Republicans Plan To End Cherished Political Tradition Of The Filibuster

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 4-10-2005 | Philip Sherwell

[El Gato]

Rehnquist is likely to be replaced and maybe O'Conner

The third would be Ginsberg, who, IIRC has health problems.

And I have a funny feeling that the scumbags will not leave the Court until there's a scumbag President to appoint their replacements.

They might try, but ill health or a natural death can force the issue.

[AmishDude]

It's a "cherished tradition" that Sheets himself helped to change. It used to be 67 votes.

[mhx]

We've never tried to block judicial appointments with only 41 votes before. Lots of Bill Clinton's judicial appointments were approved. I don't know why we would care very much if the filibuster was taken away for those. It's not doing us any good being there.

[SteveMcKing]

[airborne]

Liberals raped the filibuster like a Scottish farmer at the hindquarters of a Highland sheep.

You forgot the part about doing it at the edge of a cliff.

[greasepaint]

When was the 'moving' filibuster, invented?
By that, I mean the idea that any one item could
be stopped, but other business could continue?

If the Dems want to filibuster, make them
do it the old way, by talking, like in the movie
'Mister Smith goes to Washington'.

[mowkeka]

The MSM will not tolerate this. Even if Democrats do close down the Senate, the MSM will still present Republicans as angry, Evangelical, right-wingers who are "breaking tradition" and being "partisan."
Prepare for a major fight. Not just with Democrats, but with the MSM.

[SteveMcKing]

I cherish the filibuster.

I couldn't sleep last night... lying awake in bed and dreaming of... the filibuster.

I can't eat, I can't think, my work is a mess... because of... the filibuster.

[SteveMcKing]

I heard a little girl whisper in church today, "Daddy, are they going to take away the filibuster?"

The whole pew began to weep openly.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"I couldn't sleep last night... lying awake in bed and dreaming of... the filibuster."


DO YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT ?!?


Or as we used to hear as kids, "Do you want some tea and cookies for your pity party?"

LOL

[Joe_October]

In a poll of all the children in the world, the kids were asked to choose between Lassie, Christmas, Halloween, or the fillibuster.

103% chose the fillibuster as their favorite thing.

[suzyq5558]

Spoken like a true Viking!!:) love it...

[DennisR]

This is great news. The filibuster is a colossal waste of time and money.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

I have a funny feeling that the scumbags will not leave the Court until there's a scumbag President to appoint their replacements.

I pray that the wrath of God Himself be executed upon the workers of iniquity in high places, these rulers who rule with deceitful hearts, these who revel in evil devices, in Jesus' Name--may their evil reigns end prematurely by impeachment by the hand of the sovereign PEOPLE, One Nation, Under God!!!

[DennisR]

BTW I am in favor of filibustering (not on appoinments) because it eliminates what John Stuart Mills called the "tyranny of the majority".

How so? I know of no filibuster that has never ended. So if anything, it only delays the tyranny.

[princess leah]

Talk is cheap - let's SEE it! SHOW ME THE NUCLEAR OPTION!

[CyberAnt]

What is it with these Brits - can't they get anything right ..??

The Republicans are not destroying the filibuster - they're just destroying the democrats' power.

[nightdriver]

"Under the rules filibusters must remain standing, cannot lean on the podium or take toilet breaks."

Mr.Sherwell is mis-informed.

The democRATs in the Senate are not doing any talking, they are just declaring that the nominations are "under filibuster" and then the Senate is going about other business.

If they applied the real rules of the filibuster, the vote would only be held up for as long as someone was up there talking.

The Senate president also could enforce that nobody leaves the chamber while the filibuster was in progress.

If they followed their own rule on filibusters, the problem would take care of itself, I guarantee you.

Could you imagine how drawn and ugly ol' Teddy Kennedy would look after a couple of days without sleep, having to remain in his seat while they filibustered?

[Jaysun]

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought the idea was to eliminate filibustering ONLY on appointments? The aticle seems to imply that all filibustering will be eliminated.

BTW I am in favor of filibustering (not on appoinments) because it eliminates what John Stuart Mills called the "tyranny of the majority".

By the way, I was watching "People for the American Way" discuss their ad campaign on CSPAN the other night. They too are pushing the idea that Republicans want to eliminate the entire filibuster (that would be fine by me).

I don't subscribe to the "tyranny of the majority" idea because the so called remedy is a "tyranny of the minority". If they're both to be considered "problems" it seems clear to me that the former is preferable because in the case of the latter the only thing that changes is that you have more people being subjected to "tyranny".