Sunday, December 20, 2009

A privileged minority - the Senate super-majority rule



A minority is blocking the expansion of Medicare, and the government run health insurance company that a large majority of Americans support. The Senate super majority vote rule that sustained segregation now empowers Sen. Ben Nelson to defeat a majority on the issue of government-enabled abortion. It enables Joseph Lieberman to hold out for...what is it that Lieberman wants, really?

James Fallows discusses the filibuster - the now profligately employed ability to prolong debate that has been the nemesis of President Obama, and of Nancy Pelosi, whose majority has beeen rendered nearly irrelevant by the Senate's anti-majoritarian rule.

Would it have been too much even for James Madison, architect of separation of powers? Or is it all that protected us from the Bush-Cheney steamroller?

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