It is interesting to think that the creation of the Senate wasn’t just a political compromise between the small and large states, but also a de facto technical compromise between republican ideals and what the existing limits of technology allowed. At the time the Constitution was written, sending a message and getting a response from [...]

While there seems to be some growing intellectual consensus in support of slightly reforming Senate rules to modestly reduce obstructionism, the idea of returning the Senate to its original intent of a majority rule chamber is still labeled too radical. In reality there is nothing radical about merely bringing back the original Senate rule that [...]

Returning the U.S. Senate to a majority rule legislative chamber is apparently too radical for The New York Times and most of the Senate Democrats. Restoring the original Senate rules — which allowed a motion to move previous question thereby ending the possibility of filibuster — is just out of the question. There does seem to be consensus for reform that would bring back the “talking filibuster” however. But what about other alternatives?

The New York Times editorial board has acknowledged that there is clearly a serious problem with the rules currently governing the Senate and has called for modest reform. Yet, despite calling for reform, the New York Times, for some reason, has a problem with the democratic principle of majority rule that governs almost every other [...]

He’s the least popular man in the Senate with the public: only 24% of Connecticut voters say they’d vote for him again. His sheer bottom-scraping numbers are causing likely opponents to drool at the thought of challenging him. But in the House of Lords, they love him. Politico reports “Senior Democrats” are urging Joe Lieberman to run again

The House Democratic caucus voted today to reject the Obama-McConnell tax deal. From Sam Stein: In a meeting on Thursday morning, the House Democratic caucus rejected the president’s proposed deal on the Bush tax cuts but did not fully submarine the possibility of its passage, multiple sources tell The Huffington Post. Members, by voice vote, [...]

Sometimes the often irresponsible behavior of the United States Senate rises to a new, more disgusting level that still manages to physically make me ill. Today, a bill that would provide help finding health care for the 9/11 rescue workers sickened as a result of their selfless actions failed in the Senate because it managed [...]

In case it wasn’t clear to everyone after watching two years of politically driven lockstep obstructionism in the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, fresh on the heels of Tuesday’s big Republican victory, has again directly stated that his top goal is to make sure Obama loses in 2012. From The Hill: “Over the past week, [...]

It is intolerable to hear senators go on about the importance and traditions of their chamber when they seem to not understand or to willfully ignore both. The latest example is Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) defending the 60-vote threshold for cloture (put in place roughly 40 years ago) by essentially citing made-up history about Congress. [...]

Last night the United States Senate voted to double the penalties for the nation’s newest existential threat: brownies made with marijuana!

No, really.

The Senate unanimously passed Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)’s “Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act of 2009″ (S. 258) that targets pot brownies and other marijuana edibles preferred by some medical marijuana patients.