It's the filibuster, stupid

[mattycub]

There's much wailing and gnashing of teeth going on at the moment over the reported death of the public option in the senate. I'm not as convinced that the death of the PO means the death of a death of a good HCR bill - it all depends on what we get in return for trading it away. In fact, it could even mean we end up getting a better overall bill (

Comments

[joebehrsandiego]

Matty - This is a welcome injection of context and perspective into what is - if one follows it in most of the media, at least - often a toxically politicized debate and process. Thank you.

On a slight tangent - You seem to have found a muse/calling, at least to a degree in poilitical activism and policy. I think that's very cool.

[mattycub]

Thanks, Joe. I really have found a passion for politics and policy over the last year or so, to a degree that I raelly hadn't expected. It's seeped into a lot of areas of my life - what I enjoy writing about on the internets is just a part of it. I'm really thinking about some big career changes in the next year or two, bringing a mixture of politics and technology even further into my life.

Anayway, it's nice to know that it's been noticed. I appreciate you chiming in with that. :)

[paladincub21]

The only issue I see with what you say is that the filibuster protects almost as often as it frustrates. In conservative majorities, we progressives are happy with the filibuster. It is a weapon to stop or at least delay bad legislation.

Bad legislation. Both sides use that term, and it means the same things. Legislation I don't want. But often times, it is bad legislation.

I was reading tim1965 the other day, and he makes the valid point that the two houses of Congress are very different; they work differently because they are differently. In the tyranny of the majority House, we have the rabids and whatnot - Tim points out that HUAC was a House committee. That would never have happened in the Senate - one senator out of 100 is all that is needed to bury a committee like that

[mattycub]

I understand yout point about the filibuster being used to protect as well as frustrate - but it doesn't really change my thinking on this.

The founders obviously saw a need to have our two houses of congress function in different ways. Members of the House can afford to be much more ideological because they serve a narrow constituancy, whereas Senators have to answer to a whole state and must represent a much broader populace. But that's the extent of the Senate cooling process the founders intended. There's nothing in our constitution about the filibuster - indeed, it exists only due to a mistake in an early congress (see here, which also shows how the use of the filibuster has exploded over time). And when you think about it, its actually very undemocratic

[paladincub21]

I guess my point about this is that I also think that the minority needs to be protected somewhat from the majority. If the majority of the senators, duly voted by their folks, believe in something (possibly abhorrent, possibly tame) then there should be some power in the one to slow the process down.

I'm leery of entirely democratic majority rule politics, and Founder-created or not, think that the Senate, with its filibuster balances a usually highly focused highly partisan House. I'm equally leery of any political party, having one great electoral year, changing large fundamental parts of our laws.

I'm also partly playing Devil's Advocate

[jeffbriggs]

Move to Canada and enjoy the wonderful health care....

[mattycub]

There are many great reasons to move to Canada besides the health care! :) Hell, at this point I'd settle for a nice long visit...

[jeffbriggs]

come on up
we'll rest you part of the time you are here.

[mattycub]

I aim to please!

I've become a bit of obsessed with politics and public policy over the last year or so, and it's kind of all I'm interested in writing about at the moment. Between that and the fact that I don't write here very often anymore I think I've probably lost a good bit of my readership, but I'm glad a few people dig it. The important thing is that it's what really turns me on at the moment, and I enjoy writing about it.

[the_hankster]

Wow, and after all these months, it's STILL the filibuster! Here I thought you had lost interest in posting to LiveJournal, turns out you were just waiting for the filibuster issue to roll around again. Why bother to write new notes when you know the same issue's going to rear its ugly head half a year later? :)