7
Filibusted
I just came from Blogs For Bush, and there was nothing silly going on over there.
Oh, who am I fooling. Matt Margolis was whining like a baby again.
February 06, 2007
What Happened To The Rights of the Minority Party?
By Matt Margolis at 08:05 PMOh what a difference majority status can have on your party’s outlook on the rights of the minority.
When Democrats obstructed President Bush’s judicial nominees, they argued that without the filibuster the minority voice would not be heard. We got lip service about rubber stamps and all that crap. Never mind they were actually preventing themselves from carrying out their constitutional duty.
Anyways, now that Republicans have turned the tables on them, and they are suddenly outraged… outraged!
[Update: To collapse any ambiguity here, 'outraged...outraged!' refers to Harry Reid saying that the Republicans "can run, but they can't hide" from a debate on Iraq.]
Well, that’s certainly one way to look at things. Here with a different view is Matt Margolis of Blogs For Bush:
October 27, 2005
Democrats Running Scared
by Matt Margolis at 03:26 PM[...]
If a Democrat filibuster is inevitable, then so be it. We’ll win that fight. Bush is the President, and we have a majority. Let’s act like the majority.
Hey, stop hitting yourself, Matt:
December 11, 2005
Busting The Democrats Filibuster
By Matt Margolis at 11:33 AMVery encouraging news…
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday he is prepared to strip Democrats of their to ability to filibuster if they try to stall Samuel Alito’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
“The answer is yes,” Frist said when asked if he would act to change Senate procedures to restrict a Democratic filibuster. “Supreme Court justice nominees deserve an up-or-down vote, and it would be absolutely wrong to deny him that.”
Bring. It. On.
And yet, none of this yet approaches a Mark Noonan level of 180-degree hubristic irony. Luckily, here’s Mark Noonan:
January 9, 2005
Eliminate the Filibuster
by Mark Noonan
[...]
The recent spectacle of Democratic House and Senate members challenging the legitimate electoral votes of a State reveals the depth of the Democrats degeneration as a political Party. Without an iota of evidence and with no other point other than to gum up the works for a very short time, Democrats rose in Joint Session of Congress to essentially heap ridicule upon the government of the United States. This, in and of itself, was a bad thing - but much worse has been the nearly non-existent number of Democrats who actually noted what an absurd circus the electoral challenge was. While only a few joined in the actual challenge and voted to reject the electors, a very large number of Democrats did rise to state that they agreed with the overall thrust of the challengers - meaning that they believed the lies about the vote, but were unwilling to actually vote on their convictions. In either case whether it was believing a lie laughably false or failure to act upon conviction, the Democrats showed themselves to be irresponsible.The filibuster must be elminated for all Senate business in order to take away the last vestige of power from the Democrats - such power may be returned to them at some future date, but only after they demonstrate by deeds that they are, as a Party, serious about the government of the United States and supportive of actions taken Constitutionally.
What a total bunch of filibastards!
Hopefully they’ve learned a valuable lesson from this. It would be unfortunate if their hubris continued unabated…
a different brad said,
February 7, 2007 at 10:44
Sometimes I feel sad that as non insane people regain some political power we can’t use the crazy powers the batshit seized against them. Then I remember I’m not crazy and don’t want my opponents to drown in their own blood, I just don’t want them in charge of our government or military. (Or ideally businesses, but one thing at a time.)
marc page said,
February 7, 2007 at 10:56
I’m torn. Let them drown in their own blood or let them live ? If I let them live, they could mate and breed, and their spawn,– unholy, twisted genetic mutations — would swarm over the continent, crowding into our cities where they, in their turn, could mate and breed … like I say, I’m torn …
the_millionaire_lebowski said,
February 7, 2007 at 11:14
I hereby fillibuster this thread. The author is too decisive for my wishy-washy, liberal brain.
Some Guy said,
February 7, 2007 at 11:40
“The filibuster must be elminated for all Senate business in order to take away the last vestige of power from the Democrats - such power may be returned to them at some future date, but only after they demonstrate by deeds that they are, as a Party, serious about the government of the United States and supportive of actions taken Constitutionally.”
