God, I’m Not Telling You What To Do, But Holy Crap …
When I go to that great styling school in the sky, I want to ask God a question and it is this: Why did you not strike down John Cornyn with a bolt of lightning when he accused someone else of abuse of power?
Hell, John Cornyn invented abuse of power.
John Cornyn is accusing Harry Reid and the Democrats of abuse of power for wanting to reform the filibuster, which John Cornyn has used for 4 years to abuse his power. The very least that ought to happen to Cornyn is that he gets dizzy and vomits from all that damn spinning.
Here’s what the Democrats want …
What Reid appears most likely to do is push for an end to the filibuster on so-called motions to proceed, or the beginning of a debate on bills or nominations. If Reid goes this route, senators could still filibuster virtually any other aspect of Senate business, including any movement to end debate and call for a final vote on a bill.
And Reid is strongly considering pushing for other filibuster changes, too — most notably requiring senators to actually go to the floor and carry out an endless talking session, rather than simply threaten them as they do now. Reminiscent of the 1939 movie classic “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” the idea has picked up steam in liberal circles — and its intent is to discourage senators from filibustering, though it would fundamentally change the very nature of the modern Senate.
Republicans want to filibuster with no consequences known to the public. What is it that Republicans are fond of saying, “Elections have consequences?”
And, ask yourself, would “fundamentally changing the very nature of the modern Senate be a BAD thing?”
Go nuclear on their butts, Harry. And then step out of the way because it’s only a matter of time before God strikes John Cornyn with enough volts to jump start a nuclear submarine.
Thanks to David for the heads up.
“most notably requiring senators to actually go to the floor and carry out an endless talking session, rather than simply threaten them as they do now.”
Wouldn’t that be a great C span treat?
1Then people can see how stupid their Senators really are, having to say intelligent things for several hours.
The stupid would just pour out of some of them.
He takes Larry Hagman but leaves us this guy!
2I’m sorry…ever since that picture of Ol’ Hipshot in the Dale Evans Collection fringe jacket appeared in the gone-but-not-forgotten KissMyBigBlueButt, I haven’t been able to take him seriously…just saying “John Cornyn” makes me giggle.
And how in the heck did John mange to parlay his National Republican Senatorial Committee failure into a promotion?
http://tinyurl.com/caq4ntl
3Forgive my ignorance, but they aren’t *actually* filibustering, but just threatening it and getting away with it? Someone please educate me.
4SusanF: Currently they don’t actually filibuster. They simply need to invoke it. Link: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/25/opinion/la-ed-filibuster-reform-20121125
Changing the filibuster requires a change of House and Senate rules, which can be done after an election and made effective when the new Congress is seated in 2013.
5We have recently learned (again) that the more they talk, the more they hurt themselves. I say make them talk.
The Senate is reputed to be the greatest deliberative body in the world. I hope Harry Reid will make them live up to that reputation and DELIBERATE &^%$#@!
6The spoken filibusters should provide wonderful “quotes” for the Dems running against them. Make them talk. Make them read phone books. Make them actually read the legislation. C-Span can record it all.
7Harry Reid should just call it a return to the filibuster of our founders. Reid’s version is more like the original filibuster, not the newfangled version in use now.
8LynnN, thank you so much for the information!
9I have long wanted– and personally urged my Rep., Steny Hoyer, #2 to Nancy Pelosi– for the Democrats to make these GOP buggers ACTUALLY filibuster, instead of caving to their threats to do it over every bill that comes down the pike. Go to the mattresses, as The Godfather puts it. If they want to hold anything up or prevent it being voted on, they can stand up there and block action in front of everybody and show the voters what they’re doing. Let the voters see who’s responsible for nothing getting done on our country’s serious problems.
Hoyer said it wasn’t worth it because, for procedural reasons, it would hold up everything for at least three days each time, but you’d think they’d quit doing it after the first few times… surely…?
10Make ’em stand up and blather. Can’t help but make ’em look like the idiots they are. And it can’t hold up things any more than they are already being held up.
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