Always one to exploit loopholes and revert to workarounds rather than gather consensus, our president is now calling for an end to the Senate rule known as the filibuster, which requires a vote by 60 Senators to end floor debate and pass legislation.
On first blush, this might seem like a rule that renders the passing of legislation nearly impossible, given how Senate membership is usually fairly evenly divided between the two major parties. In truth, in modern times at least — and probably since its inception — the filibuster rule has prevented the country from descending into a form of dictatorship by whichever party possesses the three houses of government — Senate, House of Representatives, and Presidency.
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Donald Trump, in his first term and now in his second term, has repeatedly called for an end to the filibuster so he can rule with a stacked deck. He has once again called for an end to the filibuster, so the Senate can move to pass funding legislation for the government.
Another Trumpian bad idea aimed at expediency in what he wants to get done. Has he ever stopped to think what would become of the country if Republicans in the minority couldn’t block Demofiendish ideas from turning the U.S. into the Soviet Union redux?
Answer: He doesn’t give a merde. He just wants unfettered power, and I say this as someone who voted for him three times because he alone among the candidates of both parties had the guts to address the issues dragging the country into the abyss — and into the history books as another defunct democracy.
But even you, Mr. President, need checks and balances. Ending the filibuster would only be an expediency that would come back to haunt the GOP — and end the last vestige of democracy in this country.
POSTSCRIPT: After thinking about this some more, I think Trump may have a point. The Democrats under Chuck Schumer tried to abolish the filibuster a couple of times, but they couldn’t get 50-plus votes, thanks to one or two independent-minded Dems. For sure, if they secure the Senate majority again, the filibuster will go the way of the horse and buggy.
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