Wow. That’s seven kinds of insane. Speaking of being serious about upholding the Constitution…
owlbear1 said,
February 7, 2007 at 11:45
Its amazing how he could have read that article and come up with the word “outraged”. The harshest words in it were from Reid with, “You can run but you can’t hide,â€? Mr. Reid told his Republican colleagues on the floor. “We are going to debate Iraq.”
Nim, ham hock of liberty said,
February 7, 2007 at 14:48
“Its amazing how he could have read that article and come up with the word “outragedâ€?. The harshest words in it were from Reid with, “You can run but you can’t hide,â€? Mr. Reid told his Republican colleagues on the floor. “We are going to debate Iraq.â€?
Yeah I don’t think the Senate Democrats are outraged at all. This way, they get a two-fer. First, we get a couple days worth of news and analysis about how the GOP tries to block even a -debate- about Iraq.
Then, when the debate inevitably happens, comes the part the GOP is really dreading - having to make speeches that are broadcast on CSPAN about why we have to keep dumping money and bodies into Iraq. Nothing like an ugly public self-disemboweling because your Dear Leader is too stupid to get the hint, and wants to drag you all down with him.
Alanis Morrisette said,
February 7, 2007 at 15:04
What’s a good word for someone who misspells “incompetant”?
Someone should write a song.
ahem said,
February 7, 2007 at 15:37
It was actually quite encouraging that the headlines — ‘GOP Blocks Iraq Debate’, ‘GOP Blocks Surge Vote’ — poked through the parliamentary BS and made the wingnuts squirm.
Starting in the Senate was probably not the best approach. It’s the ‘what, it’s 2007 already?’ chamber. It’s the ‘you mean we have electricity?’ chamber. It’s designed to be unresponsive to public opinion. The House, on the other hand, is meant to track the mood of voters more closely: getting a clear anti-surge vote out of the House first would have made the GOP Senators look even bigger tools. Still, they’re sure to embrace that opportunity once the House has voted.
spencer said,
February 7, 2007 at 16:18
See, what you’re failing to understand is that it’s totally different now, because prior to 2002 the Republicans didn’t promise to treat the Democrats fairly when they regained the Senate majority. And then, when it happened, they were as good as their non-word and commenced with the lube-free sodomization for the next four years or so. Just like they never said they wouldn’t.
But because the Democrats called the Republicans on their heavyhanded Senate management practices back then, that automatically obligates them to give the Republicans equal power in the Senate, now that Democrats have the majority again. Otherwise, the Democrats are hypocrites. Or something.
Wingnut logic makes my head hurt. I’m going back to bed.
gjdodger said,
February 7, 2007 at 16:46
Alanis…I did. Well, actually, G&S did; I emended
When I was a lad I served a term
As a right wing think tank’s young intern
I spent the entire day on my knees
And I polished every member than was offered to me
I polished up those members so carefully
That now I am the Ruler of the Bush Army
As their butt boy I made such a mark
They gave me a little column-writing work
I wrote them up in a style so bland
That you couldn’t see the corporation’s guiding hand
I disguised all the verbiage so completely
That now I am the Ruler of the Bush Army
In writing crap I made such a name
That a bylined columnist I soon became
I looked very nice in my byline pic
For the links from that all the neocons allowed to click
So many Neanderthals then clicked on me
That now I am the Ruler of the Bush Army
Of neocon knowledge I acquired such lore
That I found myself recruited in the terror war
And that kind of war, not a shooting one
Was the only kind of war I had ever done
But that kind of war so suited me
That now I am the Ruler of the Bush Army
I became such a neocon ho’
That I soon gained a White House portfolio
I always said we were going to win
And I never thought of any of it to be spin
By repeating the party line so faithfully
I wound up the Ruler of the Bush Army
Now, theorists all, if it’s power you seek
Make sure you start out with the proper clique
Just chain your soul to a keyboard and
Be careful not to differ with the White House stand
Fight all your wars from a desk PC
And you all may be Rulers of the Bush Army
Nance Confer said,
February 7, 2007 at 16:47
Refresh my memory, please?
