DC's pundits have treated this year's orgy of filibusters like they do any other story. "Democrats say one thing. Republicans say the opposite. Who can say what's true?"
Well, there's something called "facts" that can be "analyzed" to give you something called "reality." McClatchy Newspapers does some of the most underrated journalism in the country and gives us a look at how Republicans have taken abuse of the system to previously-unimaginable levels:
This year Republicans also have blocked votes on immigration legislation, a no-confidence resolution for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and major legislation dealing with energy, labor rights and prescription drugs.Keep those numbers in mind the next time you hear a talking head say the Democratic Congress isn't getting anything done. Then pick up your phone, call the media outlet, and speak the following words: Republicans have hijacked the Senate.Nearly 1 in 6 roll-call votes in the Senate this year have been cloture votes. If this pace of blocking legislation continues, this 110th Congress will be on track to roughly triple the previous record number of cloture votes -- 58 each in the two Congresses from 1999-2002, according to the Senate Historical Office.
Let me count just a few of the many ways the GOP uses the media to its advantage:
It's not a lie if you believe it. Republicans have taken George Costanza's advice on beating a lie-detector test and don't let facts get in the way of a good argument. And as Dan Froomkin has long documented, the media won't call you on your lies.
One man's scandal is another man's booking agent. Career crippled by scandal? Don't worry, you can bring your batting average back up by crushing softballs tossed by the talkers. Tom DeLay took advantage of Wolf Blitzer's deer-in-headlights interview style. Robert Novak was welcomed back to the Meet the Press Old Boys Club with open arms. And Bill Kristol has not only retained his place on the Fox News Sunday panel, he's being given free space in the Washington Post.
And of course, 51 votes is no longer a majority in the Senate. By filibustering every important issue before the Senate, Republicans force Democrats to come up with 60 votes to win cloture. You will find Otter Pops in hell before you find 10 Senate Republicans willing to buck party leadership on a key issue.
So while it's Republicans who bring the Senate to a screeching halt, it's Democrats who get blamed by TIME for running a do-nothing Congress. If you're Mitch McConnell, life is good.
The key lesson for liberals? There is no such thing as a moderate Republican. A vote for John Warner is a vote for Minority Leader McConnell's obstructionism. A vote for Susan Collins is a vote for Minority Whip Trent Lott. A vote for Gordon Smith is a vote for blocking action on withdrawing troops from Iraq. Taken independently, their views may seem moderate, but their support for GOP leadership cannot be excused.
Remember all this. There'll be a quiz in November 2008.
