Going Nuclear

[DonViejo]

By Michael Tomasky
November 22nd 2013 6:32 AM

I actually think it's sad and regrettable that it's come to this. My ideal United States Senate is basically no different from David Broder's--I'd like a chamber filled with reasonable men and women who understood that they held in their hands the responsibility to govern the republic with cool heads and with respect for the range of point of views represented among them.

That may sound like a bunch of high-flown hooey, but really, this is, or is supposed to be, democracy, and what some people call high-flown hooey is what other people call our founding principles. At its best moments, of which we haven't seen any in recent years, the Senate has functioned as I described above. The Voting Righs Act is one of the more sterling examples, but there are more recent ones, too, up to Reagan's time. After that the rot set in.

It's amazing to look at the list of senators in the 98th Congress, to pick one at (almost) random--it's the year I worked on the House side as a youngster. It sat from 1983 to 1985. You can look down this list for yourself, noting the number of Republicans from blue states and Democrats from today's red states (fewer, but still a decent number). This meant that the moderate Democrats of Tennessee and such places and the moderate Republicans of Illinois and such places had a voice in the Senate. That's been wiped out. I don't care if it sounds like High Broderism. I do regret it. We all should.(Where I depart from High Broderism, of course, is in his insistent claim when he was around that both sides were equally to blame for the toxicity.)

So I sort of lament that Harry Reid did what he did yesterday, but the problem has just gotten ridiculous, and don't let anybody tell you it's not a problem specifically of Republican obstruction. Yes, Democrats have done it too, but the historical pattern since the 1970s has essentially been that Republicans started blocking, taking the use of the filibuster up to threat level A; then Democrats, when it was their turn, also increased to level A. Then Republicans took it to threat level B, and the Democrats responded in kind. Then level C.

Full article
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/22/going-nuclear.html

[AndyA]

1. What angers me more than anything about Congress

Some of them act like this is all a game. They take long vacations, they filibuster, block, and refuse to bring bills to the floor. They outright lie to the American people when a camera or mic gets stuck in their face.

Meanwhile, American citizens are failing--they're losing jobs, homes, their health, going broke to pay the utility bills, working harder than ever and bringing home less than ever before. Many Americans are hurting. Mentally and physically. And these clowns in Congress, with their expensive suits and dress shoes, just ramble along as if there's nothing urgent that needs to be done.

F*ck them. Every last one of them who is neglecting the people to appease the corporations. If these people were truly human, they'd be ashamed to be seen in public. They'd hang their heads in shame when a reporter approaches them.

The contrasts in Congress have never been greater--compare Elizabeth Warren to Paul Ryan or Bernie Sanders to Rand Paul. It's pretty obvious who is there to represent the people who voted for them, and who is there to serve only themselves and their own best interests.

As for the American people who support these clowns, or allow them to continue abusing the people by not getting out and voting, you deserve what you get. But there are a lot of people who deserve better.

[polichick]

3. Well said.

[RC]

2. Actually the rot started with the Republicans under Carter.

It just got noticed more during the Reagan Administration.