THE DEMOCRATS NEED TO MAKE A "BIG DEAL" OF THE GOP's FILIBUSTERS
Gary Ater
August 26, 2008
>>> About half a dozen moderate and independent-minded Republicans and at least one (token?) Democrat — Senator. Ben Nelson (Neb.) — participated in the Members-only huddle, which was held quietly in Lottīs Capitol office. Afterward, few Senators offered much detail, but several said thereīs a feeling among them that the narrowly divided chamber no longer can operate at an impasse and they want to find ways to avoid the growing number of filibusters sidelining Senate legislation this year.
>>> Although not all showed up, sources indicated that about 10 Senators were asked to take part in the meeting. In addition to Lott, Nelson, Graham and Snowe, GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Bob Corker (Tenn.), John Warner (Va.), John McCain (Ariz.), Gordon Smith (Ore.) and Norm Coleman (Minn.) were invitees.
"Itīs about creating a better environment to get things done for the country," said Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who participated in the meeting. "We need to get back to being a deliberative body."
This whole endeavor is so transparent. If the Senate Republicans wanted to help unclog the gridlock, they could just stop blocking the legislation.
Don't you find it ironic that Trent Lott, the one that boasted in April that, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail and so far itīs working for us.", is the same "Trent Lott" that is saying that they are working on "how to unclog the gridlock that has slowed the chamberīs progress this year".
Since the Republicans lost their Senate majority, The Dems have tried to govern, but the GOP has just decided that they would not allow the 60 votes needed to pass any bill. After so many years of crying like children if the Democrats "even considered" a procedural hurdle, Republicans now present regular "hurdles" and they donīt want to see an up-or-down vote on anything.
And all of a sudden, theyīre interested in starting to move legislation again?
Actually, this is all part of the original master plan. Now that it's only a couple of months to the election, they are starting to show that they are getting everything in-line to get things done instead of the past bad results from the "do nothing Democratic 110th Congress". And don't you think that it's "funny" that it just happens to be at the same time that "a national poll showed that a majority of the public was starting to blame the Republicans for the lack of progress in Congress".
Itīs amazing that these guys are making it sound as if thereīs some kind of mysterious hurdle standing in the way of legislative progress. There isnīt. They donīt want popular, progressive legislation to pass, and they donīt want to force Bush to veto everything, so theyīre blocking legislation on everything from Iraq to Habeas Corpus to voting rights.
If they want to stop the blocking, they should just stop. If theyīre tired of the gridlock, they can end the filibusters. If they want to deliberate, they can debate the merit of legislation and then vote, up or down, on whether they support the bills or not.
Thereīs no need for a new "gang" or "working group". Thereīs simply a need for the Senate minority to stop standing in the way of every important bill that comes to the floor.
The Democrats still need to make this story a "Big Deal" and to do it NOW!