Make Em' Talk

One way to garner some headlines over the obstructionist Republicans is to make them actually do a filibuster. That's not how it works right now ....

Currently they have a cloture vote. If the votes are not there to override a filibuster, there's a sort of gentleman's agreement that the filibuster took place without making anyone actually take the time to do the talking. And clearly, the GOP plan is to keep doing this. Sen. Kent Conrad:

I think that we could do a better job making our points, and one part of that is to let the American people see just how obstructionist this Republican minority is being. The leader has had to file cloture now over 40 times already this year. And cloture, as you know, is a special procedure to stop debate, to stop filibusters, in order to reach conclusion on legislation. I had a Republican colleague tell me it is the Republican strategy to try to prevent any accomplishment of the Democratic Congress. That is set in their caucus openly and directly that they don’t intend to allow Democrats to have any legislative successes, and they intend to do it by repeated filibuster.

So as many have been advocating, (go sign the petition) allow me to add my small voice. Make them actually perform the filibuster. Let Republicans stand in the well of the Senate and have to talk 24/7 and keep the filibuster votes handy at all times. Enforce the filibuster rules religiously. The media would be all over it, a sort of reverse Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. It would be terrific theatre to get all the sound bites of the nutbar conservative arguments they'd use during the non-stop talking.

Digby has a rundown on the obstructed legislation.