It is something of an understatement to say that Democrats woke up on the morning of November 6th to find their world taking on a very different shape. The resurgent Donald Trump and his brilliant, teenage understudy, JD Vance, crushed not only the Harris/Walz ticket with a resounding electoral victory, but also in the total number of votes, crashing through the Rust Belt “Blue Wall” like the Kool-auxiliary . Additionally, the GOP will enter the next Congress with control of the House and Senate.
And so it’s no wonder that the Democrats are suddenly in power in the Senate They are rediscovering their love for the filibuster:
With Democrats soon to be in the minority, they are poised to exploit any tactics at their disposal to create obstacles for Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump — including the 60-vote hurdle that many have long had tried to abolish.
“I would be lying if I said we would be in a better position without the filibuster,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). “We have a responsibility to stop autocracy and boredom [sic] Abuse of power or politics and we will use any means at our disposal. We will not fight this fight with one hand tied behind our backs.”
Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) sees the filibuster as “part of the calculation” of how Democrats will lead opposition in the next Congress in a chamber with a 53-47 GOP majority.
“We had to live with it when we were in the majority,” he said.
The shoe pinches when worn on the other foot.
While it’s fun to point out the Democrats’ hypocrisy here, and yes, some Schadenfreude If it’s OK, we have to acknowledge that Democrats will wake up to the reality of the cards they’ve been dealt and play by the rules. And now it may be Republicans who are frustrated by the exploit of the filibuster to block Republican agenda items.
That’s how the game is played, and there’s a good reason things are the way they are. The Senate is supposed to be the cooling saucer for the passions of the House, hence the longstanding tradition of requiring 60 votes to end debate, rather than a uncomplicated minority. The filibuster prevents excesses, no matter which party is in charge.
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Kyrsten Sinema is dragging out Chuck Schumer and the Lib reactions are gold
Wait, right? After making a Senate commitment to support Ramrod’s left-wing agenda, Schumer is making a case for bipartisanship
And no doubt there will be some calls from the right to change or eliminate the filibuster out of frustration. These calls should be ignored. The filibuster is in place for a reason, and Senate Republicans and activists on the right need to remember that sooner or later this shoe will be on the same foot again, Republicans will be in the minority again, and they will get there Good exploit of the filibuster to keep things somewhat sane. This is a pendulum that never stops swinging.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the moment and perhaps point and snicker at Democrats suddenly rediscovering the value of the very tool they wanted to abolish – before November 5th.
Funny side note: The term “filibuster” too carries the meaning a person “who undertakes an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country or territory to promote or support a political revolution or secession.” The term “freebooter” also applies. There’s probably a warning in there somewhere.
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