You Don't Need Discussion When You're Always Right

Yet again the Republican Party is pushing the message that dissent is un-American and that good little patriots should simply toe whatever line George W. Bush decides to set. Many Republicans have been talking about using the so-called “nuclear option,” a rule change which could be accomplished by Cheney, as President of the Senate, challenging the filibuster rule by way of a “point of order.” In this case, a simple majority vote could eliminate the filibuster and turn the Senate into a rubber stamp for Bush’s nominees. What has provoked the discussion of this “nuclear option”? The Democrats have dared to filibuster such nominees as William Myers III, a man who spent most of his career lobbying for the cattle and mining industries, or Terrence Boyle who has several times made decisions which circumvented federal laws banning discrimination by gender, disability, and race. Democrats are not challenging every nominee; they aren’t even challenging most of them. Last term, 204 nominees were accepted by the Democrats. They plan on filibustering about 20 right now, all of which were rejected last term. That doesn’t matter to the Republicans, however. The “moral majority” has decided that it has a mandate, and nobody is going to prevent them from enacting their agenda. They don’t care if they have to trample on minority rights, or abolish open discussion, as long as they get their way. “Their way” isn’t even beneficial for the American people. “Their way” means catering to corporate interests by approving judges who claim that all habitat conservation laws are unconstitutional because they interfere with potential profit.
The filibuster has not always been used productively. If the Republicans do not destroy it, it will continue to be used unproductively at times. There will always be individuals like Strom Thurmond, who for 24 hours delayed a vote on the Civil Rights Act. However, when you have a President whose party narrowly controls the Senate nominating bad judges and planning to broadly increase the government’s power, the filibuster is an absolute necessity. Both sides need and deserve a chance to voice their opinions. It is only through open discussion that the best solutions can be reached. The Republicans, especially the one in charge, need to realize that they are just as prone to error as anybody else. As mere mortals they should not be awarding themselves the power to unilaterally decide this countries fate.
With the filibuster gone and loyal Republicans goose-stepping behind the President, the Legislative branch will become nothing more than a rubber stamp for whatever nominee or law Bush throws at it; the Republicans are creating the conditions for an American dictatorship. Of course, that could be exactly what they have in mind.