I don’t know who put the chili in Harry Reid‘s grits, as Ann Richards used to say, but I’m glad Reid had the gumption to begin to take on lipless Mitch McConnell and the other anti-government Republicans. Hey, I don’t hate filibusters; I studied political science, I know their value. And the last two filibusters of note–Rand Paul and Wendy Davis in Texas–were done in support of causes I support. But the way the Republicans have applied the threat of filibuster during the Obama era has just been to stifle and stymie government. Obama has won more than 50% of the popular vote in two successive elections; by any measure, he has won the right to govern. It should not be necessary for him to get a 60% majority in order to fill positions and appoint judges. Nor, for that matter, to pass legislation. I understand that occasionally there will be significant issues that the minority should be able to filibuster, but this is too much. These (mostly) southerners have tried this `If we don’t get our way, we’ll go home” trick before”– nullification, secession, and now obstructionism, it’s all the same deal. The Senate is already an inherently undemocratic institution; the profligate use of its own made-up rules must be discouraged.
