It’s something of an understatement to say that Democrats woke up the morning of November 6th to find their world taking a very different shape. Not only did the resurgent Donald Trump and his bright, young understudy JD Vance crush the Harris/Walz ticket in an overwhelming electoral victory, but they also crushed it in the total vote count and crashed through the Rust Belt “Blue Wall” like the Kool-Aid Man. Not only that, but the GOP will go into the next Congress with control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
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And so it’s no surprise that the Democrats in the Senate are suddenly rediscovering their love for the filibuster:
Soon to be in the minority, Democrats are ready to use whatever tactics are at their disposal to put up roadblocks for Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump — including the 60-vote threshold many have long sought to abolish.
“I’d be lying if I said we’d be in a better position without the filibuster,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said. “We have a responsibility to stop autocratic and long-headed [sic] abuse of power or policy, and we’ll use whatever tools we have available. We’re not going to fight this battle with one hand tied behind our back.”
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) sees the filibuster as “part of the calculation” to how Democrats will spearhead resistance next Congress in a chamber with a 53-47 GOP majority.
“We had to live with it when we were in the majority,” he said.
When worn on the other foot, the shoe pinches.
While it’s fun to point out Democrat hypocrisy here, and yes, some schadenfreude is in order, we are forced to acknowledge that the Democrats are awakening to the reality of the hand they have been dealt, and are going to play with the rules that are in place. And now, it may be the GOP that gets frustrated by the use of the filibuster to block Republican agenda items.
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That’s how the game is played, and there’s a good reason for things being the way they are. The Senate is supposed to be the cooling saucer for the passions of the House, thus the long-standing tradition of requiring 60 votes to break debate, rather than a simple minority. The filibuster prevents excess, no matter which party is in charge.
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And, no doubt, there will be some calls from the right to amend or eliminate the filibuster out of frustration. Those calls should be ignored. The filibuster is in place for a good reason, and the Senate GOP and activists on the right must remember that sooner or later, that shoe will be back on that same foot, the Republicans will be in the minority once again, and they will make good use of the filibuster to keep things to some semblance of sanity. That’s a pendulum that never stops swinging.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the moment, and perhaps point and giggle at the Democrats who are suddenly rediscovering the value of the very tool they wanted to eliminate – before November 5th.
Fun side note: The term “filibuster” also carries the meaning of a person “who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country or territory to foster or support a political revolution or secession.” The term “freebooter” also applies. There’s probably a cautionary note in there somewhere.
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