Filibuster!

Post by **halplm** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 1:40 am

In case you somehow missed it, Senator Rand Paul is conducting a "real" filibuster today. It's something that is rare enough I thought I'd mention it simply for the novelty.

Post by **yovargas** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 1:48 am

I thought this was pretty cool since the fake filibuster is such a joke. Is there any practical reason he's doing this or is it just to get attention for the subject?

Post by **River** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 1:58 am

Wow. I knew he was filibustering but I didn't know he was doing it for reals.

yov, he's blocking the nomination over the next CIA director due to the drone program. As for why he's actually standing up and jabbering instead of just announcing a filibuster and going out for beer, I really can't say.

Thu Mar 07, 2013 2:00 am

I actually watched some of it. Interesting that one of the senators to join in was a Democrat, Ron Wyden. Paul was very clear that he didn't expect to stop the nomination; he just wanted to highlight the issue.

Post by **Teremia** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 2:07 am

And I wanted to post about this because for the first time in ages and ages I find myself agreeing with a conservative Republican! I find myself feeling more and more sick at heart about the drone program. I do not want my country to be involved in murders of this sort.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 2:34 am

I agree, Teremia.

That's why Ron Wyden's joining in. Some things are just wrong.

Post by **yovargas** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 2:50 am

Very glad fellow Dems are disturbed by this and being vocal about it.

Post by **Lalaith** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:33 am

I agree, too, Teremia. It should cross partisan lines.

Post by **halplm** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:47 am

I honestly don't understand the drone issue, the line being drawn seems insane.

He's now hitting 10 hours. It seems he can go on for a while. It will be interesting to see if he stops after the west coast news cycle.

Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:50 am

Teremia wrote:And I wanted to post about this because for the first time in ages and ages I find myself agreeing with a conservative Republican!

Paul isn't really a conservative Republican. Or rather, he is more a libertarian than anything else, particularly on this issue. The other Republicans that are joining him are doing so not because they agree with him but rather because they see it as a chance to give the president a hard time.

Post by **halplm** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 3:57 am

Voronwë the Faithful wrote:
Teremia wrote:And I wanted to post about this because for the first time in ages and ages I find myself agreeing with a conservative Republican!
Paul isn't really a conservative Republican. Or rather, he is more a libertarian than anything else, particularly on this issue. The other Republicans that are joining him are doing so not because they agree with him but rather because they see it as a chance to give the president a hard time.

I've been participating in a course this quarter entitled "Building a free society" which is led by a pair of fairly hard core libertarians (as hard core as professors at a liberal university can be

), and it has been interesting to see that perspective compared to my more traditional conservative point of view.

I find that (not really surprisingly), the libertarian point of view is closer to conservative principles than is the republican party. I'm not sure how much people have paid attention to the divides inside the republican party, but I ended my registration with them many years ago, and I've heard of many more that have done so.

The libertarians that have run as republicans (the Paul family for sure) have taken advantage of that, so the contention that they are not "republicans" is one I might agree with, but to say he is not a "conservative" is a tougher one to swallow. IMHO.

In any case, this venture of mine back into Lasto is merely to entertain the novelty of the filibuster, and I won't get to deep into what's behind it, although I enjoy reading others' opinions.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 7:19 am

Wyden isn't supporting this to give Obama a hard time. I think it's principle. A lot of people on the left are deeply upset about drone killings, and targeting of Americans with no accountability and no due process. It's OK for me to be killed if the president decides it's best. That doesn't sound any prettier coming from Obama.

And, this is not a big vote-getter for Democrats, at least not yet, so I don't think Wyden can be accused of pandering to help his re-election chances. Oregon is not (believe it or not ) a far-left state. Everyone's a pragmatist. Sometimes that puts us out ahead, as on health care for children, but sometimes it just ties us in knots.

Post by **halplm** » Thu Mar 07, 2013 8:55 am

Well, in the end, I don't think it will change anything, but perhaps it will open some people's eyes.

I suppose it will actually take a drone strike on an american before people will really care, but then again, the government has much more subtle ways of killing its domestic enemies, so its unlikely to prove a big issue any time soon.

Until the next really novel political issue comes up... adieu.