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Remember how, last December, the Democrats in the Senate were going to "cowboy up" and maybe change it so that the minority would have to actually show up for a filibuster?
Well, brace yourselves - it turned out that was just too radical an idea:
The final agreement reached by leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell and passed overwhelmingly by the Senate Thursday evening did not weaken the filibuster. It essentially served to move uncontroversial Senate business more quickly. Democratic senators roundly backed it — even the ones who were eager to end silent filibusters. Republicans didn’t object either.
How did it all fall apart?
According to conversations with pro-reform Democratic aides, party leadership sources and outside opponents of the filibuster, Reid’s main goal was ultimately not to weaken the 60-vote threshold that reformers desperately wanted to change. Instead his objective was to eliminate mandatory gaps between votes in order to move legislation and nominees that have cleared a filibuster more quickly — which he achieved.
Filibuster Reform Ends With A Whimper: How It Fell Apart
Wow, I bet none of you saw that coming, huh?
I felt so negative at the time for writing this:
To break a filibuster, the majority party needs to have at least 60 Senators ready to vote for it at the next opportunity. The minority party only needs to have the one speaking, and a couple of relief Senators at any time. As things stand now, that still gives the Republicans an advantage.
And that, I think, is the point. They still don't want to honk off their benefactors by doing what their supporters want.
As long as that's true, real change is worth about as much as a filibustering Senator's words.
Senate Democrats Might Do Something About The Filibuster, Kinda...
It turns out that I was too optimistic. Things may go a little more smoothly in the Senate, assuming there's no contention over at least a few things, but most of the legislation and appointments will move as slowly as they ever did. What the end result will be, of course, is that the Republicans, and conservatives generally, will get even more of what they want, and progressives won't. Why? Because they'll get what everyone agrees on, which was at least endangered now, and they're still going to obstruct everything else, because they can and their base expects them to actually accomplish something.
Folks have taken to blaming Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader for this, but it sure looks like he still has his job. If Democrats were upset over his failure, they could have removed him. They didn't. As far as I'm concerned, that makes this the Democrats' problem, not just Harry Reid's. At some point, you really have to blame the electorate for the people they vote for.
Maybe progressives will figure that out some day... Nah!
The next time some idiot of a "progressive" asks me why I'm so negative..., well, I already had lots of reasons. Now, I just have one more.
6 comments:
Conservative politicians disgust me, but Progressive politicians too often make me wish I could talk myself into voting for the disgusting Conservatives.
Never ever was going to happen!
Saw an article just now how bama/dims may be talking Climate Change. Never ever will change we need happen there either. It's a diversion from how dysfunctional DC is. People want to believe good will come so badly that when they are thrown morsels they focus on those possibilities rather that the history of the reality of getting nothing but squat from these bastards.
Something like winning a big lotto in a way. Another example of just how bad things are and will get.
What a shitty message to have.
In college during what we thought at the time were evil days, (Nixon/Kissinger)but now appear to be an era of enlightenment, I studied the Roman Empire. At the time I wondered just how the Romans and more particularly their ruling class could miss how things were all going to turn out.
Well I still wonder that, but now I can see how it happens, I just still can't figure just out how these people think.
Me, too, Paul. I have to content myself with voting third party, or not voting. It doesn't count as much, but this is a form of political action I can afford.
I'm amazed at the number of people who took the President's Inauguration speech seriously, One Fly. It's the same sort of empty words we've heard from the man for six years. What would make anyone think they mean something now? Nothing but wishful thinking, I'd say.
If I had to guess, lawguy, I'd say they just didn't think it would be a problem for them. As long as they're rich, and as long as there are other people willing to work for them, they're fine. In some cases, that might even be true. The folks who run things in America seem to run things in Europe, too. As much as they deserve to end up badly, I think it will be the rest of us who get there first.
Love you, baby.
Keep speaking out for US.
Every time I think I can't find anyone who feels exactly as I do about these ruling bastards I come here and feel better.
Thanks for being you.
S
Well, back at ya Suzan. It does my furry heart good to realize I'm not alone.
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