Phillybuster!

The United States Senate has become a threatening place lately. Under the threat of appointment of right-wing judges, the Democrats in the Senate are threatening to filibuster the nominations. In retaliation, the Senate Republicans are threatening to go all “nuclear” on the Democrats’ asses and eliminate the filibuster.

Filibustering gives a voice to the minority party in the Senate (at the moment, the Democrats, but for a long time the Republicans), and makes certain the dissenting opinion is heard (and heard exhaustively). Eliminating the filibuster is short-sighted, because as my high school history teachers taught, political power ebbs and flows. Today the Republicans run the United States, but when the pendulum swings back to the center (please God, let it swing back), they might find themselves back in the minority and in need of the filibuster.

Of course, the filibuster can be used for ill, as in 1962 when Southern conservatives filibustered against civil rights legislation. Give me the patriotic, standing-up-for-the-little-guy Hollywood version of the filibuster in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.