re: #24 cineaste

Yes, and I think that the Democrats should have forced the Republicans to filibuster. Let them stand on the floor, day and night, and read the phonebook while these men are dying. Let them stand there on Christmas Day and New Years Eve, don’t remove the vote until it gets an up or down vote. But the Democrats want to go home too…

Merkley (OR) and McCaskill (MO) are proposing some rule changes, when the new rules are settled for the new Congress in January. I’m loving the plan, but not so sure if it’ll pass.

1. There can be no filibustering a motion to open debate. Ever.

2. If the minority wants to try to filibuster the close of debate, to block a vote — you have to keep debating. It doesn’t have to be just one person, all the people who object can take turns, but they have to stand up and talk about it and talk about it and talk and talk and talk, live on C-Span, for as long as it takes to either persuade a few away from the majority, or for the minority to run out of things they’re willing to stand up and say in public. If the majority can gather 60 they can halt debate, or if the minority runs out of things to say it halts debate and goes to a vote. You should only be able to filibuster things you really feel strongly enough about to do that.

3. No anonymous holds. At all. Put your name on it, and stand up and say why.