06-23-2016, 02:04 AM
Leaving legal issues aside for one post at least, and commenting on the politics of the current Democratic "sit in" in Congress.
I see the Republican refusal to allow a vote as reflecting their losing their base to Tea Party and Trump like extremists who cling harder to the unravelling Reagan ideas than the establishment Republicans do. If they don't hold firm without compromise the unravelling world view, their base will dump them on their respective rears. They have little choice but to play to the extreme on core issues like gun prohibition.
The Democrats are, of course, putting a spot light on this. In recent times, the Republicans have been very free in using procedural obstructions. It doesn't take a majority to pass a bill. You need the supermajority to get it out of committee or call a vote on the floor. They arguably have been using such obstructionist tactics to try to make Obama a failure. This hasn't worked cleanly. They have got a reputation for obstruction, well deserved.
Unfortunately, from the perspective of a good size portion of their base, they aren't obstructing enough. Obstruction has become such a central part of how Republicans operate that their base will rise in rejection of they don't do it ever so much, more so.
And the Democrats are calling them on it. Bringing Congress to a dead halt to force through a partisan issue has recently been a Republican tactic. This time the Democrats are playing at it. The difference, I suspect, is that the Republicans have to stick by their principles in face of revolt if they don't. Feels like to me that the Democrats don't have to be doing it, but they think doing it will put them in a stronger position come the Fall voting.
Personally, I don't care for filibuster grandstanding. Congress is getting little enough done without bringing everything to a halt for an attempted public relations effect.
I see the Republican refusal to allow a vote as reflecting their losing their base to Tea Party and Trump like extremists who cling harder to the unravelling Reagan ideas than the establishment Republicans do. If they don't hold firm without compromise the unravelling world view, their base will dump them on their respective rears. They have little choice but to play to the extreme on core issues like gun prohibition.
The Democrats are, of course, putting a spot light on this. In recent times, the Republicans have been very free in using procedural obstructions. It doesn't take a majority to pass a bill. You need the supermajority to get it out of committee or call a vote on the floor. They arguably have been using such obstructionist tactics to try to make Obama a failure. This hasn't worked cleanly. They have got a reputation for obstruction, well deserved.
Unfortunately, from the perspective of a good size portion of their base, they aren't obstructing enough. Obstruction has become such a central part of how Republicans operate that their base will rise in rejection of they don't do it ever so much, more so.
And the Democrats are calling them on it. Bringing Congress to a dead halt to force through a partisan issue has recently been a Republican tactic. This time the Democrats are playing at it. The difference, I suspect, is that the Republicans have to stick by their principles in face of revolt if they don't. Feels like to me that the Democrats don't have to be doing it, but they think doing it will put them in a stronger position come the Fall voting.
Personally, I don't care for filibuster grandstanding. Congress is getting little enough done without bringing everything to a halt for an attempted public relations effect.
That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.