To Filibuster or Not to Filibuster

I am a Republican and proud of it. But I must admit that it really saddens me that this nation which I love so much is at such odds over politics. I think that we ALL tend to forget that as Americans, we should be proud and grateful that we live in a country of such great diversity. Our forefathers fought for each and every American, past and present, to have the right to his or her own beliefs and that we should respect each other's RIGHT to those beliefs.


So should my fellow Republicans in Congress stop the practice of filibuster - no. By doing so, yes, it would end the gridlock that has plagued our government. However at the same time, they would be abolishing just one of many checks and balances that is in place to prevent one political party from steamrolling the other. It would aid Republicans to usher through the judicial nominees, but mark my words, if this goes through, it's going to come back and bite the party in the butt!

From Common Cause - Holding Power Accountable

"The filibuster has a long history in the Senate of fending off actions supported by a bare majority, but deeply offensive to the minority. If an individual senator were to abuse the privilege of the filibuster, he or she could be over overridden by a super majority of 60 votes.

To remove a long-standing parliamentary maneuver to serve immediate partisan goals violates core democratic values and is an anathema to the Senate's long standing commitment to consensus and a bipartisan deliberative process.

It is wrong to jettison a longtime Senate procedure simply because it is inconvenient to one party’s goals. It is an abuse of power to strip the Senate minority of a tool designed to protect its rights – rights both parties have vociferously defended throughout the Senate’s history".