A better option on judges: Bring on a real filibuster

The Hill News ^ | 4/27/2005 | Dick Morris

[Paloma_55]

The better way to proceed is to make the filibuster radioactive politically by letting the Democrats talk themselves to death. Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves by their vocal cords.

While I have some disdain for Dick Morris, he not only nails it well on this article, but his use of this metaphor is truly brilliant.

[HOYA97]

I have to agree with you completely. As was said on another thread, "The GOP needs to find its spine".

[Dems_R_Losers]

This is absolutely freaking brilliant, right down to the choice of Pickering as the test case. He is already on the bench by a recess appointment, and so far he has not overturned the Constitution or reinstituted slavery in Mississippi. The democrats will look totally ridiculous for effectively shutting down the legislative branch over his appointment. The Senate rules that DO need to be changed are those that allow the "virtual filibuster." There hasn't been a real filibuster since C-SPAN hit the airwaves. Force the minority to actually debate the bill or nomination for hours while other pressing issues are ignored. If the bill or nomination is important enough, the people will support the filibuster. If it isn't, they won't.

[fella]

This will never happen again. The old geezers that are tenured for life by their political machines, of both parties, could not survive a real filibuster where they would have to either speak or pay attention for period of time. Plus the people would get to truly see what goes through their minds as they babbled on and on.

[rwfromkansas]

A real filibuster would be difficult to do thanks to Senate rules, calendar days etc.

Change all that, and it could work.

[Rodney King]

Morris is right on the money. The problem is that none of the Senators R or D will accept having to work longer hours.

[Nutmeg08]

This is the sort of tacticle approach the Republicans should use. Make 'em have a real filibuster. The gentlemens' agreement to pretend there is a filibuster with out requiring the minority to actually talk continuously is a key cause of the problem.

Since the loss of only a couple of percent of minority voters would crush Democrat candidates chances of winning office. The Dems are terrified of publically having to speak out in opposition of minority nominees.

[TomasUSMC]

It takes 51 votes to get rid of the filibuster, just do it. Then we can get our conservative judges appointed. Stop trying to take the gutless way out. We have the votes, use them. This should be old news by now.

[TNdandelion]

Exactly! Not only will the people get tired of the endless rambling....so will the filibusterees!

I think the filibuster has its appropriate place but it also needs to be done correctly.

I remember as a kid, my brother and I like to chase each other around a hallway in our house. Our parents were always getting on to us. One day, caught in the act, Dad MADE us do laps around that same hallway. When we'd slow down, he'd say..."Keep running!" It got old and wasn't fun anymore. LOL

[hobbes1]

hile I have some disdain for Dick Morris, he not only nails it well on this article,

Really?..And do you think that for a moment, the coverage of said filibuster outside of this FOrum and Fox News would be anything short of messianic.

ABCCBSNBCCNNPMSNBCNYTimesWaPo, would portray the dissenting Democrats in such a glorious light that it would like they were fighting the Civil Rights battles all over agin, of course it would also fail to mention that the Dems were against Civil Rights in the first place.

Hypocrisy only chokes SOME republicans, but to Democrats its an appetizer that surpasses Caviar in its elegance.

Robert Byrd thundering on about Civil Rights and the Republicans rolling them back...24/7, Wall to Wall coverage.

Picture that.

[Kay]

Excellent application.

[TAdams8591]

Rush made the same suggestion several years ago. I don't know if he's made it lately.

[XJarhead]

The problem with Morris' approach is that its much tougher on the majority than the minority because you have to keep a quorum within 15 minutes reach at all time.

I see no need to force a 24/7 filibuster. Just require them to tie up the Senate during normal business hours. Let the filibustering Senators go home, get a good nights' sleep, and restart in the morning.

The thing that kills a filibuster is the political cost of bringing Congress to a screeching halt. We can just as easily get that if the Dems drone on for 10 hours a day than if they do it for 24.

[MamaLucci]

My dad had a similar approach with my sister and I.....one day he'd had enough
of our bickering, and told us to go in the walk-in closet
off the den, until we could work out our differences.
Of course, all we could do, once inside, was laugh. ;)

[trubluolyguy]

Bingo, Dick, bingo.

[nightdriver]

This is want a bunch of us have said from the beginning.

If the democRATs want a filibuster, let 'em! The senate president can and should enforce attendance of the entire senate while it is going on, too. Can you imagine how ugly ol' Kennedy and dingy Harry Reid will look after a couple of days without sleep?

Plenty good for 'em!

[Gadfly-At-Large]

Yeah, I understand that this is harder on the Majority than Minority but so what. There is more mileage as I see it from my perch in a red state with 2 Dems (Lincoln & Pryor). It just seems to me that the Republicans could do something to get more mileage out of the Democrats religious profiling.

[Howlin]

And unless I am mistaken, the problem would be for us: i.e., we'd have to keep at least 51 senators ON the floor at all times and they'd only have to have one there doing the talking for them.

Am I wrong about that?

[rebapiper]

Dick Morris has no more interest in this country than the
Clinton's did when they sold this country down the drain.
The Clinton's and their Communist party (Demorats) and that
goes for Morris as well, belong behind bars for live or the
death penalty, TREASON. Morris was very much a part of the
selling out of America. They set the course for 9/11 and
their hijackers carried it out. The Clintons and the Dick Morris's steered the planes while the hijackers drove it.
Morris and they rest of the Communist group all yelled loud and clear day after day after day about Linda Tripp,
"she wants to right a book" Leading Americans to think it
was Tripp that wanted a bood deal, the fact is the so call
(Left,Liberals)the communist group want book deals and they
ALL wrote books. Morris could have exposed the Clintons and
they rest of his communist party for Treason and many other
crimes but instead he is portrayed as a do gooder now.
OUR TAX DOLLARS WENT TO INDEPENDENT COUNSELS THAT STABBED
US IN THE BACK. THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR THE MISS USE OF
BILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS AND PHONY INDEPANDENT COUNSEL IF
MORRIS AND HIS COMMUNIST GROUP WOULD HAVE DONE THE RIGH THING AND EXPOSED THE CRIMES THAT WERE GOING ON.
MORRIS PLAYED A BIG ROLL IN GETTING THE CORRUPT FOX PRESIDENT OF MEXICO. WHY DOESN'T MORRIS COME CLEAN ABOUT
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MEXICO.
I STIIL THINK NEVADA IS A HOT SPOT FOR ILLEGALS, MANY HOMES AND APARTMENT ARE USED FOR HIDING PLACES FOR ILLEGALS. A COMPANY IN HENDERSON NEVADA,OFF SUNSET BLVD.
THE MAKE CHEAP SHAMPOOS AND HAND CREAMS HAVE BE WORKING AND
HIDING OUT ILLEGALS. THE ILLEGALS ARE WARNED NOT TO COME TO
WORK WHEN EVERY THE IMMAGRATIONS ARE COMING OUT. IMMAGRATIONS TELLS THEM WHEN THE ARE COMING AND I'M SURE
MANY OTHER COMPANIES IN NEVADA ARE DOING THE SAME. HOUSE IS
BIG BUISNESS IN NEVADA BUT ONLY THEY MEXICANS GET THE JOBS,
CONTRACTORS DON'T WANT WHITE OR BLACK AMERICANS THEY WANT
THE ILLEGALS.

[XJarhead]

Yeah, I understand that this is harder on the Majority than Minority but so what.

The "so-what" makes it easier for Dems to win. You get just a couple of Republicans sick or needing to go somewhere, and you lose the quorum. Huge lift for the Dems.

Must better just to let them hang themselves a little bit more each day.