Saturday, November 23, 2013

History of Filibusters Tells the Tale

On Tuesday, Senate Democrats voted to change the filibuster rule, disallowing use of the filibuster on votes to confirm executive nominees for positions on federal courts, cabinet posts and for heads of federal agencies.  Senate Republicans are crying "Foul!."

  • Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky):  "You'll regret this, and you may regret this a lot sooner than you think...This is nothing more than a power grab."
  • Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) called the decision "foolish" and warned that Democrats "will pay a heavy, heavy price."
  • Michael Needham of the conservative Heritage Action: "This is not about a couple of circuit court judges; this is an attempt to remake America to reflect their unworkable and unpopular progressive vision."
  • Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas):  "We have weakened this body permanently...What a tragedy."

what eye thynk:   It's interesting that the filibuster rule Mr. McConnell and his fellow Republicans called "unconstitutional" when Senate Democrats used it against W, now call its demise a "a tragedy."

If you are conflicted over the rule change, this record of past filibusters should help you see why the change was necessary and which Party is really guilty of a "foul."

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) - # of filibusters: 0
  • John F. Kennedy (D) - # of filibusters: 0
  • Richard Nixon (R) - # of filibusters: 0
  • Gerald Ford (R) - # of filibusters: 0
  • Jimmy Carter (D) - # of filibusters: 2
  • Ronald Reagan (R) - # of filibusters: 2
  • George H.W. Bush (R) - # of filibusters: 0
  • Bill Clinton (D) - # of filibusters: 9
  • George W. Bush (R) - # of filibusters: 7
  • Barack Obama (D) - # of filibusters: 27 (to date)

President Obama summed it up nicely:  "Today's pattern of obstruction, it just isn't normal.  It's not what our founders envisioned.  A deliberate and determined effort to obstruct everything, no matter the merits, just to re-fight the results of an election is not normal, and for the sake of future generations we can't let it become normal."

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