"There's no way the country can go Left because of the Senate", says Tom Geoghan, labor lawyer, writer, and political gadfly. In an audio interview with George Kenney at Electric Politics, Geoghan lays out the structural obstacles to change which are the product of the Senate's super-majority rules - commonly (if inadequately) known as the filibuster. The 60 vote rule - as Richard Shelby is demonstrating - empowers every Senator to obstruct even the most elementary processes - such as confirmation of presidential nominees. In another manifestation it permits 41 Senators to obstruct any legislation. HERE is the audio. And HERE is an editorial by Geoghan and the editors of The Nation.
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