Agreed -- but it can only be fixed in the Senate, per the Constitution. Each House sets its own rules.
Frankly, the 60-vote supermajority is so outrageous that it would justify the President vetoing every appoipriations bill until there were up-or-down votes on nominees -- including Bolton. Unfortunately, the President might lose doing that as well.
Let them filibuster til dooms day. Who cares? Just get it all on CSPAN for the folks back home.
Meanwhile, is a recess appointment out of the question?
Each house can set procedural rules affecting only it. To change the hurdel from simple majority to "whatver the Senate says it will be" for confirming nominations is a substantive change that alters the balance of power.
We can see the alteration of balance of power unfolding right before our eyes, this week, but it (perversion of the Constitution) ain't being discussed much. This hits the Office of the President right in the shorts. Frist and the GOP Senators were all hot on this in May. Now the whol lot of them is cowering in the corner.
Sissy boys. Worthless crap.
the 60-vote supermajority is so outrageous that it would justify the President vetoing every appoipriations bill until there were up-or-down votes on nominees -- including Bolton. Unfortunately, the President might lose doing that as well.
Those founders were clever. They devised various ways for the branches to play "scissors/paper/rock" with each other. The president can nominate who he wants, and if the Senate doesn't act by recess, he goes around them with a recess appointment. He did it with Bolton.
Bean-bag politics champions - GOP.