LIVE THREAD: SENATE FILIBUSTER!! Call Capitol Swtchbrd 1-800-648-3516 to Protest Dem Obstructionism

www.freerepublic.com | November 12, 2003

[Howlin]

FILIBUSTER BEGINS AT 6:00 P.M. EST!!!!

[Capitalism2003]

These lefties have no idea who they're messing with...

[DeuceTraveler]

This is true. I really enjoyed the debate as I learned quite a number of things the last couple of days. Mostly on how these people were like on the floor.

[syriacus]

They are scared to death of any inroads into their supposed ownership, of their minority base

You've summed that up, very nicely.

[jackbill]

Howlin, I believe that you might have watched a good portion of the "debate". I did as well but I didn't keep track of time. The question that I have is, wasn't the time split evenly between the RATS and the Republicans? From looking at the speakers on the C-SPAN site it sure looks as if the RATS were given a lot, if not equal time.

The reason for my question is the Baltimore Sun editorial this morning called "Senate Charade". In it, the writer claimed:

But during this round-the-clocker, Democrats had to beg to get a word in edgewise as Republicans staged a taxpayer-financed appeal to the GOP's conservative base.

[Jen]

Agree. They misunderestimated again. hehehe

[jwalsh07]

OK, a conservative gentlemen vs a conservative gentlewoman's bet?:-}

[Mo1]

Shows the dims for what they are, hypocrites of the highest order.

You got that right

Pubbies are on FNC NOW

[jwalsh07]

That would be what is known as the big lie.

[Spunky]

Will someone please educate me again?

1.Who and how did the vote go from a constitutional majority (51) to a vote of 60 in order to have cloture?
2. Since the republicans are in the majority now why are they not able to make it go back to the majority vote of 51?
3. The senator from Texas who was just talking said something about Zel Miller and another senator doing something. Is that what they are trying to do is get it back to the 51 majority vote?

[Howlin]

They are preventing a vote because they will LOSE

Exactly.

[itsinthebag]

I apologize if these questions seem naive, but how come 60 votes are needed for cloture? Where did that rule come from?

[syriacus]

I think we should amend the constitution to have 3 or 4 Senators from each state.

Senators have so many more people to represent nowdays.

[Cboldt]

The editorial writer is biased, and is lying. Time was split 50/50. No begging required.

Also, the appeal was to the Constitution, which the conservative base of the GOP happens to support.

[TomGuy]

It doesn't take a genius to trash precedent and gather 41 votes.

Why 41 votes? First time in 214 years of American history that it takes a super majority to get judges out of committee and to a floor vote. Why? That didn't happen in 1789 or 1860 or 1960 or 1996. Trent Lott made a deal with Tom Daschle a couple years ago. Now, that deal is biting the Pubbies in the rear. All previous administrations only needed a simple majority, not a supermajority, to get judicial nominations approved. Daschle may not have been the genius, but the Pubbie who agreed to the deal was no scholar, either.

[Judith Anne]

It came from the threat of dems to filibuster--60 votes are needed to stop the filibuster, iirc.

[Howlin]

considering the Pubs--the majority party--don't have the cajones to stop them

I'm waiting for somebody to tell me exactly how they stop them -- exactly.

[Republican Wildcat]

But during this round-the-clocker, Democrats had to beg to get a word in edgewise as Republicans staged a taxpayer-financed appeal to the GOP's conservative base.

The time was equally divided. The Baltimore Sun Editorial Board is lying.

Please provide an e-mail address for the editorial board, if you could. In fact, post that editorial, if you can, on a separate thread so that we may comment and respond to this and other lies the editorial board of that paper has perpetuated.

[rintense]

From what I understand, when the Dems were the majority, and after they learned GWB would be President, they immediately changed the rules. If this rule was changed while Daschle was the 'selected' majority leader thanks to Jeffords, then the rule should be immediately revoked.

[Howlin]

That is an absolute, flat out lie; from what I saw, every single hour was divided in half, 30 minutes for the Dems, 30 minutes for the GOP.

Am I wrong on that?

[RandallFlagg]

Look at the bright side, FReepers!!!




We just got us a huge arrow in our quiver for our next few nationwide election campaigns. We can use this against them in the best possible way!

Too bad these fine judges had to suffer for it, though. My heart goes out to them for having to listen to them get continuously smeared for the past 2 days..