New senators want to change way Senate works

[defendandprotect]

New senators want to change way Senate works

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer Jim Abrams, Associated Press Writer – Thu Aug 19, 6:07 am ET
WASHINGTON – Those who hold the Senate in low esteem can get a sympathetic ear from some of the chamber's newer members. These lawmakers also are fed up with the Senate's ways and would like to change them.

"A graveyard of good ideas" is how freshman Democrat Tom Udall of New Mexico sees the Senate. "Out of whack with the way the rest of the world is," says another freshman, Michael Bennet, D-Colo. "Just defies common sense" is the impression of Claire McCaskill, a first-term Democrat from Missouri, in describing the filibuster-plagued institution.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_frustrated_senate

[FBaggins]

1. Very unlikely to happen unless November's prospects improve significantly.

and if things get worse? With twice as many democratic seats up as republicans in 2012, we're likely to need that filibuster to stay where it is.

Can you imagine how awful it would be to wake up ion 2013 with a republican president replacing a progressive justice with another Scalia/Thomas and now we can't stop them?

[county worker]

4. So many times we make our decisions based on what we should fear from the right that we sit

frozen and do nothing ourselves.

Is the better move to pass up the chance of getting some real change because of what the repubs might do in the future?

You can bet that what ever they do it will be as bad if not worse than the Bush years. Now is our time to push back some of the shit that came from that time and that's what we should do and don't worry about the repubs trying to hurt us in the future because they will anyway.

[FBaggins]

6. It isn't specifically "what the right will do"

It's any experienced senator's knowledge that the filibuster has been useful (to downright essential) in the past and will be again in the future (regardless of party). It's a warning that changes have consequences. You don't want to make long-term changes for short-term benefits.

Such a proposal could also have significant negative consequences for this election. It comes close to nationalizing the races (which is exactly what we don't want right now... and one of the few things that make today look better than 1994).

[FBaggins]

9. Anyone wonder why it's the new senators who are cited?

It's almost certainly because the experienced senators are probably all on record fiercely defending the filibuster when they were in the minority.


Oops... sorry. Replied to myself rather than the OP.

[county worker]

10. Do you wonder why people wanted term limits? Only the new people know that it is important

to change the rules or we will have watched this chance pass us by.

Tell the people out of work that we don't need a real jobs bill. Tell those who can't afford insurance that we don't need a public option.


I completely disagree with your logic.

I have been saying lately that some of the things the "professional left" want are things we use to take for granted. We have moved so far to the right that center ideas seem radical. We have let the right label us socialists for wanting to protect health care for people.

We cannot stand anymore movement to the right, we have to start making a difference now or never!

[Winterblues]

13. Why would it be more awful than what we have now.

Obama is not about to move the Court to the Left and Conservatives already completely Control it..

[Bitwit1234]

2. I think that secretly those members of the senate are

glad of the out of date ways. When republicans obstruct then they have the excuse to go along with the corporate ideas.

[damntexdem]

3. About time.

And it would only take 50 senators in January -- assuming that Biden would break any tie on dumping the filibuster.

[OHdem10]

5. Something needs to be done with that dysfunctional place. They

squabble and waste time while China and Asia are cleaning
our clocks.

[Obamanaut]

8. We have the opportunity to replace 1/3 of them, but we won't. We will

vote for 'the name you know'.

They know that's what we will do, so they don't really give a hoot.

People will say "My senator is not like that. My senator is one of the good ones." It just ain't so. They all need to find other employment, and let a new crop line their pockets.

[laughingliberal]

7. K & R nt

[DirkGently]

11. Let's encourage this. The Senate is broken. nt

[amborin]

12. knr