neglected wave of the magic wand that would have made it work.
I despair of some Democrats.
Nick
@celticdragonchick:
ditto douchebag.
You’re the one leaving, I’m the only staying and continuing fighting for YOUR issue while you waste money on an organization that has never elected anyone.
Goodbye and Good luck.
celticdragonchick
@Tom Q:
Best joke I’ve heard today.
Today’s “The GOP obstructionists are killing us” Senators will be tomorrows “block the radical Tea Party extremist agenda in the Senate” block…and they may well have a point on that.
The fillibuster will not be modified. We have to make headway in the Courts at this point.
Joseph Nobles
At this point, I really don’t see Obama’s position as being anything but, “Sure I’ll sign it if it gets to my desk and be happy to take credit for it, but I’m not really going to push for it, and if it doesn’t get here? Well, too bad, fags, who else ya gonna vote for?”
Appropriate ire is reserved for the idiotic Republicans, of course, including the new Queen of the Bigots Susan Collins, who must shut down debate in order to keep Harry Reid from shutting down debate. Because that wouldn’t be fair.
Not a single-issue Democrat here, but this is one of my big ones, being gay. Major disappointment here.
ETA: Will “Too bad, fags” get to be a tag?
Nick
Which is why they shouldn’t do it in the first place. If you’re forcing the GOP to obstruct in hopes of rallying the base, it’s an epic fail of a reason. Greg Sargant knows;
why would the GOP start acting differently?
Martin
@Nick: In this case, I’d say it was necessary. We’re past the period where Dems need to focus solely on governance and into the period where they need to focus primarily on campaigning. Forcing the vote should set the stage for the stakes in this election. 57 yea, 43 nea still results in a defeat. That’s not a failure of messaging by Dems, it’s the reality of an obstructionist minority party. They won’t get any less obstructionist as they gain seats… Dems need to turn out. This won’t get better until they do, and here’s proof.
Ripley
The big tent appears to be on fire. In other news, water is wet.
celticdragonchick
@Nick:
The LCR just scored a major court victory on this very issue that we lost in the Senate. I will support any organization that is fighting on my side in the culture war.
I really don’t give a shit if you like that or not. I don’t have to worry about party purity in the first place since I am independent.
If you don’t like what I write, then write something better or fuck off and ignore me. I care not.
Tom Q
@Joseph Nobles: Exactly what “pushing” was Obama supposed to do to get members of THE OTHER PARTY to vote for it? (Since even flipping the two Dem Senators in AS — a state where Obama is as popular as Ebola — wouldn’t have been enough)
Bob Loblaw
@Nick:
You just ascribed them victimhood, repeatedly.
The White House isn’t the victim today of anything. They took all the oxygen out of the room to deal with their tax cut issue, now they have to live with the consequences of that decision. I don’t think it was personal. Civil rights are always subordinate to economic and immediate electoral needs.
Nick
Still think the WH didn’t lift a finger?
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/21/dana-bash-sen-collins-not-so-secret-phone-call/
celticdragonchick
@Joseph Nobles:
Careful about saying that around here. Insufficient excitement over Obama’s sooper dooper leadership will be cause for insults and questions about your character and intelligence.
bloodstar
@Joseph Nobles:
Just curious, How many Democrats voted against cloture? (Reid doesn’t count)
How many Republicans voted for cloture?
Do you think any Republican is going to be willing to vote with the Democrats? and if they did, what would they have to offer up to get their votes on DADT? I’d love to see DADT repealed, I just don’t think it’s possible right now.
As I said, I’m curious what better options are out there because right now I’m just seeing a bunch of hand waving and finger puppets with some vague notion that if only Obama had done more, DADT would be a done deal. Give me some specifics and some horse trading that could be done to get any Republicans on board, because I can’t see it.
Nick
@Bob Loblaw:
No, they’re not victims, neither are Democrats in Congress, never said they were, but they’re not at fault for not trying. They tried and it didn’t work, they shouldn’t be blamed for not succeeded, they should be given credit for at least trying!
We don’t even given them credit for trying.
Nick
@Bob Loblaw: @Bob Loblaw:
No, they’re not victims, neither are Democrats in Congress, never said they were, but they’re not at fault for not trying. They tried and it didn’t work, they shouldn’t be blamed for not succeeded, they should be given credit for at least trying!
We don’t even given them credit for trying.
Martin
@Nick: When did not bringing things to a vote rally the Dems? I thought the firebaggers were all pissed off because the Dems refused to fight for key legislation?
We just fought for it. The supermajority rule beat us.
Look, the Dems can’t win over the firebaggers for trying. If they don’t vote, they’re not fighting. If they vote and supermajority defeats it, somehow it’s the fault of Dems for being in the defacto minority for passing new legislation, and therefore they need to be punished by not turning out to vote.
The firebaggers are relying on the electoral equivalent of ‘the beatings will continue until morale improves’ to carry them to victory.
Nick
@celticdragonchick: I get it, no one matters but you.
celticdragonchick
@Nick:
Ted: “So, he called to try to persuade you?”
Collins: “No, it was a discussion. He knows he doesn’t have to persuade me on the underlying issue. I agree with it.”
