Up till now, the Senate Republicans have been able to threaten the Democrats with a filibuster. The threat was real, because delay played into the hands of the Repubs, especially to help slow down the health care debate.
But now there's a new dynamic...
The Democrats have proven that they can get things done. And they want to fix the banks, before those greed crazed sociopaths captains of finance further hijack our national treasure.
And Obama seems to be accomplishing a lot right now without any help from the Congress. With the HRC behind him, he's saving the world from nuclear weapons, setting our course into space and creating new hospital visitation rights for gays, lesbians and other significant others. (And that was just this week, the slacker.)
So things are moving along, and here's this Goldman Sachs thing, and frankly, there's no telling how deep the rot is. But you may recall how quickly a seemingly-solid financial pillar can crumble these days. Because, at the end of the day, finance is all about confidence. Remember Enron, and how Arthur Andersen -- one of the "Big Five" accounting firms -- aided and abetted their schemes? Well soon, it was down to the "Big Four".
And we saw how quickly Bear Stearnes and Lehman Bros bit the dust just a little while ago, while former bastions like Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley were saved by Bank of American and Mitsubishi. If you're a Goldman customer, how do you feel right now? Greedy -- or scared? Those are the only two modes in finance, and fear is a killer.
So we have another potential big financial firm meltdown, with tons more revelations to come, and meanwhile, the Republicans won't even vote to open the debate on banking reform.
Is it time for the Democrats to finally call the Republicans' bluff? Let's have a filibuster! Oh yes! Let's have the whole country discover C-Span on their cable boxes so they can catch a glimpse of the Republican Senators' dance marathon.
Because this time, they'll get all the media attention they've so richly deserved. Barack Obama will keep on reforming by regulation, meeting foreign leaders for matters of great import and dropping in three-pointers from the downtown Rose Garden. And we'll get to see leading headlines reading something like "It's Day Five-buster."
And they'll play clips from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on the morning shows, and the cable news choruses will pontificate about the sacredness of arcane Senate procedure. "Day Seven in Sargasso Senate!", "Ten Days that Bored the World!", "Day Fourteen -- No Crack in Great Wall of GOP!"
Well, they probably won't hold out more than two or three days. Because the narrative will be quickly going against them, and they'll know it. But from then on, they will be known as the Filibustin'cans!
Remember when the Republicans had a Senate majority? Like, 51-49, right when Junior got elected by 5-4? They passed most of what they wanted because they knew the Democrats were too cowed to stand up to them. Well who's to say that dynamic couldn't work for the Democrats this time around? Once the Senate Republicans have tasted the heavy and sour mash of debate without end, and the public opprobrium that comes with it, will they still want to go there? Methinks not.
So it's time for a little upper-housetraining, Democrats. Call the bluff! Make them go all in! Break 'em in good.