There was an allusion to “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” and a staged reading of a patriotic letter written by Colonel Travis in the Alamo, but Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s old-fashioned filibuster of President Obama’s CIA nominee, John O. Brennan, this week was a serious success: It demonstrated the power of actual debate — at one point, even Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon acknowledged that Paul had raised significant concerns about Obama’s drone warfare — and the passion that lies behind some of the procedural delays that are widely derided in Washington.
By talking for so long, with the help of sympathetic colleagues, Paul also showed the hollowness of the modern filibuster, in which a senator can automatically delay a vote without saying anything, and require 60 colleagues to vote to end the so-called “filibuster.” Expansion of the pseudo-filibuster, an effective hold on Senate business with no edifying power, is rightly blamed for political gridlock. Paul’s filibuster showed a better path: Allow the dissenters to dominate debate for as long as they can hold out, making their best points, but then let time, and human nature, take their course.
Comments
I agree that the old time filibuster should stay in place. If anyone wishes to be an obstructionist they should have to put in the time. But, this also showed the lengths the republicans will go to to waste time and money for nothing. It made about as much sense as holding up Washington until the president promised he wouldn't allow monkeys to fly out of innocent Americans' butts.
A memo about killing Americans is nothing? You have shown yourself to be a true partisan. Those rose-colored glasses are effecting your vision.
Monkeys out of ...butts? Oh, THAT the president would agree to.
Question was maybe raised by the sighting of a "drone" over Brooklyn. Rand Paul is a bit of a fruit loop in my opinion, but he had the right to raise a legitimate question and get an answer.
Eric Holder doesn't help the matter either. He waffled on a simple yes or no answer as to whether or not a drone strike on a non-combatant American in an American cafe would be constitutional. He's his own worst enemy and doesn't help Obama at all.
Cant wait for Paul to run for president, he is great
I, too, hope Ron Paul runs for president and I hope he selects Alex Jones as his running mate! That would insure another democrat in the white house for four more years. So, keep the crazies coming from the far right. Please!