When the Rs were in the majority, did the Ds not bend over and promise they would not filibuster judges?
Not one of their proudest moments, imo. But maybe I am misremembering and the Ds did stand up for something?
Nance — started off my morning watching Sen. Reid almost raise his voice!
Phoenix Woman said,
February 7, 2007 at 17:03
Speaking of filibusters, the DoS bozos were at it again last night, Gavin. Whoever’s doing it must have a day job.
As for these filibusters, I like Kagro X’s solution: Hold up their judicial appointments. No cloture, no judgeships. It’s a win-win: They either cave on Iraq or cave on their crappy judges.
Turd Ferguson said,
February 7, 2007 at 18:39
Oh, Alanis, it’s been long established that the concept of “irony” flies completely over Matt Margolis’s head. This is the guy who wrote a book on Democratic corruption in Congress and is pimping the book with the help of glowing quotes from Tom Fucking DeLay.
MrWonderful said,
February 7, 2007 at 19:02
Here is my touchingly naive question, and I encourage everyone to feel very sorry for me, to come to my house and make me tea and hold my hand, etc.:
What would Margolis say if you pointed out the, uh, contradiction between his fuck-the-Dems post and his current the-Dems-are-being-mean post? Because it doesn’t get any more blatant than that.
Seriously. What?
Martin Wisse said,
February 7, 2007 at 19:18
MrWonderfulbuttouchinglynaive:
you would be banned so fast your head would spin
les said,
February 7, 2007 at 19:21
MrWonderful: Margolis would say “Huh?”
Principal Blackman said,
February 7, 2007 at 20:33
Mr. Wonderful:
Well, if you don’t have a TypeKey name (which means your comment gets posted right away), then your comment would not get published until the thread you’re posting in drops off the front page.
Assuming you did get your comment published while the thread was still active, then either everybody would pretend it doesn’t exist or you’d get a couple rants about how “the Dems were never serious about minority rights–it’s all about power to them!!!” which is kind of pretending your comment doesn’t exist coupled with confused fury.
Also, Noonan would swing through to point out how you oppose God, and isn’t that the real issue here?
Tomemos said,
February 7, 2007 at 21:09
I love “Republicans have turned the tables on them.” Ooh, those damn Republicans outmaneuvered us again! They became the minority party right under our noses, and we were powerless to stop them!
themann1086 said,
February 7, 2007 at 22:53
So, the Democrats attempted to filibuster batshit insane judges, and the GOP threatened to remove the filibuster permanently.
The GOP filibusters everything from the minimum wage bill to a debate on Iraq within the first month of the new Congress, and the Dems call them hypocrites and cowards for not even debating a non-binding resolution. This shows how evil the Democrat Party is! Bwhahahaha!!!!
D. Sidhe said,
February 8, 2007 at 0:53
You could expect the wingnuts and in fact the GOP Congresspersons to say: “And you guys were outraged when we tried to strip you of the right to filibuster. You said it was Constitutionally protected and a valuable tool of parliamentary procedure. You said it was the only way to keep the minority’s rights from being trampled by a monopolistic majority. You are, therefore, filthy hypocrites, and we are nobly upholding the best traditions of our deliberative body.”
Which would be a semi-valid point if, for example, the Dems actually *had* filibustered, if the GOP *hadn’t* been perfectly willing to kill the filibuster altogether, and if the GOP *now* would announce that they won’t filibuster, and if the Dems *now* would vow to strip them of it if they try it.
Otherwise, this is basically like the time you caught your dad stealing and smoking your pot after threatening to throw you out of the house if didn’t swear you wouldn’t ever smoke, and he called you a bastard for disobeying him, “Look, I have the proof of it right here, what’s left of it.”
I guarantee you they would not see what was wrong with their argument.
owlbear1 said,
February 8, 2007 at 1:02
Right hand of God and all that,…