so. blog.: On Obstruction: Time to Fix the Filibuster?

Filibustering ain't like it used to be.

Obstructionism

Scott Lehigh - Who will bust the filibuster? - Opinion - The Boston Globe (6/6/2012) - http://goo.gl/upvUk

Conclusion time: In a polarized era, Scott Brown deserves credit for his occasional willingness to break with his party and help end filibusters. That said, given his vote against the filibuster reform package, there’s little reason to think his leadership on the issue would extend beyond his periodic personal example.
Warren vows that she would vote for filibuster reform. And that’s why it’s fair to say she’d play a more substantial and systemic role when it comes to fixing the broken Senate.
LETTER IN RESPONSE: When asked, Scott Brown ducked the issue. That speaks volumes. - The Boston Globe - http://goo.gl/Rru7c

Olympia Snowe and Misdiagnosing Gridlock | The Nation (2/29/2012) http://bit.ly/zv0Xi9

What Allen's piece, and many similar analyses, fail to point out is that only one political party has become more extreme and more partisan in recent years: the GOP. Political science professor Keith Poole conducted acomprehensive study that plotted every Congressional vote from 1879 to 2011 along ideological axes, and found that around 1980, Republicans veered sharply right, with no corresponding leftward shift from Democrats. In 2011, the partisan Republican (the “90 percent” Republican) is almost at the limit of conservative ideology, while the partisan Democrat is much further from the leftward extreme—and has barely shifted in the past thirty years. This analysis shows what we can see to be anecdotally true every day: while the Republicans are lockstep behind privatizing Medicare, there isn’t even close to Democratic consensus that Medicare should be extended to everyone.

GRAPH: Republicans Responsible For Hyper-Polarization Of Congress | ThinkProgress (2/29/2012) http://bit.ly/w4TNbT --- graph shows that Democrats have barely edged towards the left over the last 30 years, while both moderate and partisan House Republicans have veered way off to the extreme right.
President Obama Calls Out Mike Lee's Scorched Earth Obstructionism | ThinkProgress (1/30/
CNN ignored evidence of GOP obstructionism, allowed McConnell to attack Dems | Media Matters for America (2007)
Post Partisan Depression (1/30/2012)

Some notes/ongoing

Daily Kos: Mitch McConnell offers a helpful reminder of why Senate Democrats must reform the filibuster now - http://bit.ly/PFgw5z (11/7/2012)
Daily Kos: Is Rules Reform a "Power Grab"? (no) 12/24/10
More discussion on BMG re: Filibuster reform (12/23/10)
ALL Returning Senate Democrats sign letter to Harry Reid asking for filibuster reform (National Journal 12/22/10)

Rules for New Senate beginning to take shape (12/16/10, HuffPo) -- ends with likely GOP line of attack on idea. I think all are sufficiently dealt w/ in Harkin et al's proposals but I need to find out more.
Robert Creamer, "Senate Reforms a Must in January" (12/2010 Huffpo)
Bipartisanship in 112th Congress? Ha! Mitch McConnell: "Our priority over next 2 years is to DEFEAT OBAMA"--not govern, not compromise, not work together. But destroy the Obama presidency.
Crooks & Liars on Republicans' promises of Obstructionism BEFORE Dems took power--and their renewed promises after midterms Nov 2 2010
Ezra Klein: "Republicans Dare Democrats to Reform the Filibuster"12/1/2010 - Reviews Merkley's proposals for reform (make it into real debate on the floor not phoning it in)

" This is filibuster reform that even the filibuster's supporters can love: It focuses the practice on the tradition of debate and discussion that Senate traditionalists consider to be the institution's indispensable trait."

Blue Mass Group blog on reforming the filibuster (Dec 2010)
Crooks & Liars: "Why Filibuster Reform is Vital"(Dec 2010) (good discussion/links re: "founders' intent" and the supermajority)
Some amusing whining from Lindsay Graham.: Obstructionism and START (Dec 2010)
(end)

ARCHIVE: Actions:

Call/email/fax Senator John Kerry, ask him to support filibuster reforms being offered by Senators Merkley, Udall, Harkin

DC: (202) 224-2742, Boston: (617) 565-8519, Fall River: (508) 677-0522, Springfield: (413) 785-4610

so. blog.