Eliot Spitzer: 99 Percenters, Meet the Fearsome 40

[ProSense]

99 Percenters, Meet the Fearsome 40

OWS’s next goal should be to end the filibuster.

By Eliot Spitzer

On Tuesday, in Osawatomie, Kan., President Obama gave a glorious and powerful speech that was a testament to the enduring appeal of one of our greatest political figures: Theodore Roosevelt. The president harnessed the economic principles of the Progressive Era and applied them to the economic realities of today. He made an argument for a dynamic government that invests based upon principles of equity and opportunity for all; a government that fosters a genuine robust capitalism based on principles of true competition and market integrity. The difference between the president’s vision of government and that of his potential Republican presidential opponents is vast. The difference between the president’s speech and his own governance over the past three years is, unfortunately, only marginally smaller.

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Obama’s speech was a welcome tonic, an indication of a new direction that might be taken. So who deserves credit for nudging the president to change his focus and tone? Occupy Wall Street. The president’s speech—which might be viewed as the opening salvo of the presidential race—was defined by OWS. Growth, fairness, and opportunity have replaced deficit reduction as the central theme of American politics. I even wonder whether Judge Rakoff would have issued his wonderful opinion rejecting as inadequate the SEC-Citibank settlement without the foundation laid by OWS. Judge Rakoff’s opinion is the judicial analogue to OWS: a visceral statement of discontent; a judicial “I have had enough of this”—albeit in more modulated prose.

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OWS also needs to choose its future. Here’s one idea. This past week the filibuster has once again deprived the public of candidates—one judicial, one for the newly formed consumer protection bureau—who had more than 50 supporters in the Senate and the backing of the president. The continued tyranny of 40, the number of senators who can block action—perhaps representing as little as 10 percent of the public—must be ended.

If OWS wants a government where the will of the majority will not be blocked by a powerful but small minority, demanding that Democratic leaders seek fundamental filibuster reform might be a great place to start. The chant “end the filibuster” might sound a bit technical, but the chant “save our democracy” would not. OWS has introduced the numbers 99 and 1 into the American political lexicon. Now it should do the same for 40 and 51.

In Republican hands, the filibuster has become a tool for sabotage.

[Dreamer Tatum]

1. If it's Spitzer, maybe Fearsome 40 refers to his hooker's bra size. nt

[otohara]

3. Troll Talk

this is typical to what you'd find on a site like FreeRepublic

[flpoljunkie]

2. Agree with Spitzer that President Obama must demand significant mortgage reductions

'The president must take the plunge and demand significant mortgage reductions if the economy is to be revived and equity is to be addressed.'