Y'know what I've never understood? Why are we so scared of a filibuster?

[Clintonista2]

Instead of letting ourselves get screwed on HCR, why not draft a REAL bill and let the right filibuster it? Then we can have a united party making the rounds talking about how the right is standing in the way, as opposed to the current situation where everybody thinks that the right and the left are equally responsible for this failure.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Cuts into their nap time?

[DrToast]

2. Let the right filibuster it? Helloooooo....Democrats want to filibuster a real bill

[yourout]

3. +1.....seems the Dems have yet to find a fight they were not willing to run away from.

[Kitsune]

4. The filibuster covers them, and allows them to sell the bill out piece by piece.

It's all part of the scam that is the two-party system.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. I never got that either.

I did read that it's not even the old-timey way anymore. It's just a guaranteed sulk stand-off period but that a Majority Leader COULD make them do-it the old-timey way if he wanted to. I would say filibuster and that they HAVE to do it the old way.

I would love to see those helmet haired hacks speechifying and crying and fainting. I would mandate no bathroom breaks and they all have to wear Depends until it's over. Vitter might like that.

[Clintonista2]

6. LOL

[Warren Stupidity]

7. 'We' have like 12 senators. 'They' have the other 88. nt.

[napi21]

8. Because it stops the Senate from doing anything else at all!

I'm not sure there's a limit on how long it can go on, and when one Senator finally gives up, can another sstart his own fillabuster? If there's no limit to the number of Senators who could chain successive FB's, that means you'd have 40 successive ones plus any outliers like Lieberman!

From what I've read, the rule states that ANY senator can initiate a fillabuster, but I saw no restrictions, so I assume the worst case.

[Bluenorthwest]

10. And so they might miss their vacation?

They are not always in session, so their pressing agenda is really not an excuse of bad law. How many days a year do they work compared to you know, people with jobs?

[Better Believe It]

11. What filibusters? Watch C-Span and alert everyone when you see an actual Senate filibuster.

They don't exist. They could be forced by the Senate majority, but aren't.

[debbierlus]

9. They aren't afraid of it. They NEED it.

The filibuster is their best friend.

A political cover to sell out wholesale to the corporate masters.

[treestar]

12. I don't know why it has to be put in terms of courage

There is likely a practical reason. They don't see any gain in it like you do. They figure it will help the right in some way. I can see a point there. The M$M will cover the Republicans doing the filibuster like no tomorrow and the Repukes will claim they are defending our freedoms. Listen to any wingnut on the subject of health care. It's Marxism, more government, government can't do it. They'll get the forum to lie about the Canadian and British systems.

[gravity]

13. It will be a victory for the Republicans

They prevented healthcare reform. The Democrats will be shown as useless as ever. Nothing meaningful gets done to fix the current healthcare system.

[AnnieBW]

14. Let them shut down the Government!

It worked so well for Newtie and his Contract on America back in the 90's!

And I say this as a government employee.

[donco6]

15. No one is, really.

It just makes for a great bogeyman and reason why they "can't" do something.