The hard truth: what one thinks of the filibuster depends on which side of bread the butter is on

[onenote]

Both parties have used the filibuster. Both parties have complained about the use of the filibuster. Both parties have attempted to make it easier to overcome a filibuster or to narrow the circumstances when filibusters can be used.

Yes it sucks that the repubs rolled back the filibuster for SCOTUS nominees. It sucks even more that they blocked Garland from even being considered. But the reality is that the path to this result started a long time ago and it really doesn't matter "who started it." It will end, I suspect, with the filibuster being repealed in its entirety.

Whether that is a good or bad thing will ultimately depend on who does it and why.

And if and when its eliminated, it will end the debate on whether the filibuster is even constitutional. While I doubt the SCOTUS would ever decide that issue, it's a real question over which serious people differ. Indeed, Common Cause, with a half dozen Democratic members of the House as co-plaintiffs, sought a judicial ruling that the filibuster was unconstitutional only a few years ago. The Democrats who signed onto that case as co-plaintiffs included Keith Ellison and John Lewis. Serious people.

So while I get the gnashing of teeth over the way the repubs blocked Garland and forced Gorsuch down our throats, I also am fully aware that had the shoe been on the other foot, many here might have been arguing for Democrats to do the same thing.

I don't see how the genie is ever put back in the bottle.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. What upsets me the most

is, while it something that both parties have used to their advantage as a minority (and was previously respected as such), under President Obama, the Republicans SEVERELY abused it to the point that simple governance- appointing cabinet nominees and creating a REAL crisis in judicial vacancies- was made practically impossible and then the Democrats responded with limiting it some just to keep government operating and now the Republicans, now that they are fully in charge, have limited it more to get their Scalia clone on SCOTUS for Trump (after denying consideration of President Obama's lawfully nominated candidate), and will probably wipe it out completely at some point, probably when they have some "must-pass" legislation that they want to ram through on a party-line vote.