Two Democratic senators have introduced a plan that would kill the filibuster and allow a simple majority of Democrats to pass far-reaching legislation like a national health care system. Is there any possibility that could happen? The short answer is no. Here's my latest column:
In November 2008, just days after Republicans suffered a thorough beating at the polls, former Sen. Fred Thompson spoke to a group of dispirited conservatives on a Caribbean cruise sponsored by National Review. He was asked if he had any advice for his old Republican colleagues in the Senate. "They need to make sure they get this straight," Thompson deadpanned. "Up until now, filibusters have been a bad thing. Now, filibusters are a good thing." Everybody laughed, but has anyone uttered a more succinct explanation for why the filibuster lives? Every member of the Senate knows that today's majority is tomorrow's minority, and for that reason most would never, ever, do away with the Senate's strongest protection of minority rights. But today Democrats are raging against the filibuster... |
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