re: #146 lawhawk

So, Rand Paul finished his talking filibuster this morning.

What exactly did he accomplish? Aired his grievances, some of which I actually share (as far as the policy that leaves the door open to domestic UAV strikes against people within the US proper), but that was against the nomination for John Brennan at CIA. The President hasn’t withdrawn the nomination, and he’s still going to eventually get confirmed.

What the filibuster has done is highlight that the system in the Senate is broken and that we accept the silent filibuster of nominations for other posts, like the federal judiciary, as a fact of life.

The job of the Senate is to advise and consent. It isn’t to block the business of government. If the nominee isn’t qualified, that’s a legitimate beef. If the nominee holds positions that some fraction of the Senate doesn’t agree with, that’s reason to vote against the nominee, but not block the nomination altogether.

I know Lawhawk’s mentioned this, but is anyone else getting the feeling that conservatives have had the upper hand for a while now?

If they see legislation they don’t like, they filibuster.

They avoided any real filibuster reform.

They’ve been destroying the economy by refusing to negotiate in good faith, and the average American voter (a.k.a., a clueless idiot) blames Obama.

They managed to reduce income tax for all but the smallest minority, thereby ensuring revenue problems for decades to come.

They’re slowly but surely outlawing abortion by making it impossible to get one.

All this against a backdrop of an alleged civil war that is supposed to be tearing the GOP asunder.

If this is the Republican party in defeat, I really don’t want to see what happens when they’re winning.