DC Pirates and the Filibuster, that may never be?

In my last article, At a New Crossroads.
I pointed out the importance of the Democratic shift.
How the Senatorial Crossroads could help the United States,
…if the Senate gets a filibuster proof 60 seat majority.
In favor of, Democrats.

However!
What is & why would,
a Filibuster,
be So Critical to the New Administration?

In short, you do not want to see Captain Jack Sparrow,
wearing an adult diaper, mumbling into the wind.

Or, do you?

How did we turn a term meaning a ‘pirate’ or ‘freebooter’, into something that politicians probably, secretly, dream and drool over at night when no one is watching?

As we know it today, a filibuster, or “talking out a bill”, or “talking the cheese” is a form of obstruction in a legislature or other decision-making body.
An attempt [filibuster] is made to infinitely extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay the progress or completely prevent a vote on the proposal taking place.

The term ‘filibuster’ was first used in 1851. It was derived from the Spanish term ‘filibustero’, meaning ‘pirate’ or ‘freebooter’.

This term[filibustero] had in turn evolved from the French word ‘flibustier’, which itself evolved from the Dutch ‘vrijbuiter’ (freebooter). This term was applied at the time to American adventurers, mostly from Southern states.
Persons who sought to overthrow the governments of Central American countries.
Later in American politics, the term was transformed for the users of the ‘filibuster’, as a tactic for ‘pirating’ or ‘hijacking’ a debate.

The Filibuster first came into use in the United States, by way of the Senate.
Senate rules- permit a senator, or a series of senators, to speak for as long as they wish, and on any topic they choose, unless a super majority of three-fifths of the Senate, [60 Senators, if all 100 seats are filled] brings debate to a close by invoking ‘cloture’.

In current US Senate practice,
Senate Rule 22 permits ‘procedural’ filibusters in which actual continuous floor speeches are not required. Although, the Senate Majority Leader may require an actual traditional filibuster if he or she so chooses.

This threat of a procedural filibuster can therefore be as powerful as an actual filibuster.

Previously, the filibustering senator(s) could delay voting only by making an endless speech.
Currently, they need only indicate that they are filibustering, preventing the Senate from moving on to other business until the motion is withdrawn.
Or, enough votes are gathered for ‘cloture’.

Herein lies the problem…

Preparations for a filibuster can be very elaborate.
Sleeping cots are brought into the hallways and cloakrooms for senators to sleep on.
In a filibuster, the senator talking must remain in the same spot and is only allowed to filibuster twice in a legislative day.
A legislative day lasts until the debate is adjourned, which can take days.

[Think of the worst professor you have/ever had. Imagine that prof's worst lecture, lasting not just a couple of hours, but for days...]

According to Newsweek,
“They used to call it ‘taking to the diaper,’ a phrase that referred to the preparation undertaken by a prudent senator before an extended filibuster.”

Senator Strom Thurmond used to visit a steam room before his filibuster.
His purpose, to dehydrate himself, so he could drink without urinating.

…I’ll repeat that in case you just gleamed that fact, and it hasn’t set in yet.

Senator Strom Thurmond used to visit a steam room before his filibuster.
His purpose, to dehydrate himself, so he could drink without urinating.

An aide, used to stand by in the cloakroom with a pail, in case Senator Thurmond had an ‘emergency’.

Why would Senator Thurmond do this?
This man actually made plans for talking so long, that he wouldn’t even stop when he knew he should leave, to use a bathroom.
Senator Thurmond actually had a term of endearment devised for him and any that would follow in his place, to be called:
“Taking to the Diaper”

Filibusters have become much more common in recent decades.
The only way the current Senate will be able to maneuver around a filibuster…

Cloture!

In 1917 a rule allowing for the cloture of debate (ending a ‘pirate’) was adopted by the Democratic Senate.
From 1917 to 1949, the requirement for cloture was two-thirds of those voting.
In 1946 Southern Senators blocked a vote on a bill by a filibuster, lasting weeks.
That bill, was forced into removal from consideration after a failed cloture vote even though there was reported enough votes to pass the bill.

As civil rights loomed on the Senate agenda, the cloture rule was revised in 1949 to allow cloture on any measure or motion by two-thirds of the entire Senate membership; in 1959 the threshold was restored to two-thirds of those voting. After a series of filibusters led by Southern Democrats in the 1960s over civil rights legislation, the Democratic-controlled Senate in 1975 revised its cloture rule so that three-fifths of the Senators sworn (usually 60 senators) could limit debate.

Changes to Senate rules still require two-thirds of Senators voting. Despite this rule, the filibuster or the threat of a filibuster remains an important tactic that allows a minority to affect legislation.

Strom Thurmond (D/R-SC) set a record in 1957 by filibustering the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours and 18 minutes, although the bill ultimately passed.

Thurmond broke the previous record of 22 hours and 26 minutes set by Wayne Morse (I-OR) in 1953 protesting the Tidelands Oil legislation.

The filibuster has tremendously increased in frequency of use since the 1960s.

In the 1960s, no Senate term had more than seven filibusters. One of the filibusters of the 1960s, was when southern Democratic Senators attempted to block the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by making a filibuster that lasted for 75 hours.

