As the
Republicans threaten to change the filibuster rule in the Senate to prevent Democrats from keeping extreme right wing judges off the federal bench, the Democrats need to:
- Focus Republican attention on the fact that they have been a minority before, and will likely be a minority again someday
- Convince the public, or at least that portion of it which is paying attention, that their defense of the filibuster is out of principle, and not merely a partisan power struggle.
How to do it? I suggest the Democrats make two pledges:
- Declare, and publicize, an intention of restoring filibusters the next time there is a Democratic majority in the Senate. "If the Republicans change this rule, we pledge to bring it back the next time we are in charge." And, unlike the Republicans' proposed change to house ethics rules in 1994, which they abandoned once one of their own was facing indictment, the Democrats have to really mean it, and say so, and point out the contrast. "The Republicans may not have kept their word, but we will."
- However, any Senator who votes for weakening the filibuster rule, will not get any committee or subcommittee assignments at all, the next time Democrats are in the majority. In the Senate, everyone is on at least a subcommittee. It's part of the tradition, and part of how the Senate works. As is the filibuster.
The message is: We respect the Senate rules and the influence they let significant minorities have. Even if you don't respect them, we will when we're the majority, and your party needs those rules, as you did in the past. But for those of you who can't see that now, and won't respect the tradition, you don't deserve the influence when you're in our place. If you believe majorities should bully minorities, you can keep believing it the next time you're in the minority.
I intend to call my Senators, and Reid, tomorrow, and try to find the right staffer to make these suggestions to. I hope others will make the same calls. But first, any comments? Do you see a problem with what I suggest? Or an improvement?