Our Broken Senate

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_12/021671.php

OUR BROKEN SENATE.... Senate Republicans have engaged in unprecedented abuse of the chamber's filibuster rules, but the problems is exacerbated by the unprecedented abuse of Senate "holds."

Of the 200 or so Obama nominations pending, some 75 have gotten through committee but were being held up for various reasons in the Senate, administration officials and Congressional staff members said. During their last gasps of official business after the health care vote on Thursday morning, senators cleared 35 nominees by unanimous consent -- far short of the 60 that administration officials had been hoping to get through by the end of the year.

One of those finally approved was Miriam Sapiro, who had become the Obama administration's prime example of stalled nominations since being chosen in April to be a deputy United States trade representative. Senator Jim Bunning, Republican of Kentucky, put a hold on the confirmation of Ms. Sapiro, an Internet policy consultant, to try to pressure the trade representative's office to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization against Canada over a law that bans cigarettes with candy flavors.

Think about that. A government office remained vacant for months, and a qualified nominee was stuck in limbo, because some far-right senator was worried about Canadians' ability to buy candy-flavored cigarettes.

That would be mind-numbing enough if it were an isolated incident, but inane Senate holds on qualified nominees have become painfully routine. The General Services Administration has been without an administrator because Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) blocked the president's nominee -- he wanted more funding for a federal office building in downtown Kansas City. The president's nominee for the U.S. ambassador to Spain faced a hold because Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wanted more information about the dismissal of AmeriCorps' inspector general.

The nominee to head the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission faces a hold. Judicial nominees have been subjected to holds for no apparent reason. Dawn Johnsen was nominated to head the Office of Legal Counsel, but she's spent nine months in procedural limbo. Patricia Smith is prepared to be the Department of Labor's Solicitor, responsible for enforcing workplace protections, but there's a hold on her, too.

There isn't even anyone in charge of the TSA right now, because of another Republican hold. (More on that later.)

Put simply, the failed and discredited Republican minority is effectively breaking the United States Senate.

—Steve Benen

[dkf]

1. Our Senate is infected with the Tyranny of One syndrome.

It needs to be reworked, since its members are small and petty.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. wrong approach, limiting this complaint to the senate

Congress, in general, not just the senate, is broken. Frankly, unless some structural changes are made, and until and unless K Street issues are disposed of, I don't see it getting better.

And who the hell would unrec this post so early in the day? Ah, troll city!

[KharmaTrain]

4. The House Has Been Far More Progressive...

I used to keep a list of all the legislation passed in the House that sat stalled in the Senate as Reid was too chickenshit to call it up or knew that there weren't the votes to move forward. Instead of confronting, he runs the other way.

Remember, the House passed out a healthcare bill WITH the public option also passed Cap and Trade as well...and look what's happened. The Senate has become the major source of government dysfunction.

[elocs]

6. I'm sure those who UnRec love it that you bring their action to everyone's attention.

Congratulations. :applause:

Aside from that, if somebody gives a thread with which you agree an UnRec does that necessarily make them a troll? Maybe those who UnRec do it at the time of day they read the thread. How about a thread entitled: "Dennis Kucinich sucks!" Might that deserve an UnRec early in the day?

[KharmaTrain]

3. But It's Obama's Fault...

Benen nails it, as usual. Many of the reasons this country's political system has become dysfunctional can be traced to the Senate. No matter how Progressive a bill is that passes the House or a nominee from the Administration, it's turned into a political football in the Senate, who would rather avoid confrontation and be "bipartisan" over all else. I blame Reid for getting rolled time and time again by rushpublican tactics and letting shitstains like Lieberman and Ben Nelson become turds in the punchbowl. He's so afraid of the word filibuster that if its uttered his underware needs to be changed immediately. It's let the rushpublicans not only obstruct effectively but embolden them as the battles are now being fought inside the Democratic tent and drawing the attention away from the GOOP.

:hi:

[spanone]

5. it's the best senate money can buy

[elocs]

7. A good article about when the GOP was upset about the filibuster & judicial nominations:

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/05/12/nuclear_option_primer/

Also a good explanation of the nuclear option for the DUers who believe it can so casually be implemented. The truth is that neither side has absolutely clean hands when it comes to these things. The Republicans' hands may be more dirty now, but Dems do the same thing. The difference is that when we do it then it is ok because our motives are always noble, pure, and righteous.

The game is called Politics and it is hardball where everything within the rules is fine and even outside the rules for as long as you can get away with it. So play the game hard and play to win (Republicans seem to understand this better than Democrats. Also, it's best not to allow snakes to camp in your tent.)