In the first decade of the 21st century, no Senate term had fewer than 49 filibusters.
The 1999-2002 Senate terms both had 58 filibusters. In the fall of 2007, the 110th Congress’ 1st session broke the record, for filibuster cloture votes, topping 70 as of Nov 15, 2007. It is on track to triple the number of such votes in the close of 2008′s 2nd session.

A New Senate term will soon flourish with both sides of the isle, engaging in new competitions to see how to one-up the other side.
Midnight oils will burn dimly behind DC window panes. Storms, will pelt and brew outside.
We know that in President Elect Obama’s first administration, the Senate is sure to face a tantamount of attempts to Filibuster.

I can only hope, after the past eight years of US history, composed of extreme & unbalanced, : Executive, Congressional, and Supreme Court policies.
The kind of Politics and Policy, setting back, what has taken this country decades of nuance and thoughtful policy to advance us as, a country to be admired, and even an inspiration…

The American people will finally seize the opportunity to demand a refusal.
A revocation of Republican politicians in the middle of the night, plotting and devising arguments for yet another filibuster.

I do not want to find this country in the next Senate term, perpetuating the assumption that we need grown men and women, most, who likely are not quite at the stage of life to routinely need diapers again, to find ways to play dress up and prattle on, and on, and on.

Those kind of politics,will ultimately provide a great excuse, when nowhere near everything we need to agree to change about the United States, sits unattended, withering, ignored and forgotten.

If anything, those with inclinations to still want to play baby dress-up, should stick to the usual DC agreed contract.

Pay for a beautiful escort to provide and pamper you in a diaper of your choice, call you a pirate, be your little ‘party’ girl or boy, wash the coke-snot from your nose, and listen to your sad life story when you have ‘Coke Dick’ and can’t get it up.

If you pay for it ‘Captain’,

But you cant quite keep it up,
You can still Filibuster your Hooker,
All the way back to the bank.
Your still going to have to pay for it anyway.

But do me the favor for once,
Don’t make me, have to pay for you, to waste another six years of my life.

I rather watch this country grow and prosper, the way it was meant to.
Without a paid monkey, chattering away in a diaper.

Now,
I’ll remind you incase you are still trying to get out of your mind, the wannabe Jack Sparrows
Swishing about the Senate floor, trying to walk with a diaper riding up a $2000 suit.

The principles to the filibusters Great Demise…

Cloture!
Procedure for “invoking cloture,” or ending a filibuster, is as follows:

• A minimum of sixteen senators must sign a petition for cloture.
• The petition may be presented by interrupting another Senator’s speech.
• The clerk reads the petition.
• The cloture petition is ignored for one full day during which the Senate is sitting (If the petition is filed on a Friday, it is ignored until Monday, assuming that the Senate did not sit on Saturday or Sunday.)
• On the second calendar day during which the Senate sits after the presentation of the petition, after the Senate has been sitting for one hour, a “quorum call” is undertaken to ensure that a majority of the Senators are present.
• The President of the Senate or President pro tempore presents the petition.
• The Senate votes on the petition; three-fifths of the whole number of Senators (sixty with no vacancies) is the required majority; however, when cloture is invoked on a question of changing the rules of the Senate, two-thirds of the Senators voting (not necessarily two-thirds of all Senators) is the requisite majority.
• After cloture has been invoked, the following restrictions apply:
• No more than thirty hours of debate may occur.
• No Senator may speak for more than one hour.
• No amendments may be moved unless they were filed on the day in between the presentation of the petition and the actual cloture vote.
• All amendments must be relevant to the debate.
• Certain debates on procedure are not permissible.
• The presiding officer gains additional power in controlling debate.
• No other matters may be considered until the question upon which cloture was invoked is disposed of.

If you the reader of this, do not want your Senators to have to waste time, the same Senators you elected to help make your country better for You.
To sit and Wait, for the likes of the Diaper Wearers.
‘Debate Extremists’, who will force the rest of the Senate to go thru all those motions,
Motions just to get thru the basics of knowing, that we need to change for the better, our: Healthcare, Education, Entitements, Domestic and Foreign Policy. To Pursue equal rights to for all US citizens. The Fucking Economy!!!

Then, for the love of your country, and hope for a Better Tomorrow, sooner than later…
Urge all available to ensure fair governance in the recounts still underway thru out this country.

Make sure you try to help the Democratic movement for the likely December Election in Georgia.
Tell your friends about how close we are to a filibuster proof Senate this term.
How we can avoid the typical DC Politics, and how we can really see a difference, if only we guide our government out of a forked road onto a path we choose.
Tell our politicians what we want them to do for US, instead of the other way around.
Actually, put effort into bringing about the future we have desperately wanted for years, and always shrug off when we allow Politicians to ruin it for us.

If you tell every one in your address book, on your contact list, on your buddy list, bulletin all your social networks, network and repost on any site allowing for word to be spread.

Your six degree of separation from the government of your choice will manifest if you want it.

Or, if you still want a DC Pirate to walk funny down the aisle.
Just buy them a Diaper now.

MDP