All talk, no action

Jimmy Stewart filibustered and become a populist hero in the classic film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Those were the days...

If you start reading this blog this summer, you so will be ahead of the curve.

Your Patterson text -- in Chapter 11 -- defines filibuster as a procedural tactic in the U.S. Senate whereby a minority of legislators prevent a bill from to a vote by holding the floor and talking until the majority gives in and the bill is withdrawn from consideration.

In our current Senate, the procedure has become common practice -- despite an uncommon show of sleep-over theatrics by the slim majority Democratic Party. Without 60 votes, the minority party can hold the floor to prevent a vote on legislation. And that's just what happened this week, when a proposal from co-sponsors Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I) to pull troops out of Iraq within 120 days had just a narrow majority, 52-47, to be considered. The vote meant that there would be no vote on Levin and Reed's legislation.

Ironically, it was the Democrats that pulled the all-nite debate to try to focus on the frustration of not getting an up-and-down vote. In our texts, of civics and history, we note how Strom Thurmond (he who served in the Senate till he was 100 years old) filibustered for 24 straight hours to block civil rights legistlation. It was rare, historic and self-hurting (Thurmond sat in the sauna the entire night before so he wouldn' t have to lose his podium to take a pee). And the procedure worked.

Now it seems to be the only work the deeply divided Senate can get done. With 40 votes to block, minority Repucicans have kept the Democrats at bay. There was to be no up or down vote on the War in Iraq, just procedural theater. There has been no vote on immigration legislation. This has mostly been a do-nothing Congress -- some may say filibustered to death.

When the Republicans were in the majority they devised a "nuclear option" to consider outlawing the procedure, when Democrats threatened to filibuster several of President Bush's judicial appointments. Now it seems to be their only winning play in the Senate.

Meanwhile, we continue to lose more brave lives in Iraq.

So what do you think? Is the filibuster a legitimate way to legislate/or not legistlate?

This is the place to share your thoughts. Linked is the AP's story on the latest Senate filibuster theatrics.

This, hopefully, will be our first post of the 2007-08 Political Warrior blog sight. I hope for it to be a place where we can continue the discussions of the day outside of class. Nearly always, the posts will be topicable for the content of our AP Government & Politics. Extra credit may be given for postings on the blog.

So follow