In 1841, when the Democratic minority hoped to block a bank bill promoted by Kentucky Senator Henry Clay, he threatened to change Senate rules to allow the majority to close debate. Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton rebuked Clay for trying to stifle the Senate’s right to unlimited debate.

Three quarters of a century later, in 1917, senators adopted a rule (Rule 22), at the urging President Woodrow Wilson, that allowed the Senate to end a debate with a two-thirds majority vote, a device known as “cloture.” The new Senate rule was first put to the test in 1919, when the Senate invoked cloture to end a filibuster against the Treaty of Versailles. Even with the new cloture rule, filibusters remained an effective means to block legislation, since a two-thirds vote is difficult to obtain. Over the next five decades, the Senate occasionally tried to invoke cloture, but usually failed to gain the necessary two-thirds vote. Filibusters were particularly useful to Southern senators who sought to block civil rights legislation, including anti-lynching legislation, until cloture was invoked after a fifty-seven day filibuster against the Civil Right Act of 1964. In 1975, the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds to three-fifths, or sixty of the current one hundred senators.

http://www.senate.gov/artandhi…..loture.htm

But, as I conceded above, I concede I’m an idiot, and therefore will stop now and not go back and forth on this with you.

If they pass a rule saying it takes 50%+1 or 60% or 100% to approve a given measure, they can do that.

Would you endeavor to expose the issue of “exempt corporate tax status,” in health care? Like……. why certain health insurers are considered public charities for tax law purposes? Please explain why Kaiser or BCBS is considered, public charity?? Does not seem logical that a public charity would deny coverage, or let people die for profit? Lets mandate health insurance and enslave people to assure corporates profit via the “luck” of the “genetic lottery!” I believe the same mentality which perpetuated the institution of slavery is a work here. Slavery and corporate servitude achieved by economic leveraging…. enemies from within? Corporate Identity vs the individual rights of Americans? Jefferson, Madison. who else warned America of the deleterious effects on the Union brought by monied interests, monopolies and corporations who value profit more than life…………….

http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/nccsTools.php

Liked the plug for the Lake. Nicely done!

NICE JOB CHRISTY! !

I still don’t get how these “holds” in the Senate are constitutional.

Of course, I also don’t understand how filibusters are constititional either since the Constitution makes clear the circumstances that require super majorities.

Guess I’m just an idiot.