The Filibuster Is In Its 6th Hour And It's A Catastrophe For Obama

[cali]

Update 2: They're in hour 6

Update: It's in its 5th hour, and Senator Sanders is talking again, after having handed the baton to Mary Landrieu.

Original post: The Bernie Sanders filibuster against the tax deal is now in its 4th hour, and currently Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu has joined in.

Just one thought: This is a disaster for Obama.

It's the first time we can recall that something happening on the liberal side is getting people excited -- #filibernie is a hot topic on Twitter right now -- and Obama isn't part of it. In fact, he's against it.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-filibuster-is-in-its-4th-hour-and-its-a-catastrophe-for-obama-2010-12#ixzz17kG3BL00

[Poboy]

1. RECOMMEND!

[tritsofme]

2. Theatrics.

The votes are there for cloture.

[cali]

4. true enough- the votes are there

but this is starting to get a hell of a lot of coverage.

[BzaDem]

7. Why do you think the coverage is bad for Obama with the general public?

Much of the coverage I have seen is just generic "Obama getting bashed by left."

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. History proves that sometimes "theatrics" has profound impact

on the course of humanity.

[tritsofme]

13. This isn't one of those times.

President Obama will sign his compromise tax bill by the end of the year.

[treestar]

27. Like what?

I for one do not intend to be manipulated by such things.

[Cherchez la Femme]

38. Perhaps because

you are fully engaged in being manipulated by something else?

[cui bono]

44. Touche!

:fistbump:

[HereSince1628]

12. Then they can cut him off if they choose, but they don't choose?

I don't understand, please help me out.

Are you suggesting they think Sanders is digging his own grave?

[tritsofme]

15. And they will cut off debate eventually. This has done nothing to threaten passage of the bill.

[reformist2]

20. Who says Sanders can't convince 40 senators to vote his way?

Never say never.

[Recursion]

40. No, a Senator can keep the floor as long as he/she wishes

What he doesn't have is (a) infinite stamina or (b) 40 fellow Senators to block the eventual cloture vote that will come monday.

An exceptional speech, though.

[golddigger]

16. That doesn't take away from what he is saying. WTF people.

[Goldstein1984]

19. It's just nice to see an ethical person in the Senate

This bill is adding to dissent, and it will add more when it passes.

So I hope you are right when you write that it will pass, not because I support the bill, but because it will further undermine support for the government.

[Delphinus]

23. Amen.

It's such a rarity, isn't it?

[Goldstein1984]

3. Good

[polichick]

5. You must be so proud of Bernie Sanders - this is wonderful!! nt

[Mike 03]

6. I haven't missed a second and just wrote to Bernie Sanders' website asking

them to put it on DVD.

This is mesmerizing. I agree more senators should participate.

[NRaleighLiberal]

9. It is a teachable moment - and education - for us all. n/t

[bushisanidiot]

10. I've been listening to most of it all day.

I agree with everything Mr. Sanders has been saying.

HOWEVER, the dems have to come up with something that the repukes will sign before the end of the year, otherwise the poor and middle class are going to see a tax rate hike that is going to piss them off. the rich are going to be rich no matter what is signed. but the poor and middle class will suffer if we, the democrats, don't unify on a coming up with something that will get 60 votes in the senate. otherwise, president Obama can't sign it!!!

[cui bono]

45. And it would be easy to do if the Dems would stand up for something.

All they have to do is write a bill that gives the tax cut to only the poor and middle class. Let the estate tax stand as it originally was and tax cuts for the rich expire. Make the Repubs put forth their argument as to why they would hold that up in order to include tax cuts for the richest 2%. Make them tell the people what they are really all about. Make them screw the average American while they fight for their masters. It's so simple.

So simple that it makes it so very clear that Obama and most Dems in congress ARE NOT ON OUR SIDE.

[lob1]

11. K & R. Go Bernie. It's past time to stem this tide of pub crap.

[Smashcut]

14. filibernie!!!

Love it

[Poboy]

17. The entire Obama presidency has been 'catastrophic'.

[Peregrine Took]

21. Amen. I'm hoping he pulls an "LbJ". n/t

[demwing]

18. Wait - Independents and Democrats have to SPEAK?

But Republicans just have to threaten a filibuster? What the fuck is wrong with this equation?

Oh, and my understanding is that this is the FIRST filibuster of this entire damn session. Bluff after bluff after bluff, and ass kiss after ass kiss followed. I am DISGUSTED.

