Community | January 21, 2013 | 23 comments

Bill Moyers, eliminating the silent filibuster!

source: http://billmoyers.com/segment/larry-cohen-on-eliminating-the-silent-filibuster/

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MSII

http://billmoyers.com/segment/larry-cohen-on-eliminating-the-silent-f...

Important! In case anyone missed it, we need this reform, have needed it for a long time now. Contact your lawmakers, DEMAND they act this Tuesday!




Larry Cohen on Eliminating the Silent Filibuster
January 18, 2013

Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America, joins Bill to make the case for eliminating the Senate’s “silent filibuster”. He leads a broad coalition of nearly 50 progressive organizations campaigning to hold Senators accountable by restoring the filibuster requirement that they show up in person and talk in plain sight — so we can know who’s holding democracy hostage. But time is not on their side. Unless the Senate reforms the filibuster on the first day at the beginning of the new 113th Congress — that’s as soon as next Tuesday, January 22 — the minority wrecking crew remains in charge for the next two years.

“We think our members and working people in this country and most Americans would say it’s fair: people get elected, at some point the majority should rule,” Cohen tells Bill. “That’s the way it is in every other democracy in the world… We need to bring back the debate in the U.S. Senate.”
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23 comments // Bill Moyers, eliminating the silent filibuster!

  • MSII
    • +1
      MSII  
    • Image

    • As of today 1/23 I received this...

      M, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has sent an ultimatum to Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, giving McConnell until Thursday to agree to a watered down filibuster reform package. The idea is that Reid and McConnell would jointly pass a few small-bore reforms with overwhelming bipartisan support.

      However, if McConnell does not agree to the watered down package of reforms, then Sen. Reid has threatened to pass a much stronger filibuster reform package, and to do so with only 51 Democratic votes. Further, according to the Washington Post, this stronger package would include one of our two primary demands—flipping the burden on filibusters to the minority party:

      Right now, the majority needs to supply the 60 votes to break a filibuster. The minority only needs one vote on the floor. Under Reid’s backup plan, the burden would be reversed: The minority would have to supply the 41 votes required to keep a filibuster going, while the majority wouldn’t have to do much of anything. That means that if the minority only had 38 votes present in the room, the filibuster would end. It also means the minority could be forced to muster all their people to vote at times of the majority leader’s choosing: say, 3 a.m. on a Saturday. It would make filibustering a much more unpleasant experience.

      This would be a pretty dang big deal, and we need to let Senator Reid know that he would have our support if he decides to go that route.

      Please sign our petition http://kos.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=H5YS9aQmQYl9L6ocNyAruLyFHj8lUzM...
      to Senate Majority Leader Reid, letting him know that you support him if he decides to pass the powerful "flipping the burden" filibuster reform with only Democratic votes. We will email the signatures to his office early tomorrow morning as the final decision is being made.

      Keep fighting,
      Chris Bowers
      Campaign Director, Daily Kos

      I say to-hell with the worthless watered-down version, we need the REAL version, the STRONG version!

    • 4 months ago
  • MSII
  • dugdog47
    • 0
      dugdog47  

    • I'm not an expert on how the government works, but doesn't this go both ways? If the silent filibuster is eliminated, it could majorly backfire in 4 years when the republicans are back.

    • 4 months ago
  • MSII
    • +4
      MSII  
    • dugdog47:

      It doesn't actually (as this man on Moyers and his group for instance propose) -end- it, just means that it puts it back to the way it used to work, you have to actually show-up, go out on-the-floor, and DEBATE! Physically go out there, and be seen, and on-the-record, make your debate (or just rant). The way it is now, they don't even have to be seen, or be there, they phone-in a objection.

    • 4 months ago
  • dugdog47
    • 0
      dugdog47  
    • MSII:

      Okay, but what if some republicans are introducing some whacko legislation, and no democrats are there to filibuster? Shouldn't a democrat be able to phone in?
      Doesn't it work both ways?

    • 4 months ago
  • MSII
    • +3
      MSII  
    • dugdog47:

      Do we really elect these people to phone in the work they're supposed to be doing for the PEOPLE? There's no excuse for either side to be phoning in the real work they should be doing. Both sides will just have to pull themselves away from the big-money shmoozing with K-street-scum, and be at-work where they're supposed to be!

