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In contradiction to KevK's post about trashing the filibuster, I submit this from someone who seems to know more than he, and me about the constitutionality of the filibuster.
Quote:
If you hate big government, you should love the Senate filibuster. The filibuster serves the good government purposes of slowing legislation. This allows citizens to understand and participate in the legislative process, provides scrutiny for complicated legislation and slows the process to confirm nominees. The left absolutely hates the filibuster, because the filibuster prevents liberal Democrats from steamrolling moderate Democrats and Republicans when trying to pass legislation or confirming extremist judges with minimal debate. A veteran Senate staffer tells Big Government that “the filibuster is a tool to slow down and make people really consider things. For those that believe in freedom and limited government the less the Congress does the better.” Of course the left’s goal is to exterminate the filibuster from the Senate rules by setting the table for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to argue that a filibuster is unconstitutional, then for Vice President Biden to order that the rule be ignored.
The filibuster should not be considered a bad word in the American lexicon. According to the U.S. Senate website “using the filibuster to delay or block legislative action has a long history. The term filibuster — from a Dutch word meaning ‘pirate’ — became popular in the 1850s, when it was applied to efforts to hold the Senate floor in order to prevent a vote on a bill.” The traditional filibuster, as portrayed in the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, was when one Senator would take to the Senate floor to talk until they could not talk anymore for the purposes of slowing or blocking a vote on legislation or a nominee. Prominent politicians who have participated in filibusters include liberals President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Allies of these elite politicians are working hard to demonize the filibuster in an effort to grease the skids for a far left wing big government agenda.
The filibuster should be used anywhere some group is attempting to ram a bill through Congress. How else is the constituency going to know what the hell is going on, especially and specifically behind closed doors, especially in a so-called "transparent dictatorship"?
I remember when the Republicans were trying to eliminate it a few years ago when they though they were on their way to a 25 year super-majority. Then their policies collapsed on themselves, but I always gave McCain credit for fighting it, saying, essentially, "Hey, we might need this someday".
Who knew they'd need it 2 years later?
It is a good tool and the party in power always wants to get rid of it.
The filibuster has nothing to do with the constitution and instead is just an internal Senate rule; a rule which has been changed at least four times in the last 30 years. A rule which Republicans wanted to get rid of when they were the majority but suddenly flipped a 180 when they became the minority. My, how self serving.
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