What Would've Happened Without The Filibuster? TYT

[edcantor]

Cenk Uygur, Michael Shure and Ben Mankiewicz discuss Joshua Green's recent article in the Boston Globe about what would've happened during President Barack Obama's first term without the filibuster in the Senate.

[tcaudilllg]

1. Indeed, and the backlash against austerity proves that people want the reforms we've passed.

We don't need the filibuster anymore. It makes passing legislation a function of circumstances well beyond it.

[edcantor]

2. I would be in favor of a one week delay for discussion

both in and out of the Senate.

But 51 votes passes a piece of legislation, in the end.

[Warpy]

6. I'd return it to the original

When a Senator wanted to stop a piece of legislation, he got his ass down to the floor and started talking. Cloture votes were easier the longer he talked because people wanted him to shut up so they could go to dinner then go home and go to bed.

51 votes should be adequate for cloture.

Still, I'd be all for a rule ending the filibuster when there were more than 50 pieces of legislation being held up or there was a national emergency. That would get those recalcitrant old frauds a little more interested in doing their actual jobs instead of grandstanding for teabaggers.

[msongs]

3. and quit allowing amendments not related to the original bill/motion nt

[edcantor]

4. Right, amendments have to be related to the line item in the budget

So we'd have no oil pipelines showing up in funding for military.

[sulphurdunn]

5. The damage done by filibusters

since 2006 can be laid squarely at the feet of the Democratic Party leadership and its self-serving unwillingness to discipline its useful, Blue Dog collaborators.

[limpyhobbler]

7. Filibuster is stupid. Just get rid of it. nt

[Tiggeroshii]

8. Cenk has gotten very disillusioned over the years

Obama used to be his man, and now "Oama's in the pockets of the banks."

Times do change, don't they?