Tom Udall = Hero

[DrToast]

Dem backers of new filibuster rules undaunted by GOP
By J. Taylor Rushing - 11/13/10 12:00 PM ET

Three Democratic proponents of changing the Senate’s filibuster rules are vowing to press their case in the 112th Congress despite the GOP takeover of the House, with one senator pledging to force the issue on the very first day.

Sens. Tom Harkin (Iowa), Mark Udall (Colo.) and Tom Udall (N.M.) all told The Hill this week they are not backing down from their effort. The Senate’s rules — which are based on tradition, not the Constitution— have frustrated Democrats for the past several years as GOP leaders have required a 60-vote majority even for procedural motions.

Sen. Tom Udall said he will force a motion on the first day of the next Congress to have Vice President Joe Biden adopt new rules for the two-year session. Then, Udall said, he will seek consensus among senators from both parties to lower the 60-vote threshold for procedural motions. Only a simple majority of 51 votes would be necessary for such a move, and Udall said he expects support from some Republicans.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/129025-dem-backers-of-changing-filibuster-rules-undaunted-by-gop-house

Udall understands that filibuster reform is about fixing a broken government. Both parties should be on board with this and Democrats should be in favor of it even if we were in the minority.

[DFW]

1. Be careful what you wish for

The Koch brothers and Rupert Murdoch still have a lot of money left to buy the Senate the way they just bought the House.

They may change the rules just in time to have Yertle the McConnell taking advantage of them.

[karynnj]

4. I suspect tht the numbers might make them less willing to do it

On the one hand, it will now be incredibly tough to pass anything under the old rules. But, with 53 votes, and about 23 Democratic seats up - all the winners of 2006, there may be plenty of desire to keep some version of it -- even if not 60.

[AlinPA]

2. There is a good chance that republicans will win the senate in 2012 - they will run wild

with our inability to stop them with the filibuster.

[DrToast]

3. Who will save us from Democracy!?

[AlinPA]

5. That's good!

[flpoljunkie]

6. Do you know if fairelectionsnow.org has been folded into fixcongressfirst.org?

I have sent fairelectionsnow.org an email on this question.

[DrToast]

8. Not sure I understand the question

Fixcongressfirst.org used to be change-congress.org

http://fairelectionsnow.org/ is just about the bill.

[flpoljunkie]

12. Fixcongressfirst.org is evidently non-partisan. Joe Trippi co-founder; Mark McKinnon on the board.

(Many of the same groups are partners for both.)
http://www.fixcongressfirst.org/pages/about

About fixcongressfirst.org

No one is ever going to like everything that Congress does, but we should be able to believe that when it makes mistakes, it does so on the basis of stupidity or incompetence, or because there are too many Democrats there or too many Republicans—but not because of the money. But with special interests funneling millions of dollars into our elections—and a new Supreme Court ruling giving corporations and unions even more power to control our government—we can never have that confidence.

This isn't a Democratic issue or a Republican issue—it's a fundamental question about what kind of democracy we want to have. As we've watched presidents in both parties fail to pass their agendas, it's become increasingly clear that elections are no longer where decisions are made in this country. A fortunate few, neither dependent on nor accountable to the people, control the direction of our government. That weakening of our democracy should frighten everyone equally, whether or not you support the people currently in power.

Our goal is to restore public trust in our government by passing a hybrid of small-dollar donations and public financing of elections.

FixCongressFirst.org is a project of Change Congress, a non-partisan advocacy organization whose sole purpose is to protect the independence of Congress by fighting the influence of money in politics.


Co-founders

Lawrence Lessig, a professor at Harvard Law School, is a leading thinker on technology and Internet policy. He is the founder of Creative Commons and author of “Code,” “The Future of Ideas,” and “Free Culture.”

Joe Trippi, whom The New Republic called “the man who reinvented campaigning,” is the founder of Trippi & Associates. He has worked on presidential campaigns for Walter Mondale, Gary Hart, Richard Gephardt, Howard Dean and, most recently, John Edwards. In 2004, as the National Campaign Manager for Howard Dean’s presidential campaign, Trippi pioneered the use of online technology to organizewhat became the largest grassroots movement in presidential politics. Through his innovative use of the Internet for small-donor fundraising,“Dean for America” raised more money than any Democratic presidential campaign to that point—all with donations averaging less than $100.


Our board of directors

Lawrence Lessig, Founder and Chairman of the Board
Joe Trippi, Founder and Adviser to the Board
Mark McKinnon, Vice Chairman of Public Strategies Inc.
Thomas Layton, Treasurer
Katie McGrath, Board Member
Josh Silver, Board Member
Aaron Swartz, Board Member and CTO
Richard (Dick) Senn, Board Membber
Dan Nova, Board Member

Our partners

[BrklynLiberal]

7. " all told The Hill this week they are not backing down from their effort. "

Makes my heart sing to hear Democrats say those words. I only wish they would be used more often by the Dems.

[thereismore]

9. Nice. nt

[no limit]

10. Umm, are you shitting me? They were able to do this when they had 60 votes and didnt?

Now that their majority has shrunk and there is a chance they can lose the senate in 2012 they want to do this NOW?

[LynneSin]

11. Woohoo - gonna write my first letter to my newly elected senator and ask him to support this

Of course having Chris Coons as my senator I'm sure he'll be on board