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Sen. Arlen Specter's party switch puts the Democrats within grasp of a 60-seat majority and the first filibuster-resistant margin since the Carter administration three decades ago.
GOP Vulnerabilities May Help Dems Hang On To 60 Senate SeatsWith the upheavals that have taken place from Democratic retirements in the past two days, are the Dems doomed to lose their 60-seat, filibuster-proof margin in the Senate this year? On close examination, this is not in any way a certain outcome -- because the Republicans have a …
Although the Obama Administration has been a disappointment in terms of its willingness to lead, and although more than a few conspicuous elected Democrats seem to be entrenched, with many of their Republican colleagues, at the trough, recent polls indicate that a majority of Ame …
The filibuster, contrary to popular belief, is not an action included in the Constitution. It is simply a rule that the Senate allows to exist.
GOP Obstructionism - "A Dangerous Dysfunction"Some people will say that it has always been this way, and that we've managed so far. But it wasn't always like this. Yes, there were filibusters in the past — most notably by segregationists trying to block civil rights legislation.
A Morning of Glee and Glumness Interesting .. The last time the Senate voted on Christmas Eve, in 1895, it represented a moment of national reconciliation, as lawmakers agreed to lift a ban on federal officers who had joined the Confederacy from serving in the post-Civil War military. And:
Obama Growing Weary Of The GOP's 'Filibuster Everything' MOThere's growing sentiment on the left--most recently evinced by SEIU President Andy Stern and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman--that the Senate's quiet acceptance of the filibuster--and therefore a 60 vote threshold for most legislation--is dangerous to the country's ability …
The New York Times has a piece up today discussing the hyper-partisanship we've seen in the US Senate since the Democrats aquired their supposed super-majority in 2008.
A Dangerous Dysfunction - Paul Krugman on How the US Senate Has Gone Horribly WrongUnless some legislator pulls off a last-minute double-cross, health care reform will pass the Senate this week. Count me among those who consider this an awesome achievement.
"We have crossed the mark of over 100 filibusters... in less than one year. Never since the founding of the Republic, not even in the bitter sentiments preceding Civil War, was such a thing ever seen in this body"Nasty charges of bribery. Senators cut off midspeech. Accusations of politics put over patriotism. Talk of double-crosses. A nonagenarian forced to the floor after midnight for multiple procedural votes.
Why Can't Democrats Do Anything Right?Could a crushing defeat on health reform teach Democrats to stop prioritizing corporate interests?
Holdout Senator Agrees To Support Health Care BillA holdout no more, Democratic Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson agreed Saturday to provide the 60th vote necessary to clear the way for Senate passage of sweeping health care legislation, capping a year of struggle and a final burst of deadline bargaining.
Is It Time To Get Rid of the Filibuster?You let one petulant brat get his way, and then all the other brats start acting out too.
The majority rules American style democracy has finally collapsed under the weight of the senate filibuster rule, and the United States has become so completely polarized that a minority party can make every single piece of federal legislation a water-down national policy comprom …
Lieberman vs. Lieberman on the FilibusterThe two sides of the Senator, then and now, weigh in on the concept of and power inherent to the filibuster.
Joe Lieberman has been exposed by his latest filibuster threat as being corrupted by forty eight million dollars in campaign contributions* and a wife who is a lobbyist for the very interests he is protecting.
Opinion: The Senate is BrokenMichael Tomasky's opinion piece in the Guardian about the U.S. Congress.
Sen Burris (D-IL) Threatens To Filibuster Health Care Without Public OptionNearing a tenuous agreement on health care reform that is likely to hobble or abandon the public option, Senate leaders now face another filibuster threat -- this one from the left.
Joe Lieberman's Medicare Dodge As the Senate begins voting on health care reform legislation, Sen. Joe Lieberman, the onetime Democrat from Connecticut, has continued to play a pivotal role.
The New ObstructionMatt Yglesias writes about the routine use of the filibuster and other delaying tactics in Congress:
David Hamilton ConfirmedA Senate vote of 59 to 39 confirmed David Hamilton's seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit .
Democrats Should Make The Republicans Filibuster To Win On Health Care ReformImagine yourself as an initially disinterested observer of the current health care debate. Now imagine Jim DeMint droning for several hours on your television about how we are all creeping toward a world without freedom or cheap Reagan memorabilia.
A Milestone In the Health Care Journey"I'm sort of a known skeptic on this stuff," Gruber told me. "My summary is it's really hard to figure out how to bend the cost curve, but I can't think of a thing to try that they didn't try. They really make the best effort anyone has ever made.
Joe Lieberman slams public option; brushes off criticsSen. Joe Lieberman's threat to filibuster any health care bill with a public option could kill health reform this year — and embolden Democratic challengers who'd like to send him packing in 2012. But Lieberman doesn't seem worried.
Democrats of all stripes have begun to express anger at Joe Lieberman's repeated threats to join Republicans to filibuster health care reform legislation. HISTORY
Lieberman In '94: The Filibuster "Ails Washington" And Should Be EliminatedSenator Joseph Lieberman's (I-Conn) threat to filibuster health care legislation that includes a public option for insurance coverage has sent minor shock-waves throughout Washington.
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