Norman Ornstein: We Must Reform The Filibuster

Republicans haven't been filibustering anything, only threatening to filibuster.



HarryReid could've actually forced Republicans & turncoat Democratic senators to filibuster. He didn't (& doesn't).



Senate rule 22 gives the Senate Majority Leader (Harry Reid) the discretion to force Republicans to actually filibuster & not just threaten to do it. Filibustering is very hard on those soft, pampered bodies. Reid forced it once (Jim Bunning & extending unemployment) & Bunning caved.



Democrats can even change the supermajority rule (it does NOT have to be done at the beginning of a new Congress, as some argue). It can be done at any time (see page 6 - http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/45448.pdf ].



There's not just one way (or even two) for Democrats to get bills passed without Republican votes.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/27/ezra-klein-how-to-end-the_n_661234.html



http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid='0E%2C*P%2C%3B%3F%22%20%20%20%0A



http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2009/08/hertzberg-on-the-constitutionality-of-the-filibuster/



But Obama & the DLC-controlled DemocraticParty aren't doing that. Because it might actually work to get Democratic voters' legislative agenda made into the law of the land & do good for the People. And that's not what Obama&Company are there for. They're there to do the work of the transnational corporations, & preventing that are liberals.



So Obama reaches out for Republicans, watering down the legislation that Republicans won't vote for. Because everything that the parties do, both parties, is for the next election campaign.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost