F-I-L-I-B-U-S-T-E-R, Can y'all say that?

The Republicans in Congress (lets just say Bill Frist) are not playing fair; or at the very least, are trying to change the rules again. The Washington Post and other news outlets have been chatting about this for that last few weeks now.

"At issue is a seldom-used, complicated and highly controversial parliamentary maneuver in which Republicans could seek a ruling from the chamber's presiding officer, presumably Vice President Cheney, that filibusters against judicial nominees are unconstitutional. Under this procedure, it would take only asimple majority or 51 votes to uphold the ruling -- far easierfor the 55-member GOP majority to get than the 60 votes neededto break a filibuster or the 67 votes needed to change the rulesunder normal procedures."

He says Democrats use of the filibuster a "formula for tyranny by the minority." Okay, has Bill heard of the concept of 'majority rules with respect to minority rights'? It is essentially the concept that the founding fathers wanted for the Senate; the Senate - our most deliberative and wisest of the congressional bodies, where debates are not supposed to go fast, where we have staggered and long 6 year terms, unlimited debate, etc.

These characteristics prevent us from adopting crazed or ill advised ideas that come from large segments of the populous after a monumental event (war/famine/charasmatic charlatan) unduly influences them. It protects us from our own haste.

Keep an eye on Bill, he's a shifty one!