Yesterday evening, I’m very happy to say, sanity took back one of America’s hallowed institutions: the Senate. A group of 14 Senators, half of which came from either party, came together and actually governed. Rather than pander to their “base” constituents, these men and women worked to preserve the functionality of the Senate. (Story at NPR)
I’m not going to give any back-story on this. You can use Google News for that, if you wish. However, I will just say this. No matter how far to the left I may be (either from the center, or just where you may think the center is), I am happy to see the Centrists prevail. I know I get worked up from time-to-time about the Right, and come on like I want nothing but progressive politics from now until the second coming of Noam Chomsky. However, I truly believe that it is through the center that our country is the most stable. I believe that was the intention of the founders of this country in writing a flexible document that gives weight to deliberation and discussion. Nowhere in the world of politics is that ideal more evident than in the U.S. Senate (minus the past couple of months).
Lastly, and I wasn’t expecting to be saying (Editor’s Note: You typing this, Jason) this, but I am very proud of Virginia Senator John Warner ® for being one of the 14 level headed individuals behind this compromise.
I’m glad there was a compromise, but can’t you imagine what would happen to the voice of the minority if the judicial filibuster was eliminated? Frist is a fascist. I’ll just step off this little box now.
The Senate is a body that works based on majority rule, which is fine. However, the filibuster is the power-tool of the minority. It isn’t to be used lightly, and the Democrats (to their credit) weren’t doing that. They were blocking some 9 or 10 out of 250 court appointees, which isn’t really different than when the roles were switched under the Clinton administration, only then the Republicans used more procedural tactics rather than the filibuster. That’s more shady if you ask me, but for another conversation.
To do away with the filibuster, if even only for judicial nominations, is remarkably heavy handed. I am truly surprised to see Bill Frist trying this. He just doesn’t have that kind of political clout (not yet). He obviously wants to have the path clear for getting a conservative into the next Supreme Court opening (a slot which is every President’s dream-of-dreams). If Frist can do it now, great. If he could do it as the next president, which he appears to have serious aspirations on, even better.
This is a man who got into the Senate as something of a moderate, and who in the last couple of years has worked tirelessly to pander to the hardcore, fascist right wing. This, along with the Terri Schaivo diagnosis-by-video-cassette, are some of the latest in a string of remarkably disturbing moves. He is solidifying the religious right base for the 2008 nomination. What’s every bit as scary as the fact that he seems to be the current favorite (even over Jeb Bush), is the fact that his dumb moves seem to be paying off amongst that group, no matter how much mainstream American may disapprove.
You can always hop up on your soap box here, be it a right or left or indifferent one. That’s what the comment form is for.