Quote:
Originally Posted by Danzig
oh, the two wrongs make a right line of thinking. gotcha.
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If you don't like reading my posts because you think they are one-sided, don't read them. Nascar and Dell make posts that tend to have one view, too, you can read those or not, too. You can make the moral judgment that what others write here is "wrong" but that doesn't mean anybody else has to agree.
I completely agree with you that the system is broken. But you say, "your contention that all the gridlock and problems are due only to stonewalling by one side is ridiculous."
I'm sorry, but looking at the Senate over the past 2-3 years, that
factually simply is not true. Most Congresses average 45-50 filibusters in the Senate per session. The GOP in the past two-three years have already hit over twice as many, over one hundred plus, and are still increasing.
The GOP has been completely and legendarily obstructionist with misuse of the filibuster this session. They have had
an automatic hold on every single item! That means bills are not even getting to the floor to be discussed and there isn't even debate. That's unprecedented!
The filibuster doesn't require Senators to hold the floor talking. If the majority brings a bill to the floor for discussion, the minority GOP has immediately filibustered it - it is a procedural move - then the minority go back to their offices. It is then left to the majority to come up with enough votes 60 to invoke cloture to simply get the bill introduced to the floor so it can be discussed. That usually takes at least a week.
It's not votes the GOP are filibustering in record levels - it's the bringing of routine bills (funding bills, etc) to the floor. The GOP has blocked the routine introduction of bills in the first place! There can't even be debate, let alone votes.
The GOP isn't blocking votes - they have been
unprecedented, in blocking every item - a blanket hold - from even being brought up for discussion and debate.