In the NYTs todayPaul Krugman uses political scientist Barbara Sinclair broke down the filabuster dance that renders the Senate virtually disfunctional because of Republican obstructionists.

In the 60s, threatened or actual filibusters — affected only 8 percent of major legislation

 the 1980s, that had risen to 27 percent.

after 2006 when Republicans gained minority status 70 percent.

Krugman assesses_ “Bush-era Democrats weren’t nearly as determined to frustrate the majority party, at any cost, as Obama-era Republicans. Certainly, Democrats never did anything like what Republicans did last week: G.O.P. senators held up spending for the Defense Department — which was on the verge of running out of money — in an attempt to delay action on health care.”

So, they have been delaying, using every dusty procedural wrench they could to derail any legislation, And they are such sore and vengeful loosers, they insisted that the latest consessions be read out loud in Senate, then accuse the Dems of manipulating a middle of the night vote to keep the details secret.

That mental giant Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) gravely pronounced, “Our friends on the Democratic side seem determined to pursue a political kamikaze mission toward a historic mistake.”

Well Lamar the AMA disagreed with you today and that and your party’s tactics will not go unnoticed.

tic tic tic

Another hurdle barely cleared in a completely poisonous atmosphere on 1:22am- the floor of the Senate in the bloody march toward health care reform. The Reps. are of course saying it’s being rammed through only because they are out of procedural delays. Dems have bent over and grabbed their socks to appease them and they just want it their way or no way. Their opposition is built on lies and fears. Let all of the poisons hatch out.

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12:34am waiting for the Senate vote on the health reform bill and killing time by youtubing celebrity guests from ‘What’s My Line’ which I used to look forward to every week in the 60s, because everybody was from Broadway and film, or so I thought and everyone was dressed in evening wear, bowties and gowns, a world I could only dream of being in.  Of course the subtext of What’s My Line was that it was also a peak into a world that was gay, gay, gay.  So now it just all makes so much sense when I see people like Lauren Bacall, Judy Garland, Sal Mineo, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Tony Perkins, Rock Hudson, Mongomery Clift, Yul Brenner, Ginger Rogers,  Sophia Loren, Gypsy Rose Lee at ease and slinging all that stagedoor banter.  Course, as silly as it was as I watch this assemblage I suddenly wish there were a political ‘What’s My Line’ where the mystery guest had some wit and class, showed respect to the show and was answering honestly even when our blindfolds were still on.