Bob Thaves Quotes
The Senate being tied is a start. Now, if only it could be gagged.
Thaves, Bob. Frank and Ernest. Newspaper Enterprise Association.
In 2007 the Republicans, who were in the minority, began to use the filibuster to a degree that it had never been used. Within the single year of 2007 Republican’s filibustered 62 times, doubling the highest rate that had occurred before. A small minority of senators were able to block legislation that easily passed the House and was supported by the majority of senators and in some cases supported by the overwhelming majority of the American Public.
The objective of a large proportion of the Congress then was not to improve the nation or even pass legislation, but to preserve their ideology and attack and weaken the other party. Compromise for example is probably the best legislative practice, but that Congress had a substantial number of Tea Party and other ultra conservatives who believed that any compromise at all was an immoral abandonment of principle.
At the time, the Republicans held the House of Representatives, but not the Senate or the Presidency. By popular vote, even the House elections had the majority voting for the Democrats, but the gerrymandering gave the Republicans more seats. A minority of the minority Republicans were Tea Party Republicans—ultra conservatives who would not compromise but who intimidated other Republicans by threatening to run candidates against them in primary elections. The result was that the Tea Party Republicans—a minority of the minority could block almost any legislation and did. That Congress passed less legislation than any in American history including the “Do Nothing Congress” of the Truman era.
2012 and 2013 with the Tea Party driving Republicans more to the right under fear of being attacked in their primary elections caused the handful to shrink to 2 or 3. The change stems from the historical fact that the majority of the Democratic racists (mostly of the South) were furious that their party, had passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ending legal segregation and institutional racism of the South. The Republicans implemented a “Southern Strategy” by using code words that endorsed Southern racism and this swung the formerly Democratic “Solid” South to the Republican side changing the balance of power for years. The conservative Democrats became Republicans changing the balance in that party. The conservatives starting purging the liberal Republicans and then drove many of the moderates out. Meanwhile, the Democrats, without their conservative wing from the South became more left wing and made things uncomfortable for the remaining conservatives. Just as Tama predicted there were few moderates left to cross over and vote with the other party. Congress became totally dysfunctional.
Robert Thaves was the creator of the comic strip Frank and Ernest, which began in 1972.