Senator Sanders is an American Hero. If not before, certainly now....

[bigtree]

22. disaster?

I doubt it, for a number of reasons.

Most of the electorate won't know who Sen. Sanders is and won't care. Most of what he's saying won't reach the ears of any significant number of the electorate. Most Senators and legislators already know well what the game is in town. Most of the electorate will just see gridlock, if they bother to look in, and blame it on the party in power if all that's accomplished is more talking (albeit from just a couple of them).

Tell me, how much of Sen. Sanders' excellent economic analysis does Jim DeMint and Mary Landrieu actually agree with?

[thanks_imjustlurking]

24. It's all over my local news

as well as the riots in London. Both getting at least neutral coverage. So glad and grateful people are getting attention.

[Occam Bandage]

25. It's about time a Democrat played the media. Fitting that Obama would be against it. nt

[treestar]

26. So let's see if this gets us everything we want

When we don't, while Bernie get the bashing treatment? Because by your logic, he should.

If this doesn't convince those Republicans, shame them into voting for cloture and insisting in rich tax cuts, then Bernie will have failed, right? And you will be the first to call him a failure?

This oversimplified making a hero out of everyone who just says what you want to hear, while Obama tries to really work something out that might actually happen, is kind of sickening. Valuing theatrics over people.

[FredStembottom]

35. This was about supplying the critical ingredients missing....

...from the Democrats' past 30 years: inciting legions of ordinary citizens to start advocating for their own interests.
You know, excitement. About going over and past the Beltway con game and getting millions like me and you calling and writing and voting what we insist must happen.

Game-changers. Surprises. Empowerment. Perspective. No longer thinking of these radicalized and/or utterly corrupt idiots in D.C. as an American royalty to which we must bow and tug our fore-locks.

It's about establishing the idea that backing away from radicalism is not radicalism - it's recovery.

And most importantly of all, it gets the truth about what Progressives do and don't want out to a couple generation's-worth of Americans who have been rendered intentionally ignorant concerning every last aspect of what Bernie was speaking about today.

it's not a vote count. It's a tipping point.

[Divernan]

36. It's called making a stand for principle -

Nothing makes evil people cringe more than a principled man or woman who refuses to be bought off by special interests, i.e, Big Money.

[Ikonoklast]

46. And when the vote is eventually taken, will those Democrats that vote

'Aye' get thrown under the DU bus?


This is theater, nothing else.

[redirish28]

28. Sorry no TV so this is a REAL Filabuster with people speaking for hours on end?!

[AlabamaLibrul]

29. Yes, but it's over now. Sanders lasted 8 1/2 hours. n/t

[redirish28]

30. Was there a vote?

[AlabamaLibrul]

32. Adjourned - no quorum as far as I know. He doesn't have the votes for cloture anyway.

Despite the amazing, courageous effort this filibuster is dead on arrival.

[redirish28]

33. thanks for the info.

[laughingliberal]

47. Excuse me? Not having the votes for cloture means the bill can't move to the floor for a vote. nt

[truedelphi]

37. You really don't need a TV - jus the right URL -

And ability to stream media over your computer.

www.c-span.org/Watch/C-SPAN2.aspx

Hope you enjoy it! (You may have to scroll on the C Span page to find it depending on when you get around to visiting C Span Two. And eventually it will be catalogued under Friday the tenth of December's date.

NOTE: this is C Span Two, not the usual C Span.

[TNLib]

31. Landrieu joined, seriously?

It's a Christmas Miracle

:)

[AlinPA]

34. That is unbelievable. She is usually on the republicans' side. These people are so hard to

understand. Most of them have no honor, including her, but they always surprise us. Bernie is the real deal, a real human being and not phony.

[Recursion]

41. Most of the blue dogs are against the compromise in both chambers

It's too deficit-heavy. I know it's a point of faith at DU that blue dogs and the DLC are the same thing, but this issue is precisely the fault line.

[whistler162]

39. and yet it isn't... The Democrats in the Senate are finally doing things

took them long enough!

But, keep up the delusional beliefs.

[Scurrilous]

42. Catastrophe For Obama Kick

:kick:

[cui bono]

43. Good. Obama needs to wake up to reality. n/t

[Ichingcarpenter]

48. He and Bill Clinton told you what reality is

Is that not CLEAR ENOUGH?