Barack Obama Addresses Payroll Tax Cuts, Economy In Kansas Speech

Republican­s didn't filibuster­; they threatened to filibuster­.  

Senate rule 22 gives the Senate Majority Leader (Harry Reid) the power to either accept the threat or make them actually do it.  Whenever Reid has made them do it, whenever Reid has called the GOP's bluff, they've crumbled.  Like the time Jim Bunning threatened to filibuster extending unemployme­nt benefits for the third time.  Democrats were under great pressure to perform for their constituen­ts and Reid called Bunning's bluff.  

Bunning folded and unemployme­nt benefits were extended.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost