Originally published by San Diego Newsroom 2-24-10
It’s amazing how the ethics of our Senators and Congressmen change, depending upon who holds the majority. A current example is the so called “Reconciliation Option” that could pass both the House and Senate health care bills without further discussion, thus freeing its delay through the use of Republican filibusters.
For the record, I have never liked the idea of a filibuster. Yes, proposed laws should be challenged by all sides and not rushed through without discussion, but all too often the filibuster is nothing but an excuse to hold up a bill indefinitely with endless discussion. Deliberate procrastination, laced with hot air, is not the same as healthy debate.
Yes, I hate everything about the current Democratic health care bill, but I try to be consistent and for this reason, I cannot support its filibutster opposition. Democrats are in the majority right now because people voted them into office. I wish that hadn’t happened, but it did. Things will undoubtedly change in November and such change seems even more inevitable if Democrats arrogantly pass this horrific bill that most Americans do not want. But meanwhile, they are in the majority and Republicans need to live with it.
However, since we are visiting the subject of consistency, let us include a trip down memory lane. Remember those golden days of 2005? Do you recall what Democrats were saying when they were the minority party and majority leader Bill Frist threatened to destroy Democratic filibusters which were stalling the judicial nominees from then President George W. Bush? They called this threat the “Nuclear Option.” It would have been perfectly legal since our constitution allows both chambers of Congress to make its own procedural laws.
Still, Democrats were absolutely livid over the possibility of losing their old friend Phil. They expressed concern for our constitution and for the need to have healthy checks and balances. Charles Schumer said, “We are on the precipice of a crisis, a constitutional crisis. The checks and balances which have been at the core of this Republic are about to be evaporated by the nuclear option.”
Hillary Clinton also spoke with passion: “You’ve got majority rule and then you have the Senate over here where people can slow things down where they can debate where they have something called the filibuster. You know it seems like it’s a little less than efficient — well that’s right it is. And deliberately designed to be so.”
And who can forget Harry Reid? He always had something to say, even when he was minority Leader. “But no, we are not going to follow the Senate rules. No, because of the arrogance of power of this Republican administration.”
Of course the words of then Senator Barack Obama, himself, might just be of mild interest. While speaking before the National Press Club on April 26, 2005 his always eloquent words went like this: “You know, the Founders designed this system, as frustrating it is, to make sure that there’s a broad consensus before the country moves forward.”
But as any one might guess, good ol’ Joe (our current VP) had the best line of all: “I say to my friends on the Republican side you may own the field right now but you won’t own it forever. I pray God when the Democrats take back control we don’t make the kind of naked power grab you are doing.”
Well, that was then and this is now. Being reminded of what our Democratic leaders said is only half the fun. I can’t wait to hear them explain to us now what they “really meant.”
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