Reed’s Rules The nuclear option, 19th-century style.

National Review Online ^ | March 07, 2005 | John A. Barnes

[Ragnorak]

...Why is the filibuster allowed in the Senate but not in the House of Representatives?

The answer is that the filibuster did indeed once have a home in the House. That it doesn't anymore is a tribute to a 19th-century Republican hero: Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed of Maine. If he is recalled at all today, it is because of the memorable nickname his enemies fastened to him in the wake of Reed's successful abolition of the filibuster in the House: "Czar."
...
The primary weapon of the minority was the so-called "silent quorum" or "silent filibuster." Under the House rules of the time, a quorum of 165 members, a majority, had to be present in order for business to be conducted. But in order for a member to be counted as "present," he had to affirmatively answer when his name was called by the clerk. If the member refused to answer, even if physically present in the chamber, he was marked absent. Since, invariably, some members actually were absent — either ill, traveling, or otherwise unavailable — it usually wasn't difficult for a minority, by remaining silent during the roll call, to prevent the majority party from reaching the necessary 165 members "present." Thus, the will of the majority was thwarted without an actual vote having to be taken. (Sound familiar?)
...

[HOYA97]

I think Rush was referring to this story today.

[NonValueAdded]

This was one cool dude. Here is another bio link http://www.answers.com/topic/thomas-brackett-reed

and some great quotes:

• "They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge."
• "One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation"
• "If there's one thing for which I admire you, it's your original discovery of the Ten Commandments."
• "To say that a thing has never yet been done among men is to erect a barrier stronger than reason, stronger than discussion"

[Ragnorak]

I heard it from Rush. I was emailing it to someone and figured I'd post it for the unfortunate among us who missed Rush today.

[jocko12]

Demwits don't have to worry,for 4 years now they know Frist has no gonads.

[Soul Seeker]

Heard it on Rush today.

Sending this to all the elitists in political and journalistic circles that have waxed on and on about Senate traditions and the collapse of the chamber.

[tet68]

Excellent article.

I found this rather enlightening.

The minority party has a right to be heard, to vote, and, as Reed once put it, "draw its pay," but little more. This is not a matter of simple power politics, as Reed knew, but of representative government itself. The party winning the most votes in an election has the right to see its program voted on and moved, not merely debated. Otherwise, the public becomes cynical about the entire democratic process — and rightfully so.

As long as the democrats can hold up the democratic process,
they can make the electorate more and more cynical about
our whole system of government, until the electorate
will in frustration choose something more "progressive".

[paltz]

bttt

[Jim W N]

Don't you love it how the liberal-socialists refer to the constitution as "nuclear". They're so estranged from what our country stands for and the rule of law it stands on. They're more afraid of the freedoms guaranteed in our constitution than they are of the missiles being developed by madmen around the world. Where did these people come from and when will they be gone?

[paltz]

btt