It's all up to Franken now!

[classicman]

Single Bullet Theory

[Apollo]

Question: Does "the magic number" of 60 really mean anything? I never thought that filibusters were common occurrences anymore. Is there any other benefit of having 60 seats? It seems like the Dems are already controlling most of the legislation as it is...

Originally Posted by Apollo

Question: Does "the magic number" of 60 really mean anything? I never thought that filibusters were common occurrences anymore. Is there any other benefit of having 60 seats? It seems like the Dems are already controlling most of the legislation as it is...

The Republicans set a record number cloture votes last session of Congress ...more than doubling any previous Congress.

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.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/18218.html

I think the final count last session was over 110.

And this was with a Republican in the White House with veto power.

At one time, not too long ago, filibusters were used primarily to block controversial judicial appointments and/or sweeping legislative initiatives that seriously divided the country. For the Republicans now in the minority, it has become routine to force a vote to cut-off debate.

It is not illegal or unethical....just hypocritical on the part of Republicans, particularly when it thwarts the will of a more than narrow will of the American people.

Yes it matters.

[Sheldonrs]

Originally Posted by Apollo

Question: Does "the magic number" of 60 really mean anything? I never thought that filibusters were common occurrences anymore. Is there any other benefit of having 60 seats? It seems like the Dems are already controlling most of the legislation as it is...

It's important in that, if the democrats want to pass a bill in the senate, they can do it no matter if every republican is against it. And the repubs can't filibuster (which happens a lot) to block the vote.

Of course, all this is assuming that the Dems all vote together too.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Apollo

... Is there any other benefit of having 60 seats? ...

The Democrats get to leave early on Fridays, and get an extra serving of ice cream at lunch.