This is what my newest Senator has to say about Republicans

[stevedeshazer]

Speaking at an event hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund this week, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) warned that Senate obstructionism has become so severe that it is hollowing out the other branches of government:

It’s absolutely impossible to make the Senate any less deliberative than it is at this moment . … I want to add that this isn’t just about the Senate and legislation. This is about the judiciary and the executive branches, because we are unable to confirm the nominations for the courts. We’re unable to confirm the nominations for the President’s team, and that is outrageous that the Senate, in its role of consulting and confirming, is basically damaging the other two branches of government.

video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYH7Tk1FrEw&feature=player_embedded#!

Merkley is right. Although Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-SC) megolomaniacal decision to block all bills that he has not personally approved may be the most dramatic example of widespread Senate obstructionism, conservatives began sabotaging the Senate the minute that President Obama took office. As Attorney General Eric Holder noted yesterday, judicial confirmations have slowed to such a glacial pace that fully half of all federal judgeships will be vacant by 2020 unless the pace improves.

Such obstructionism works because the Senate Rules allow the minority to delay all Senate business by up to 30 hours every time the Senate votes to confirm just one nominee. A new president must fill approximately one thousand Senate confirmed jobs over the course of their first term. So when you multiply the 30 hours of wasted time across all one thousand nominees, it adds up to more time than the Senate is in session for two entire presidential terms.

[oswaldactedalone]

1. Get this message out

Americans have to begin to understand just how evil the Thuglican Party has become. It takes messages like these to help them understand that we must defeat the Reich Wing.

[HuckleB]

2. Go, Senator Merkley, Go! Awesome! -eom-

[OHdem10]

3. It really is beginning to appear that the House is much more responsible

and serious than the Senate.

In reality the Senate is supposed the Wise Old Sages
who get the Nation's work done. This has been flipped
on its head over the last decade.

[SwampG8r]

4. sadly the GOP

made the exact same claim when they had the white house
unless the dems grow balls enough to actually force votes
instead of crying about the results of non votes and hiding behind the "filibuster" bullcrap
this is the price we all pay
the problem is we should have held their feet to the fire as soon as it was possible so they would know they had to go on the record with america
now its probably too late

[Kringle]

5. who invented the fake filibuster? .nt

[unblock]

6. it was a "reform" from 1975

the senate decided that the "real" filibusters of the the dramatic, marathon, phonebook-reading variety were damaging to the senate's illustrious reputation because any fool of a senator could get national attention and literally own the floor of the senate for as long as they could keep talking -- and with a few comrades, they could take turns indefinitely -- and the senate really could get nothing else done at all, because they owned the floor.

the modern filibuster doesn't steal the floor, so other business can proceed, even while the filibustered item is being delayed.

it seemed a good idea at the time, and it probably was, but republicans have proven time and time again that there's no good idea that can't be abused if they're given the chance.

[Kringle]

7. the current crop of lazy ass senators have never seen the movie...

Mr Smith goes to Washington