That was a big help.
celticdragonchick
@Nick:
This really serves no purpose, so this will be the last time I respond.
I wish you well on whatever else you are dealing with in your political concerns.
Joseph Nobles
Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor were the Democrats that voted no. Reid did so as well, but that was a procedural thing.
Nick
@celticdragonchick:
and yet Collins voted no today. I’m not sure what you want. You said he should be lifting a finger, and the fucking VP called one of the deciding votes and get her to vote for cloture and she didn’t. Is that what you wanted them to do? twist arms? whip count?
Actually I’m sure what you want…you want to bitch.
Martin
@celticdragonchick: What was Biden going to do? Collins is holding out for Reid to allow unlimited amendments, which the GOP will use to drown and poison the bill just like they did with HCR and others. I believe the deal was that Reid would allow amendments if the GOP agreed to not filibuster. You think Biden should have asked Harry to back down on that deal?
Nick
@Joseph Nobles:
Lincoln and Pryor were yesses first, then flipped to no. It’s pretty clear Reid let them go when he saw it wouldnt pass.
Collins was the deciding vote.
celticdragonchick
@Martin:
Good question…but they are the ‘professionals’ we sent to to the job. They can’t seem to do it, so I will back whoever can. Right now, the LCR are the ones making headway in court.
I am getting sick of excuses.
Nick
@Martin:
I would really like to hear a firebagger answer that. Like how Obama asked the tea party, what specifically are going to do to close the deficit yesterday, I wanted to firebaggers tell us what the administration should do to a Senator not up for reelection for another four years.
celticdragonchick
From BTB:
So there was no repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and there is plenty of blame to go around as to why. But perhaps more importantly is what happens now.
Now the ball is in the Obama Administration’s court. The President can single-handedly end the policy this week.
Log Cabin Republicans have asked for a world-wide injunction on the enforcement of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy following their successful case in federal court. The administration has yet to announce whether they will appeal this decision or fight the injunction, but they must decide on the latter by this Thursday.
Should the Obama Administration decline to oppose the injunction, then Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is dead. It may continue to sit on the books until a future date, but it can no longer be an impediment to open service.
They could also decide to request a delayed injunction, a period of time in which to phase in the change in policy. This would indicate that the Administration is committed to ending the discriminatory policy.
Or the Administration could oppose any injunction, a move that would signal their intention to appeal the decision and to fight for the continuance of the ban on open gay service. Considering the likely change in Congressional partisan make-up, this would quite possibly mean that repealing DADT is unlikely for the foreseeable future.
The choice is now the President’s. On Thursday we will know whether he is a fierce advocate.
http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/
Nick
@celticdragonchick: to paraphrase: I can’t answer that question, so I’ll hind behind “it’s his job” excuse, but unless he does something, I’m going to threaten to give money to Republicans because I know it will piss all of you off and you’ll complain and I can keep bitching and moaning and whining.
Nick
@celticdragonchick: You know what amazes me, the fact that you’re posting something from a group that endorsed John “the military doesn’t want gays” McCain and Sarah “I want that lady who thinks gays are diseased in the Senate” Palin.
They may have won a court case, but they are also supporting the reelection of Senators and the Presidential candidacy of one of them, who voted no today.
But I get it, Obama is to blame for not arm twisting them, not a group like Log Cabin Republicans who actually endorsed their candidacies.
Emma
I know I’m missing something here, because why couldn’t we just say, “ok then, go ahead, filibuster. Would you like me to order an extra pizza for you at 3AM?” If we actually made them do it every time they threatened, then maybe they wouldn’t threaten so often?
Cris
@Emma: see http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/sep/30/specter-haunting-senate/ . Basically, the Senate adopted a rule in 1917 requiring cloture for any legislation to reach the Senate floor. So it’s been this way for almost a century. But we only notice it on contentious issues — most legislation hits the floor through unanimous consent.
Emma
@Cris: Sort of, but cloture appears to be used to stop debate, i.e., stop the talking, i.e. stop a filibuster, no? After that, there are limits on how much more can be said before a vote is taken. So, either they vote for cloture or they keep talking, right, which is what a filibuster is. So make them keep talking. No going home, no dinner with your family/mistress/TV, no one’s going anywhere. They want to keep talking, then keep talking. It’s usually not called for at all, from what I was able to read quickly. You only call for it in response to a filibuster. It’s STFU already, basically.
Mnemosyne
“Keep talking” hasn’t been a filibuster since the 1970s when the rules changed. Now all the party doing the filibuster has to do is block the cloture vote and the whole thing grinds to a halt with no need for talking on anyone’s part.
That old Mr. Smith Goes to Washington way of doing a filibuster hasn’t existed for 30 years.
Kilkee
@Davis X. Machina: Yes, but hideously annoying voice and arguably (in the Portland Press Herald comments) gay, so forget it.
Kilkee
@FlipYrWhig: Actually as a Mainer, I’m guessing we are marginally for repealing DADT, and neither of these takes her marching orders from the commie soshulists in Greater Portland.
Emma
@Mnemosyne: Actually, it still exists, and we can still force it. We just don’t.