Filibuster rules

[ulmont]

The filibuster doesn't have to be gotten rid of, they just have to change the rules to the way they were in the 70s and make them actually carry out their threat.

Read the analysis.  The analysis of the rules is that you can make someone be physically present in the well, but may not compel them to actually speak.

[Razgovory]

The US is was governable when Bushitler was in the White House and he never enjoyed a governing majority such as the Democrats have.  I think the only thing that has been proven is that the Democrats are incapable of governing.

This is disingenuous, unsurprisingly.  As long as you don't have a reliable supermajority, it doesn't matter how sizable your advantage is if the opposing party decides to gum up the works.  The use of filibuster has been getting out of hand for almost two decades now, but the level of Republican obstructionism has broken all kinds of precendents. 

I do think that Democrats have displayed their characteristic political weakness by not making the Republicans pay for it.  That let Republicans neutralize the strength of Democrats, and simultaneously turned it into a great liability.  It's a shame that acts of irresponsible political sabotage seems to be the ticket to popularity these days.

You're obviously delusional.  The only way to get things done is by governing in a centrist fashion, which is why Bush pushed policies such as NCLB and Medicare prescription plan.  Obama has governed as a left-wing extremist, first with the porkulus, then cap-and-trade, and finally Obamacare, and that in a generally center-right country.  Combining bad policies with bad politics is never a winning combination.  When you push an agenda that will bankrupt the nation, throw millions out of work, and strip the majority of their current benefits you can't expect the opposition to jump off the cliff with you.   Indeed, opposition to Obama is now bipartisan.  Democrats are running scared and worrying about an epic meltdown in November.  Not because they failed to pass their agenda, only crazy people believe that, but because the extreme left planned to ram their policies down everybodies throats without even bothering to have a debate or to let the public in on what they're crafting in secret and because they were ignoring the economy in order to focus on left-wing phantasy projects.

Yeah, these are the talking points but they have little bearing on reality.  What ever happened to the "Up or down vote" that the GOP was so keen on back in 2005?

[Berkut]

What ever happened to the "Up or down vote" that the GOP was so keen on back in 2005?

They lost their majority.

[Vince]

Well, it seems that if you have an obstructionist minority of 41 in the senate then you can't make any laws. This seems to be a problem...

Can't the majority buy off the one greedy, seedy member of the minority to break off the filibuster, or is the party discipline insanely tight when a filibuster is occuring?

They normally could, but when they had 60 votes they went out of their way to alienate even the two center-left Republicans from Maine.  Combine the arrogance of acting like you'll never need cross-over votes with pushing an extremely unpopular agenda and you're not going to end up being able to get anything done.

The US is was governable when Bushitler was in the White House and he never enjoyed a governing majority such as the Democrats have.  I think the only thing that has been proven is that the Democrats are incapable of governing.

I'm sure if the situation was reversed with the GOP having 59 seats and Democrats were filibustering everything that moved you'd feel the same way.   

[Razgovory]

I dunno.  Looks like filibustering almost doubled in 2006.

[grumbler]

Waaah waaah waaah filibuster waah waah waah

You really need to run for the Senate.  You sound exactly like Senator Thad Cochran, who was so tearful over the evil Democratic filibusters in 2008 that he filibustered his own bill! 

I'm sure that showed 'em!  We need more people like him in the Senate, because there are some things you just can't get an ordinary Senator to do.

[Agelastus]

You really need to run for the Senate.  You sound exactly like Senator Thad Cochran, who was so tearful over the evil Democratic filibusters in 2008 that he filibustered his own bill! 

I'm sure that showed 'em!  We need more people like him in the Senate, because there are some things you just can't get an ordinary Senator to do.

Have you got a link to that? It sounds interesting.

[PDH]

I like the filibuster. Without it, Jimmy Stewart would not have been able to waste 2 whole class periods of my high school government class.

[Ed Anger]

I like the filibuster. Without it, Jimmy Stewart would not have been able to waste 2 whole class periods of my high school government class.

Gullermeister hates Jimmy Stewart.

[Hansmeister]

Funny thing is of course that there wasn't a single filibuster this last year, yet the whining by the dems now that it is impossible to govern with it. 

[DontSayBanana]

Funny thing is of course that there wasn't a single filibuster this last year, yet the whining by the dems now that it is impossible to govern with it. 

And what do those two statements have to do with each other, Mr. Sequitur?

[DGuller]

Funny thing is of course that there wasn't a single filibuster this last year, yet the whining by the dems now that it is impossible to govern with it. 

Classic lie by half truth.  There are no real filibusters these days, nobody gets that far.  Once it's clear that there aren't 60 votes for the cloture, the filibuster is implied, and people just move on.

[Martinus]

Why not ask this in the thread I made about a week ago asking pretty much the same questions?

[grumbler]

Funny thing is of course that there wasn't a single filibuster this last year, yet the whining by the dems now that it is impossible to govern with it. 

Classic lie by half truth.  There are no real filibusters these days, nobody gets that far.  Once it's clear that there aren't 60 votes for the cloture, the filibuster is implied, and people just move on.

You don't actually think Hans can understand this concept, do you?  If it is too big to fit on a bumper sticker, he will not even read it.

[ulmont]

You don't actually think Hans can understand this concept, do you?  If it is too big to fit on a bumper sticker, he will not even read it.

"Four-legs Good, Two-legs Bad."