Dick Morris says to Dems: "Bring on a real filibuster"

[AussieDave]

Writing in The Hill, Dick ("not enough toes in the world for me to suck") Morris invites Senate Republican leaders to let Senate Democrats hoist themselves on their own petard concerning filibusters on judicial nominations:

"The Republican leaders in the Senate do not have to make the false choice between endless toleration of Democratic filibusters that enfeeble their majority and the so-called “nuclear option” — a ruling that filibusters of judicial nominations are unconstitutional — which will set off partisan wrangling for the balance of the Bush tenure.

It is absurd to try to tell the American people why filibusters of judicial nominations violate the Constitution while those of presidential nonjudicial appointments and of regular legislation do not. The American people are going to see the denial of the right of unlimited debate as the equivalent of FDR’s court-packing plan, which doomed the second term of his presidency to utter failure (he had a pretty good third term, winning the war).

The better way to proceed is to make the filibuster radioactive politically by letting the Democrats talk themselves to death. Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves by their vocal cords."

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Comment/DickMorris/042705.html

And my view on this is - by all means bring it on. Find a Democratic Senator with a strong pair of lungs and let him/her rip with not only what's wrong these proposed judges, but also what he's REALLY trying to do with Social Security (that's 24 hours right there), with Iraq, John Bolton, energy, No Child Left Behind - the laundry list of all Junior's screw-ups.

I think it would be a good platform for the Dems to get the message out when lots of people should be watching - Gunfight at the OK Corral live on C-SPAN.

Am I missing something here ??

[mcctatas]

1. In theory I agree

the problem is not enough people actually watch CSPAN, and I doubt if network TV would take time away from the truly important issues of the day...the burning issues like who will be the next apprentice or survivor....to cover something as humdrum as an historically grand filibuster

[AussieDave]

2. Well you never know - if it's a slow news day........

but you'd be right - Michael Jackson's trial ot a car chase would be FAR more imporatnt and entertaining - but one could hope.

[mcctatas]

3. Here's an idea

Maybe we can get sweaty uncle Teddy to filibuster in the nude?? Naaah, never work now that the moral majority controls the goddam FCC too

[AussieDave]

5. Thank you SOOO much for that picture in my mind

- I have to go wash my brain now........

[mcctatas]

11. Sorry I traumatized you...

But if this were a republican situation, i would have given you the portrait of a buckass naked dennis hastert (yes I know he's in the house, but he is the last man I would want to see naked!)...so you see, it could have been worse!

[LetsGoMurphys]

12. hahaha

that would be priceless indeed

[mcctatas]

15. totally off topic letsgomurphys...

as in dropkick?

[Mondon]

21. AUGHHHH MY EYES

[w4rma]

4. Democrats have *way* too much to talk about. 24 hour coverage of a

Democratic filibuster would be the best thing ever.

[NVMojo]

6. do we all realize the enormous distraction potential this entire scenario

has and what could be going on that we won't be paying attention to when this happens? Like the sibel thing? Like the Iraq war and our soldiers? Like the spiraling federal debt? Like many other things the PNAC doesn't want us to keep tabs of??

[BlueIris]

7. "That's 24 hours right there." Indeed it is.

Also, seriously, who uses words like "petard" anymore?

[AussieDave]

8. Sorry - it's Latin/French from a term meaning "to break wind"

- I would have thought it entirely appropriate when discussing Junior - plus I'm old and keep using old-fashioned expressions.......

[Nikki Stone 1]

17. Seriously? No kidding!

Learn something new everyday. Always wondered what the hell a petard was.

[jbnow]

19. The first time the term came to mind

in many years was watching the debates. Watching bush flail "hoist by his own petard" came to mind.

They were playing by bush's rules in the debates (weren't there 32 pages of them) and it blew up in his face. Perfect phrase for that.
The phrase originally referred to a bomb/explosive (the petard)for breaking down walls from the old day..You had to get up on it and light the slow burning fuse, but sometimes the fuse burned quickly and the soldier would be launched/exploded along with the bomb.

That was just what happened to bush in the debates. All these rules to flatten his enemy and they blew up on him instead. That's the only real life situation when that phrase pooped into my mind. It does not seem appropriate to this authors suggestion...this petard would hit the other side, just as petards are meant to do.

(Except it really does come from the root word of "passing wind" in old French and Latin. Whole other image if one of those can hoist you!)

[Nikki Stone 1]

20. Yikes! That had to be painful!

Thanks for the story behind the expression. I won't forget it now. ;)

[KharmaTrain]

9. Bring It On...Let's Go

Enough bullshit, let's start talking...telling the truth about this regime and not stop. There's no turning back now and at stake is not just a few appelate Judicial nominees. These goons want us to "bring it on"...the time is now.

Originally I was against Democrats coming off as "obstructionists", but right now I suspect a majority of the American people want the Democrats to show some stones...stand up strong and stare this regime down.

There's a lot of reasons people will support a strong Democrat show as polls continue to show this regime losing touch with a majority and the radical right has scared the shit out of many moderates. The silence is deafening...until you give people something to rally around.

Let's fill the airwaves, the newspapers...and the streets with our faces and voices...it's finally time to take our country back.

Cheers.

[Inland]

10. Your missing the way filibusters are done nowadays

In the old days, they actually spoke on the floor and tied up all business until the bill was withdrawn or there was enough votes to end debate.

Now, thanks to a rule change, a filibuster on ONE bill causes the bill to be put aside while the Senate continues on OTHER business. Because it is put aside, there isn't a guy in the well filling up time with a speech. The bill is simply in limbo until there are 60 votes to have a vote, and it's business as usual.

[underpants]

13. Hey Dick! LOOK!

[Roland99]

14. Let Obama do the talkin'!

[Nikki Stone 1]

18. Now that idea has legs

He's a good speaker. Could make CSPAN actually exciting.

[sandnsea]

16. Maybe WE should filibuster

March ourselves right up to the Senate steps and shut it down ourselves. How's that for "bringin' it on", Dickie boy?