Even without Al Franken seated as a US Senator from Minnesota, does Arlen Specter’s switch to the Democratic Party create a filibuster-proof majority?
In order override a filibuster, 3/5th of the Senate needs to invoke cloture. Traditionally, this has meant 60 Senators, but this is based on 100 seated Senators. Without Minnesota’s second Senator, there are only 99 seated Senators, and 3/5th of 99 is 59.4.
Will the Senate round up and require 60 votes to invoke cloture, or will they round down, ending the filibuster issue until the mid-term election?
In practice, even if precedent supports rounding down (a big if—more research would be necessary to support this), nothing will likely happen. Even less than two hours after Specter has decided to switch parties, the media has told the public that 60 Senators are necessary to break a filibuster. A large media effort from Democrats would be necessary to change this perception. And it’s largely unimportant, because Al Franken will likely get his seat, so putting off major issues until the seat is won is less politically risky than arguing over a decimal.
If there were no precedent or decided protocol on this matter, I don't think anyone would be surprised to see the Democrats wait patiently for Franken. However, if this situation were reversed, I would expect the Republicans to already be prepping their partisan math "experts" to prove 59.4 is actually bigger than 3/5ths and Glenn Beck to be furiously crying and arguing that if the Democrats want to quibble over 4/10ths of a vote, they're no better than the slave states who came up with the 3/5ths compromise.
If there were no precedent or decided protocol on this matter, I don't think anyone would be surprised to see the Democrats wait patiently for Franken. However, if this situation were reversed, I would expect the Republicans to already be prepping their partisan math "experts" to prove 59.4 is actually bigger than 3/5ths and Glenn Beck to be furiously crying and arguing that if the Democrats want to quibble over 4/10ths of a vote, they're no better than the slave states who came up with the 3/5ths compromise.
Can someone take Beck upon his offer of waterboarding???
Now if Coleman would suck it up and realize that he's been losing ground to Franken on EVERY challenge....nah, that'll never happen
If there were no precedent or decided protocol on this matter, I don't think anyone would be surprised to see the Democrats wait patiently for Franken. However, if this situation were reversed, I would expect the Republicans to already be prepping their partisan math "experts" to prove 59.4 is actually bigger than 3/5ths and Glenn Beck to be furiously crying and arguing that if the Democrats want to quibble over 4/10ths of a vote, they're no better than the slave states who came up with the 3/5ths compromise.
And everyone wonders why no one can unite the country. I never cease to be amazed at how much the victors like to play victim.
Like I said in another thread, people still love to drink the kool-aid. All they did is change flavors.
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Last edited by latenight; 04-29-2009 at 08:33 AM..
Someone who's been on the receiving end of horrific torture as McCain and others were certainly on the wrong end, wouldn't you say??
I would say that both parties are on the wrong end. The 'victim' of course is easily shown to be harmed, but the 'perpetrator' is also harmed by assuming a dehumanizing role and becoming less human in the process. I would not switch places with either of these roles.
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'Allo, my name is not Inegio Montoya... You... you did not kill my father... eh, ...prepare to die anyway!
I would say that both parties are on the wrong end. The 'victim' of course is easily shown to be harmed, but the 'perpetrator' is also harmed by assuming a dehumanizing role and becoming less human in the process. I would not switch places with either of these roles.
Perhaps....but the one doing the torture wasn't going through joint dislocations, beatings with rubber hoses, etc.
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