Good Government: The Time to Reform the Senate's Filibuster is Now

[Tx4obama]

Here's a link to an article that everyone should read:
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/good-government-time-reform-senates-
p.s. Article includes great video clip from 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'

[notesdev]

1. Actually

the time to do it was when we had 60 seats and such a proposal couldn't be filibustered

[Tx4obama]

2. I believe it can not be filibustered....

They first vote to accept the rules which will govern the session which takes only 51 votes (this would be the FIRST vote of the new session - the rules of the last session would not be in effect).
Then after the vote then the rules take effect which would include the filibustering rule.

[Nancy Waterman]

4. It can't be filibustered

It has to be done when the Senate opens with a simple majority. They
should also get rid of the individual holds.

[droidamus2]

3. Absolutely no way

If we weren't willing to reform the filibuster when it was to our benefit I will be damned if reforming it now is a good idea. As a matter of fact if I didn't know better, and I don't, I would figure this OP was started by a conservative Republican.

[Nancy Waterman]

5. We need to get rid of it to get Obama's nominations through

the Senate, including the next Supreme Court pick. He won't get much if
any legislation through, but this could help with nominations to fill up his
administration and make them more effective.

[droidamus2]

6. Sorry

We don't have enough control right now for that to make sense. Yes we might, and I emphasize might, be able to get through some more nominations which would be a good thing, but with the number of blue dog Democrats and Lieberman types and the Republican control of the house who knows what they could push through. Yes, hopefully Obama would veto most of it but to tell you the truth I don't have enough confidence right now in Mr. Bipartisan Obama to trust him. Obama is so tied up in being seen as the conciliator and Mr. Bipartisan I think he would allow things to pass that are not to the benefit of this country and certainly don't represent the true base of the party and that is the liberals and progressives.

[jody]

7. Filibuster is the bastion of states rights. WY's 500k citizens have the same vote as CA's 37 million

[BrentWil]

8. We have 25 democrats and 10 Republicans up in 2012...

It might come in handy in two years.

[Tx4obama]

9. I think it's 21 democrats, 10 republican, and 2 independent

Folks/seats shown in the 'Class 1' column on the 'chart' on the link below will be running in 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classes_of_United_States_Senators