The Shrinking Munchkins

As Mayor of the Munchkin Caucus, in the County of the Land of Flaws, our very own junior senator, mike lee, is finding that no matter how many times he climbs on the table and throws a hissy-fit, he doesn't stand quite tall enough. It takes 40 Senators to stop something and a whole 60 to actually get something done with the abuse of rules, tradition, and Article I of the U.S. Constitution now currently in vogue in that august body.

The funniest part is, when lee began his latest hissy, he claimed to have 13 Senators in support - a far cry from the 40 necessary. However, there were only twelve signing the Munchkin Mayor's letter. Today, three Senators dropped out. Our good Mayor is down to nine.

Oh, wait, that's not the funniest part. Let me share you some quotes about our little BIG senator from his fellow Senate Republicans:

Wendy Davis: Democratic Hero

Jimmy Stewart in filibuster as "Mr. Smith"
(public domain from trailer via Wikipedia)

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has recently staged a couple of old-fashioned filibusters and proposed others in the populist style of Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” However, it was a Texas State Senator who won the respect and love of Democrats throughout the country Tuesday night when her filibuster delayed the vote on a restrictive abortion bill.

Abortion is a very challenging issue of the culture wars. While MormonDems bloggers support the LDS teaching that abortion is a serious moral issue, we also support the Church’s provision for rare but sometimes necessary exceptions. These include rape, incest, “serious jeopardy” to the “life or health of the mother” and when “the fetus has serious defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.” These exceptions should only be considered after discussions with the woman’s family, her doctor, and bishop or branch president. As this is a challenging personal and religious issue, the law should allow those consultations and decisions with the least amount of intrusion. It should be recognized that the Church takes no position with regard to any particular abortion legislation. You can find the Church’s official statement at this link.

Rand Paul: "What a Maroon!"

Theoretical hot chicks in Senator Paul's hot tub by theoretical drone surveillance

As my earlier post will evidence, I've tried really hard to give a little respect to Rand Paul, Tea-Libertarian extraordinaire. His filibuster on the drones brought attention to a very important issue with which I have serious differences with President Obama.

Then I see a quote from the Jr. Senator from Kentucky today:

"If there is a killer on the loose in a neighborhood, I’m not against drones being used to search them" 

Senator Lee Schooled by Former Home Teacher

The Senate voted 68-31 for cloture on the tea party senators' latest grandstanding attempt to filibuster any gun legislation. That's sixteen (!) Republicans! Majority Leader Reid sent his most conservative Dem, Sen. Manchin of W. Virginia, to negotiate with one of the most bendable blue-state tea-partiers, Sen. Toomey of Pennsylvania. This helps establish the Constitutional principle that the Senate is a masterfully designed political body made up of scores of prima donnas. And that's a good thing.

The honor roll of Republicans (in respectful blue, this vote only) is as follows:

Shame, Shame on Senator Mike Lee (R. Utah)

Mike Lee has signed on to a letter promising a filibuster on any gun safety legislation that comes before the US Senate. This is a disgrace. And shame on any of you who support him in this.

The fundamental human and constitutional right is the Right to Life. Any interpretation of the Second Amendment that ends up with some idea of self-defense or even rising up against the government is certainly secondary (of course, totally wrong as well). As I told Senator Lee whose comment options included "Gun Rights": Guns don't have rights, People do.

Classic Filibuster - Drone on the Drones!

Senator Rand Paul (R. Kentucky)

Senator Ron Wyden (D. Oregon)

I caught some tweets and news clips of an unlikely hero (of mine), Sen. Rand Paul (R. Kentucky). I've been hard on him in the past and probably will in the future as I have just found one and only one area of agreement. And that is opposition to the Drone War. It's also the one area where I have strong disagreement with President Obama. He should know better. And my optimistic idealism leads me to hope that it is all part of a grand strategy to have it cut off before the end of his second term, hopefully with a clear decision by the Supreme Court so no President will ever do it again. (One can dream.)

It was fascinating as an old style filibuster with the Senator on his feet only yielding for questions (in the form of drawn out speeches ending in a question) by pre-arranged associates who would carry on the filibuster. Mike Lee (R. Utah - groan, now he does something I like), Ted Cruz (R. Texas), Jerry Moran (R. Kansas), Marco Rubio (R. Florida - who told him to keep his water close by), Saxby Chambliss (R. Georgia), John Cornyn (R. Texas), and Pat Toomey (R. Pennsylvania), [and John Barrasso (R. Wyoming)] - a regular tea party jamboree!! And then, and this is a big deal, Ron Wyden (D. Oregon) - one of my heroes for other reasons! (Mostly which I can't go into until I retire).

Compromise is Not a Four-Letter Word

It has at least ten by my count. That does make it a complex word. And so often we end up arguing two different definitions of the same thing with our assumptions out of whack and our values unnecessarily threatened.

Senator Rand Paul (R. Kentucky)

This was illustrated very well today on a couple of comments in an article about Paulistas (not the people from São Paulo but the supporters of Ron Paul) being very upset with Rand Paul for declaring his support for Mitt Romney.

Bloomberg Republican Debate LIVE-BLOGGING

Well, we'll give it a try. My wife is using my netbook because she needs two screens to do her homework to re-certify as a substitute teacher. She already has a few gigs lined up as they still have a shortage of science teachers. With federal pay frozen, tuition, dental, and medical expenses spiking in the family budget, she is going back into the work force. So, Republicans- What are you going to do for us? Oh yeah, cut taxes, cut aid to schools, cut social services, kill health care reform, maybe some more wars. Yeah, we get all that.

Anyway, I'm using my boy's hand-me-down MacBook because our antiquated desktop PC is too darn slow. This keyboard is kinda funky though.  I think I did find the Bloomberg channel - not one I watch much (if ever).

Proof-texting the Constitution - Starring: Mike Lee

From the Atlantic on-line Garrett Epps compares Constitutional Originalism to interpreting the Da Vinci Code. The most obvious expression of language supposedly hides "secret meaning" only to be interpreted by the possessors of the secret knowledge of the ancients, or maybe Tom Hanks. This is on the same line as what I've been saying with regard to the extreme right proof-texting the Founding Fathers here and here.

Henry Clay Was a Friend of Mine!

And Senator Paul, you're no Henry Clay.

Of course he doesn't really want to be much to his and our Nation's loss.

I'm not a big fan of Dana Millbank but he got this one right. Rand Paul gives his first speech in the Senate disparaging Henry Clay of all people. Clay, the Great Compromiser, was the political hero of Abraham Lincoln and one of mine as well.  There is a solid historical argument that Henry Clay, a Union man, did more to save the Union, free the slaves, and preserve our Constitution than anybody except maybe Lincoln himself. He preserved and promoted the Union through COMPROMISE until the Union was able, even if only barely and through a horrific civil war, to survive a rebellion from those who oddly equated individual and states rights with the spread of ownership of other human beings as chattel property.  Now I have good, solid, philosophical AND historical differences with Senator Paul.

Even Lincoln, not at all an abolitionist, was a moderate "compromise" candidate as the only one on whom everyone in the Republican Party of 1860 could agree.  And thank heavens for that!

Henry Clay of Kentucky

Clay in the Senate.  I understand from Millbank that only Senator DeMint was there to hear the end of Senator Paul's speech.  Not like the old days!