Tuesday, March 09, 2010
A short note on the history of the filibuster
Ezra Klein, whose team is in the majority right now, is not a big fan of the filibuster. His post on its history, though, is interesting. Once again, Aaron Burr takes it in the shorts.
3 Comments:
By 
, at
Tue Mar 09, 08:32:00 AM:
The filibuster isn't in the Constitution, as the likes of Barney Frank keep reminding us. But it's taken on quasi-Constitutional significance because of how we've vitiated the Constitution in so many other ways. Thus, the filibuster is one of the last lines of defense to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Ahh, the irony.
By , at
Tue Mar 09, 08:34:00 AM:
The filibuster isn't in the Constitution, as the likes of Barney Frank keep reminding us. But it's taken on quasi-Constitutional significance because of how we've vitiated the Constitution in so many other ways. Thus, the filibuster is one of the last lines of defense to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Ahh, the irony.
By 
Progressively Defensive, at
Tue Mar 09, 10:44:00 AM:
Burr by Vidal is great. One of the best parts, historical fiction that it is, is Burr thrilling in out-living all the other founding generation. The last to go before him, earlier in the year, were Madison and Marshall (CJ SCOTUS). The others he out-lived by 10, 20, 30 years.
Whatever else can be said, he was that ideal: the fiery young officer fighting in a revolution against tyranny.
