AMERICABLOG: GOP using filibuster 700% more than Dem record of filibuster

[FourScore]

Monday, March 01, 2010
AP: GOP using filibuster 300% more than previous Dem record - real figure more like 700%
by John Aravosis (DC) on 3/01/2010 10:47:00 AM

...Let me explain:

- Previous Democratic record high, 104th Congress, which takes place over a two year period, 1995-96: 50 filibusters

- Current GOP record - which is the all time high for both parties in the past 50 years, 111th Congress, 2009-10, but we've only had 2 months of 2010 so far: 152 filibuster. If you add in ten more months at the current rate of 20 filibuster per month, that's 200 more filibusters this year, coming to a grand total of 352 filibusters this year.

352 estimated filibusters for this Congress, compared to the previous Democratic record, of 50 filibusters. That's 700% more, or 7x more than the previous record, 7x more than the Dems did it 15 years ago.

The entire week should be devoted to every member of Congress, and every senior administration official, and every Democratic surrogate talking about the GOP shutdown of our government. We now have proof, from the AP story, and we have a real life example, with GOP Senator Bunning killing unemployment benefits and highway projects due to his current filibuster. The White House and the Dems in Congerss needs to hire someone, a PR expert, to run this anti-filibuster campaign. They've been handed a golden opportunity.

What did the Democrats do? They let Bunning go home Thursday night and rest, rather than force him to actually filibuster, i.e., sit on the floor and talk 24 hours a day. They all went home over the weekend, rather than force Bunning to filibuster. And now, Dems are pulling the unemployment bill, rather than face the filibuster.

This data, and Bunning's filibuster, hands Dems, and the White House, the golden opportunity they've been waiting for. The filibuster is why health care reform has taken a year, why it has gotten so sickeningly watered down. It's why every other issue on the Democratic agenda is now in peril of being forgotten or watered down as well.

The Democrats need to hire someone who understands how to fight back effectively, and use the opportunity the Republicans have presented them.

http://www.americablog.com/2010/03/ap-gop-using-filibuster-300-more-than.html

[tonysam]

1. What the Democrats are doing is playing games

They are going to use Bunning's obstruction as a way to score political points because the GOP apparently doesn't care about the jobless.

Never mind it is nothing but a game. Reid could have easily bypassed this and try to force Bunning into a filibuster, but no, it's better to play games.