ConfirmThem

By AndrewHyman Posted in Senate Rules — Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

The Baltimore Sun has a lengthy piece about filibusters today. It's unclear to me from their website whether the piece is meant as a simple news report, or an editorial. Clearly it does have a slant (e.g. "the change would end a time-honored Senate tradition"). However, there are also a lot of interesting quotes, starting with Senator Hatch.

"I think, more and more, we're coming to the conclusion this is the only way to resolve this for both parties - and do it in an equal way for both sides - so that neither side can do this type of obstruction ever again," said Utah Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, a Republican and past chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

....

"I was asked in the gym the other day by the distinguished minority whip [Democratic Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois], he said, 'Are you fellows going to blow up the Senate? Are you Republicans going to blow up the Senate?'" Hatch recounted. "I said, 'Heavens, no.' I said, 'You guys are.'"

C. Boyden Gray of the Committee for Justice is also quoted:

"The skirmishing, which has taken place in both parties for the past 30 years, has never reached the same flat-out rejection," he said.

Senator Chuck Hagel accurately describes the important historical role of legislative filibusters:

"The United States Senate is the one body of government that protects minority rights. That's a very basic part of the United States Senate, and the filibuster is one of those tools used to do that," Hagel said recently. "I would hope we don't come to that fork in the road when the majority leader ... would feel that he would have no other option than to exercise a nuclear option."

Senator Tom Coburn is quoted as follows:

"If I wanted to get an applause line, anywhere I went in Oklahoma, whether it was solid Democrat territory or Republican territory, all I had to say was, 'I'm going to make sure we vote on the judges,'" said newly elected Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican. "I kind of relish the fact that we're going to do the right thing, and I believe that history will prove that we are going to do the right course."