Thank goodness for the nuclear option
There’s a saying in baseball: right now, somewhere in the Bronx, a 7-year-old is wondering if the Yankees will win a World Series in his lifetime. Now, if you hear someone passing that off as humor, he or she is probably a Red Sox fan — the Yanks just don’t inspire widespread disdain these days.
But the joke is telling, in that a short period of time can easily feel like a long period of time. Despite the Yankees’ 27 championships, despite winning four World Series in five years during the late 90s — and despite appearing in the World Series as recently as 2001 — a young fan can be forgiven for thinking it’s been forever since the Bronx Bombers were last annointed champions.
I mention this, because we’ll soon be hearing a term from the not-to-distant past: the “nuclear option.” Now, when it’s spoken and writ anew, it won’t be in reference to North Korea; our new Secretary of Defense (should he be confirmed) won’t be addressing the topic of Iran. No, when we hear talk of the nuclear option, it will be in reference to the Filibuster.
Once upon a time — cough, cough, prior to yesterday — Republicans controlled both Congress and the Senate; when they wanted a Supreme Court nominee confirmed, they simply voted as a party, and the Democrats lacked the numbers to stop them. Of course, there was always that clunky, time-consuming stall tactic available to the Dems — the Filibuster, by which a representative begins to speak, and, in effect, threatens never to stop, bringing the proceding to a screaching (or yawning) halt — but even the idea of that nuissance was enough to infuriate Republicans.
“We have the majority!” they boomed. “The American people gave us this majority! How dare you gum up the works with your anachronistic horseshit!”
And they threatened to eliminate the Filibuster. All it would’ve taken was an acknowledgement of bureuocractic procedure — and the Filibuster would’ve vanished forever (thus, the term “nuclear option” — there’d be no turning back). A brief period of brinksmanship followed, and eventually the moment passed; but, while there was still some conversation on the issue, one often heard, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but someday, when Republicans don’t have the majority anymore — well, they’d loss the ability to Filibuster, too.”
Blink, blink. And just when would that day to come?
It came Tuesday. Now that the Democrats have control of Congress — and will likely take the Senate this afternoon, once Webb’s officially claimed Virginia for the likes of Macaca — Republicans find themselves in a position where the Filibuster is a vital tool. Now, aren’t we glad it still exists? Aren’t we pleased that cooler heads prevailed, and didn’t allow six years of authority to ultimately undermine the balance of power? I’m not saying the Democrats are necessarily better than the Republicans (though I certainly vote to that effect), only that institutions like the Filibuster exists for a reason, asshole.
(And to that kid in the Bronx I say, keep waiting. Seriously, who’s coming out of the AL East next season? Baltimore?)