    • 4 months ago
  • dugdog47
    • +1
      dugdog47  
    • MSII:

      Dam good point. I'd just would prefer not to hear that some crazy laws got passed on valentines day or some shit, when it could have been stopped by a phone in.

      But you're right, they should be at work more. After all, we are their boss.

    • 4 months ago
  • HarukoHaruhara
    • 0
      HarukoHaruhara  
    • dugdog47:

      I'm in favour of getting rid of it no matter which party has control of the Senate.

      The filibuster is being badly abused, and it's one of the biggest reasons there is so much gridlock in D.C. If the Democrats were in power, they'd be abusing it, too.

    • 4 months ago
  • MSII
    • +1
      MSII  
    • HarukoHaruhara:

      Truth! It's abused by whoever's there. Fixing it certainly won't fix Washington, only getting the money out will truly fix things. But this is at least a very necessary step. Today's the day, lets see how badly the PEOPLE get screwed! As you can tell I'm not hopeful...

    • 4 months ago
  • cw9000
  • cw9000
    • +1
      cw9000  
    • MSII:

      I had to laugh two years ago, when two dumb congressman, thought they can be sworn in as members of congress; by taking the pledge on television. (LOL)

    • 4 months ago
  • Leen61
  • MSII
  • Leen61
  • MSII
  • treewolf39
  • Leen61
  • treewolf39
    • +3
      treewolf39  

    • It is a good start to fixing this broken system but the money interest has to go. Corporations are not people. They are groups of people who love their money. Everybody comes second to their wealth and it happens they are proud of that. It improves their stature.

    • 4 months ago
  • MSII
    • +4
      MSII  
    • treewolf39:

      I couldn't agree more strongly! The single thing at the root of all mericas problems is the money-in-politics, it has to be rooted OUT! Cut out bodily like the deeply pernicious CANCER it is! Until it's ripped out things just aren't going to get seriously better.

    • 4 months ago
  • VFORVENDETTA
    • +3
      VFORVENDETTA  
    • Image
    • MSII:

      "I couldn't agree more strongly! The single thing at the root of all Americas problems is the money-in-politics,...."

      I keep seeing this, and other reports like it, and the well-intentioned people (however close they may seem to come) that keep missing the mark MS.

      The simple truth MS, is that just about every thing that is currently wrong with our country would be fixed by going Socialist. All you are doing (there is over 30 years of history to back me up) is at best cutting ONE of the MANY heads off the Hydra which if you know your Greek Mythology only grows back another one.

      The social "issues" - environment, fair wages, employment, citizens rights and many others will be never ending, taking peoples time and energy, which is what they (the capitalist and Plutocratic class) want, today it's this straw-man, tomorrow it's a new one, can you and others not see this?

      Don't go for the head (s) of the capitalist beast, go for the heart, then all this non-sense will go away!

      http://socialistparty-usa.net/principles.html

    • 4 months ago
  • treewolf39
    • +1
      treewolf39  
    • VFORVENDETTA:

      History tells a different story. It seems to take on new names for different reasons. Racism is interesting that way. The vikings were a bit that way but there are good and bad decades. Leaders change. Crazy people still murder. Trying to make giant changes to this government will not be possible without a shitload of bloodshed. We are at where we are at individually and that is not ready to jump to the same place. First we have to put the breaks on where it is possible to get the most support or the fight is on. Being a builder for extreme wealth and for the most poor has really opened my eyes.

    • 4 months ago
  • MSII
    • +2
      MSII  
    • Image
    • VFORVENDETTA:

      I believe that if we were to succeed in getting the money out (special interest money). in getting some kind of system of purely public finance of elections we'd quickly have ourselves a good, decent Social Democracy. I would be very happy to have that. As you can see in this thread http://current.com/community/94027080_worlds-happiest-countries-most-are-borderl...
      the best countries in the world are Social Democracies, we'd be in fine company! We'd actually be taking care of OUR people as we should be doing. Our government would actually be operating, as opposed to what we have now. for-by-and-of-the-1%ers, and corporates!

    • 4 months ago
  • MSII

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