On the recordDecember 11, 2013
as we enter into the Christmas season, I think it is a good time to talk about stories to describe sort of pastorally where the Senate is. So I have a story today I would like to tell about how the Senate works--or doesn't work. So it came to pass that the filibuster was dismembered, dishonored, and indefinitely detained. With the end of the filibuster came the end of any semblance of comity and compromise on Capitol Hill. The party that never cared much for the rule of law broke the rules of the Senate to change the rules. Senate rules for nearly 2 centuries allowed the filibuster. The filibuster was simply a requirement that 60 percent of Senators must approve nominations and legislation. This super majority requirement actually fostered more centrist solutions and compromises. In order to change the rules, though, and kill the filibuster, it required a two-thirds majority to change the rules. However, the party which doesn't and hasn't concerned themselves with the rule of law simply broke the rules. When the Chair said: That is against the rules, they said: We don't care if it's against the rules. The rules are whatever we say the rules are. The best way to put this in perspective: You are watching a tennis match. The ball is clearly a foot out of bounds. The umpire says, ``Out of bounds.'' Instead of going by the rules, you have everyone vote. So the audience at Wimbledon votes that it was in bounds when it was really out of bounds.…
