Rule breakers and cry babies

"George Washington is rumored to have said "the Senate is needed to cool legislation like a saucer cools the tea". Sorry George, it seems like those days are over. Now the rough and tumble atmosphere of the House is not only imitated by the Senate, but often time emulated."

Oh cry me a river! I am so sick of these guys I could puke. The once esteemed Senate has become nothing more than daycare for emerging WWE entertainers. Namby Pambies all of them! And our guy, the circus clown known as Al Franken, is one of the worst offenders. And the hypocrisy, started by Dingy Harry Reid when he was Senate Leader, is nothing less than jaw dropping.

James Madison said when the Senate was Constitutionally created, "The use of the Senate is to consist in proceeding with more coolness, with more system, and with more wisdom, than the popular branch". I will now translate to modern day speak - they were to be the grownups in the room. However in 2013, Dingy Harry fixed that for good. Besides always acting like a "Richard" when he addressed the Senate, he also broke Senate rules. This allowed the Upper Chamber to look and act more like the bargain basement.

Now the Democrats in the Senate are in the minority. And this week, they are going to have a hissy fit. They are going to filibuster (for the first time in Senate history), a SCOTUS nominee. In other words, they are going to try and "Bork" (as in Judge Bork) Judge Gorsuch. Never mind the Republicans have voted for partisans like Ginsburg, Kagan and Sotomayer. These three liberals have tipped the court so far over to the Left it is almost standing on its side.

Also in the past (and Senator Cruz did an admirable job in recounting all of these facts on the Senate floor), Democratic Senators have resisted a Republican President nominating a justice in the last year of his term. However, Obama still did it. But that was different, because Obama is a Democrat. And because of long standing and agreed to Senate precedence, McConnell did not give Judge Garland a consent hearing. Turn about was absolutely fair play.

This week, another long standing tradition will come to an end. No more 60 vote majority to confirm a SCOTUS judge. Soon, there will be no more super majorities needed by the Senate on anything. Everything will be simple majority. Reid started it in 2013, and McConnell will soon finish it - maybe even this year. 

George Washington is rumored to have said to Jefferson "the Senate is needed to cool legislation like a saucer cools the tea". Sorry George, it seems like those days are over. Now the rough and tumble atmosphere of the House is not only imitated by the Senate, but often time emulated.

One more thing before I bring this rant to a close. While we are changing rules, lets change the rule of life time appointments of jurists. That way, when we get a clinker like Ginsburg, who loves to go overseas and tell others how hosed up our Constitution is, we can get rid of her. Six year terms (maximum), with an easy recall procedure for bad behavior. That is a change I could get behind.