The 'nuclear option' has been averted

[Daniel Brim]

Ooh! A thread where I can show my independent point of view! Personally, I am a right-leaning independent. However the issue of filibusters, as a whole, should be a nonpartisan issue. Both parties have been a victim of filibusters before. I applaud the congress for passing a compromise (rare in this era of politics), but I think that changes should be made.

The concept of a filibuster almost seems childish to me. It seems like a tactic stubborn children use in order to get their way: "I'm not leaving until I get that (insert object here)". It just seems selfish to take the floor for an extremely long period of time until you get a semblance of your way.

An anecdote if you will. I have heard of a time when there was a filibuster on the floor. One senator was a pregnant woman. She needed to use the bathroom, but the opposing party had the floor. She could hold it no longer, so she was forced to use a trashcan on the senate floor. She was promptly charged with public urination. I'm sorry I cannot come up with specifics, but I guarantee that it has happened.

Now, some say if the filibuster is eliminated, the minority party will lose its rights. That is a bit of a stretch. Sure, they may not get their way, but that is democracy. The majority of the people want to go along with what the majority party wants. This is just fulfilling democracy.

If supreme court justices cannot be put through without a filibuster (and this is awkward since their time in power is virtually unlimited), then perhaps the system should be changed. I think that the power to put through the president's nominees should be given to the people.

-Daniel