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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Congressional Filibuster Reform?

You know, we do need Congress to work, that's for sure.

It's getting to where we, as a country, can't any longer afford lawmaking logjams in the process.

It's ugly. It seems stupid and petty.

And we're all for having Congress in Washington go forward with progress and good, honest, intelligent legislation.

So when I read this that I just read "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pledges filibuster reform" , it gives me pause.

On the one hand, we do need to take our country forward.

But we need to do it as a group--as Americans, like it used to be. We can't have incessant infighting between Republicans vs. Democrats vs. Conservatives vs. Liberals vs. Independents vs. Libertarians vs. "Teabaggers", like we've been doing the last dozen or more years.

Yes, we need progress and yes, we need to do away with these, as I said earlier, logjams.

But do away with the possibility of the filibuster?

Be careful what you wish for, Senator Reid.

Be careful what you wish for, lest it's not an option for you and your Party, should you be out of power.

Let's have guts and show strength but let's do what's right and good for the country.

And be careful and wise about it.

1 comment:

Ernest Evans said...

Dear Mr. Kevin: Good point on the filibuster. Actually, a very good case can be made on classic political science grounds that the one thing we do not need in modern America is the ability of narrow majorities to force their wills on the rest of the country. Societies with deep social divisions like the US need to govern by consensus and the sort of "super-majorities" that are needed to break a filibuster. I know how deeply Democrats want health care, but it is essential not to draw the wrong lessons from the health care debate: If there are problems passing health care, it is because the President has not sold his program to the US public--not because of the dangers of a filibuster. Sincerely and Respectfully, Ernest Evans