Gun debate highlights everything awful about the U.S. Senate

[DonViejo]

From awful punditry to filibuster hypocrisy, the debate over gun reform is the worst of American politics
BY ALEX PAREENE

The Washington Post reported yesterday evening that “senators might be on the cusp of a breakthrough” on gun legislation, after weeks of “stalled negotiations” leading to many observers pronouncing gun control doomed. (Though as Dave Weigel points out, the “all gun legislation is in deep trouble” idea arose mostly because Congress hasn’t been in session and hence no work has been done on any legislation.) The savior: Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey, who is now negotiating with Democrat Joe Manchin, after it was determined that Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn was not worth wasting any additional time on. Toomey, you see, needs to win reelection in Pennsylvania, so he is going to be more reasonable than someone who won’t have to work very hard at all to win reelection in Oklahoma.

This is basically the way eminent Washington political elites like to pretend that the Senate is supposed to work, and the way they imagine it worked in the idealized past: A very conservative Democrat (from a tiny state) finding common ground with a Republican colleague. The fact that these careful negotiations are required when there are almost certainly already 51 votes for comprehensive background checks isn’t considered particularly distressing or embarrassing. (Negotiations previously seemed on the verge of collapse because no agreement could be brokered between Chuck Schumer, a senator representing 19.5 million people, and Tom Coburn, a senator representing 3.8 million people.) A supermajority must be courted if the senators representing the will of the regular majority of Americans hope to get their way.

There is a villain in the easy narrative, too: Extremists! Specifically, Rand Paul and a band of conservatives, who have promised to filibuster. Oddly, despite most senators — especially Republican senators — agreeing that filibusters are a Cherished Senate Tradition, this promise has received a bit of criticism.

John McCain said yesterday that he doesn’t understand a threat to filibuster any gun control legislation that comes up for a vote. While many of us don’t understand why John McCain, a senator with no leadership position or major national following, is constantly on Sunday news chat shows, we can perhaps help him to figure out what this filibuster thing is about.

Here’s what McCain said on CBS’ “Face the Nation”:

-snip-

http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/gun_debate_highlights_everything_awful_about_the_u_s_senate/

[Thinkingabout]

1. In particular Crazy Cruz is to photo ops and surely not into governing. This should be a no brainer

How does those holding back these debates on issues that are 90/10 going to help anything but prevent voting on something 90% want except to please NRA and gun nuts. Even members of NRA want background checks so who in the hell is the NRA pushing to keep this from a vote, the manufacters. I don't want the prolifer bunch saying we don't need gun control for they are not prolife when it is fine with them to leave these weapons of war available to kill our children and other family members. It may be someone else's kid to day but tomorrow it could be ours. We do not need population control in the form of gun violence. Reasonable sensible Congressional members needs to take a stand, let the NRA know this is a 90% issue and 90% can beat me in the next election. The NRA and manufacters will survive, it might take some restructure but this is a choice they can make. I am a gun owner, came from a family of hunters and have hunted myself and love consuming game but I don't see any need in blowing up the game but know there is a need for enough power to bring home the game but not to destroy its value as food for the family.

[dmosh42]

2. Dem leaders are spineless, not just on gun rights. Without the filibusteer reform we can forget ....

any important legislation. Can't get any nominees for offices either. Complete losers!