Writer's Block? No Worries!

A friend of this space recently commented that it must be hard to find topics to write about five days a week.  Actually it is quite easy.  As long as we have the Republicans Party there will never be a shortage of material worthy of comment.  Take for example the three ring clown show the party has produced in the last 24 hours.

As you know Republicans in the senate have used the filibuster on a historic number of occasions to thwart the president’s agenda; so much so that it was taking 60 votes to get anything passed in the chamber.  Harry Reid had threatened on several occasions to use his majority leadership position to change the rules to where a simple majority vote would allow a measure to pass; the so called “Nuclear Option.”  In the past Reid always backed down after cooler heads prevailed.  That all changed last month when in spite of Reid’s renewed threats to “go nuclear,” Republicans  dared Reid to act by blocking three of President Obama’s nominees for the DC Circuit Court.  Reid went “nuclear.”  The rules were changed to a simple majority vote.  Thanks to Mitch McConnell’s miscalculation, Republicans in the senate now find themselves powerless to stop any of President Obama’s appointments.

McConnell threw a hissy fit.  Instead of boning up on the art of compromise, McConnell doubled down.

NBC NEWS is reporting that as we write this senate Republicans are in the midst of an all night “talkathon” in protest of the Democratic rule change.  That little temper tantrum forced a 1AM confirmation vote on President Obama’s latest nominee to the DC Circuit Court; Nina Pillard.  Thirty hours of debate are allotted for each nominee.  Republicans forced Democrats to use all thirty hours by refusing to yield back any time. 

Harry Reid has vowed to keep the chamber in session until all eleven of the president’s nominees have been confirmed. 

If Republicans continue with their tantrum, the process could keep the senate in session through Saturday evening.

“Break out the cots Martha!  The old white guys are havin’ a slumber party.”

It seems to us that by orchestrating this colossal waste of time, Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues are confirming the very point Harry Reid was trying to make; which is that elections have consequences.  The Democrats hold the majority in the senate.  The use of the filibuster throws a huge wrench into the chamber’s ability to conduct the people’s business.  It should be used judiciously and only on matters of extreme importance.

In the midst of all this nonsense, one question keeps popping in our head:  

Jobs? Jobs? Jobs?

Writer’s block?  No Worries!  The Republicans always see us through.