The filibuster is not the problem
Like Josh, I'm seeing a bit of buzz on the intertubes about abolishing cloture requirements and eliminating the filibuster and I agree with Josh. That's the wrong answer. Spineless poseurs like Reid will always find a way to cave for their own political purposes.
We need the filibuster. It's an important tool of checks and balances but they're doing it wrong. It just needs to be enforced again. Caving under the mere threat of one is cowardly and only perpetrates the political kabuki that passes for work product inside the Beltway. Make the obstructionists stand at the podium and explain exactly why they want to block a bill for 48 hours or so. Take a real floor vote so everyone has to go on record. That's the way it's supposed to work, and did work, until the Senate decided to institute their clubby little rules of pseudo-civility to provide cover for political posturing designed solely for personal partisan interests on both sides of the fence.
[More posts daily at The Newshoggers and The Detroit News.]
We need the filibuster. It's an important tool of checks and balances but they're doing it wrong. It just needs to be enforced again. Caving under the mere threat of one is cowardly and only perpetrates the political kabuki that passes for work product inside the Beltway. Make the obstructionists stand at the podium and explain exactly why they want to block a bill for 48 hours or so. Take a real floor vote so everyone has to go on record. That's the way it's supposed to work, and did work, until the Senate decided to institute their clubby little rules of pseudo-civility to provide cover for political posturing designed solely for personal partisan interests on both sides of the fence.
[More posts daily at The Newshoggers and The Detroit News.]
posted by Libby Spencer at 3:30 PM
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