The more I watch the U.S. Senate, the more disgusted I become. The arcane "Rules" of the Senate are out of touch with the principles of Democracy and majority rule.
There are many instances of Senators abusing and misusing these rules for personal political gain or to hold something up until a project or an appropriation of money is given to his or her State.
Pardon my old fashioned values, but that sounds a bit like extortion. Don't call it "politics," it's extortion--especially if there isn't a bona fide cause for the hold.
As the health care bill torturously creeps through the U.S. Senate toward an up or down vote, we have all become front row spectators to the bizarre "cloture" rule that requires 60 votes to prevent a filibuster so that there can even be a debate on the Senate floor.
But what is an even more egregious Rule than cloture is the "HOLD" that any one Senator can place on anything that comes up for a vote or approval in the Senate. So, for example, if a position in the Federal government requires "Senate Confirmation," what it really means is that we have allowed our elected representatives to create a set of internal rules that allows any one Senator prevent a person's name from ever coming up for a vote by the entire Senate.
The Senatorial Hold has is being used right now by our recently appointed Senator George LeMieux to block the nomination of the next ambassador to Brazil.
So, for any reason, or, if he so chooses, for no reason at all, a man who was appointed by his best friend to a job that no one elected him to, can, for the next 18 months, decide that the United States should not have an Ambassador to the country of Brazil--and, he doesn't have to tell us the reasons why he has placed a "hold" on his nomination.
The St. Petersburg Times article on November 21, 2009, on this issue mentioned a former "hold" by Senator Larry Craig in 2003 that blocked hundreds of unrelated Air Force promotions until his state of Idaho received four C-130 cargo planes for the Idaho National Guard. I ask you again is that politics or extortion? It's clearly an abuse of public power by one person, but our system is so dysfunctional--by design--that it is considered acceptable behavior by Senators. Yet, how many people outside of Washington, D.C. think that is an acceptable system or acceptable personal behavior?
Someone from a small State with a tiny population (e.g. Wyoming), can decide the fate of the political process of the entire country-- and, the Senator doesn't even have to publicize it or give his or her reasons, unless WE do something about it.
For years, these types of things have gone on, largely unnoticed and often unreported because those who do the reporting are "embedded" with these politicians and are largely desensitized to the abuses (and think it's allowed because of these crazy rules, or they otherwise slough it off and label it as "politics" as usual). With the impending death of journalism and newspaper investigative reporting, I am concerned that there will likely be even less reporting of these activities in the future unless we force things to change.
It is time for us to SHINE A LIGHT on these Holds. Publicize them, blog about them, ask questions about them, and demand that these "rules" allowing one American to stop the Senate from acting, come to an end.
When I watch the actions of our Senators, I am reminded of a poignant line from the movie "Nuts" in which Barbara Streisand's character was facing a mental competency hearing in Court, and she was questioning the wisdom of having one particular Judge have the sole power to determine whether or not she was incompetent and unable to make her own decisions, just because her behavior was eccentric and outspoken. "Why does he get to decide what happens to me... What if he's just an asshole with power?...."
Why should any one Senator be able to stop our democracy dead in its tracks?
We must immediately publicize any Holds that are placed on any legislation or any appointments and SHINE A LIGHT ON THESE SENATORS TO EXPLAIN THEIR BEHAVIOR. There may well be valid reasons for their actions and if so, they should have to tell us and not keep their actions a secret, in the shadows.
Turn on your spotlights, people, and start looking for these "holds" and start reporting them on the internet. Seek out progressive investigative reporters and inform them of your findings. Write letters to the Editor. Demand explanations. Make Democracy work and stop this hostage situation from being routinely employed and accepted.
Wouldn't it be great if this "Rule" became an embarrassing thing that people in the Senate no longer use because there's just too much heat under those bright lights?
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