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We've always known that lasting change wouldn't come quickly or easily. It never do

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What, exactly, were the obstacles to his implementation of "Hope" and "Change"? The republicans could offer no real obstacles. Remember? Not enough representation to filibuster? If there's a failure to implement something it has to fall on the democratic leadership.

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Thing is, in order to be afraid, he'd have to have something TO be afraid of it, and certainly the so-called opposition hasn't much to offer

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cause eventually the people will wind up supporting even a jackboot in hopes they will "Do Something!" - and then find to their horror, indeed they will, just not anything they wanted

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If the government shuts down, only the democratic neo-feudalists will be in jeaopardy from their serfs revolting come next election time.

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A majority of Americans disapprove of Republican efforts to defund the health care law, according to a recently released CBS News poll. The survey found that 55 percent of adults across the country disapprove of plans to defund the health care law.

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About 60% of respondents to surveys conducted by Gallup and PPP said they didn't want to see the government temporarily shuttered. But if a shutdown does occur, polls have shown more Americans would pin the blame Congressional Republicans than on Obama.

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When it comes to dealing with issue No. 1, the economy, Obama has an advantage: 46 percent say they put more faith in the president, 34 percent say so about congressional Republicans. Obama has a similar 12-point lead on the question of who better understands the economic problems people face, and a nine-point edge on dealing with the deficit. Among those who say a government shutdown would be harmful, about twice as many say they would hold the GOP, rather than the president, responsible.

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Over all, 55 percent of Americans, including 53 percent of independents and 69 percent of Democrats, want lawmakers whose views they agree with to compromise. But 50 percent of Republicans, including 56 percent of conservative Republicans, want lawmakers who share their views to stand by their principles, even if that means the government will shut down.

On the economy, trust in the GOP among independents dropped from 42 percent in January to 29 percent in the new poll.

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A simple majority vote no longer suffices to pass major pieces of legislation. Instead, in almost every case, the Senate must muster at least 60 votes (a “supermajority”) to close off debate.

Historically, the filibuster was a last-ditch tactic used by an obstructionist minority to prevent passage of a bill by taking advantage of Senate rules that permitted unlimited debate. A measure would simply be “talked to death.” It was widely regarded as misuse of the rules, and was used sparingly.

In the entire 19th century, including the struggle against slavery, fewer than two dozen filibusters were mounted. In F.D.R.’s time, the device was employed exclusively by Southerners to block passage of federal anti-lynching legislation. Between 1933 and the coming of the war, it was attempted only twice. Under Eisenhower and J.F.K., the pattern continued. In the eight years of the Eisenhower administration, only two filibusters were mounted. Under Kennedy there were four.

It was during the Clinton years that the dam broke. In the 103rd Congress (1993-1994), 32 filibusters were employed to kill a variety of presidential initiatives ranging from campaign finance reform to grazing fees on federal land. Between 1999 and 2007, the number of Senate filibusters varied between 20 and 37 per session.

The routine use of the filibuster as a matter of everyday politics has transformed the Senate’s legislative process from majority rule into minority tyranny. Nevertheless, the use of the filibuster as an everyday tool of legislation stands the idea of democratic government on its head. Instead of majority rule in the Senate, the tyranny of the minority prevails.

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One of the things that stands out for me is that both times the Democrats have taken over the Senate, there has been a large spike in cloture votes in their first year in power. But both times the Republicans took over the Senate, the number of cloture votes during their first year in power was quite close to the previous year's.

Further evidence -- as if any is needed -- that the Republicans try to win at any cost, while the Democrats try to respect process. In an ideal world, where there were consequences for bending or breaking the rules, I would admire the Democrats for their high-mindedness. But in this world, where the media and pundits reward winning rather than rule-following, the Democrats just look like suckers and fools.

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The Republicans of the US Senate have performed 77 filibusters during the current session. This count breaks the previous record of 58 filibusters previously held by the 1999-2002 Senate terms.

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And you and story have already both played the card that marks your bitterness and hate. You see, anyone who uses the phrase "tea bagger" immediately gets marked down as a kool aid drinker. You have to work in the system because that's all you've ever known. I don't believe you could recognize a free choice if I dragged you to it and rubbed your noses in it. I feel bad for you.

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You manipulate the argument and respond to only issues you want to.

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I don't believe that the people who vote for the Tea Party candidates are represented in those polls

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Second, children don't like taking medicine. I didn't when I was a child. But that does not mean that for their own health they need to be made to take the medicine.

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