pudge's Journal: Alexander Hamilton, on the Democratic Majority in 2007

The representatives of the people, in a popular assembly, seem sometimes to fancy that they are the people themselves, and betray strong symptoms of impatience and disgust at the least sign of opposition from any other quarter; as if the exercise of its rights, by either the executive or judiciary, were a breach of their privilege and an outrage to their dignity. They often appear disposed to exert an imperious control over the other departments; and as they commonly have the people on their side, they always act with such momentum as to make it very difficult for the other members of the government to maintain the balance of the Constitution.

From Federalist 71.

what might Hamilton think of the obstructionism?

[NeMon'ess]

Well he's dead, so what do you think of the obstruction tactics of the minority party from 2000 to 2007 compared to post 2007?

Re:what might Hamilton think of the obstructionism

[pudge]

Well he's dead, so what do you think of the obstruction tactics of the minority party from 2000 to 2007 compared to post 2007?

You say that like you think they are different.

Re:

[NeMon'ess]

In the first six months of the 110th Congress, there have been 13 cloture votes. [72.14.253.104] In comparison, in the first sessions of the 108th and 109th Congresses, when Democrats were in the minority, there were a total of four cloture votes. Republican whip Trent Lott told Roll Call, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail... and so far, it's working for us."

The numbers condensed. [senate.gov]

So yes I think the Republicans are being more obstructionist than the Democrats were.

Re:

[pudge]

In the first six months of the 110th Congress, there have been 13 cloture votes. [72.14.253.104] In comparison, in the first sessions of the 108th and 109th Congresses, when Democrats were in the minority, there were a total of four cloture votes. Republican whip Trent Lott told Roll Call, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail... and so far, it's working for us."

You're missing some key facts here. You don't count filibusters by the number of cloture votes, because often the majority won't bother holding such a vote, and will give up rather than bother trying ... and sometimes not even bothering to bring a bill to the floor due to the THREAT of a filibuster. That is primarily how the Republicans did business. If you were going to filibuster and the Republicans couldn't pass cloture, they would simply not bring the bill to the floor, or not hold a cloture vote.

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