Is It Time to Change the Senate Filibuster Rules?

The filibuster serves a vital purpose in our system by forcing the majority party to work with the minority in order to get things done. However, the current system allows the minority to, in effect, freeze the Senate without actually going through what most people think of as a filibuster, which is what they saw in "Mr Smith Goes to Washington."

Instead of a courageous loner up against the powers that be, we now have a "courtesy filibuster" which allows the vote to be delayed until such time as the majority can muster 60 votes. No one has to take and hold the Senate floor to make their point. It is just as much a parlimentary procedure as the reconciliation process the Republicans are crying about now.

I say if you are going to filibuster, have a real one: take the floor and hold it; focus the country's attention on your issue, and stop all business of the Senate until it has dealt with you. If your arguement is persuasive, public sentiment will swing to you, and Senate votes will follow. If, however, the country sees that you are, in fact, holding progress hostage to your party's own political agenda, then support will fall away, and you will soon retire from the field and the vote will proceed. After all, wasn't a straight up and down vote the standard every true Republican was looking for, just a few years ago?

russell m of TX 12:08AM February 28, 2010