Outside the Beltway

Is the filibuster essential for the Senate to function as designed?

President Obama and Chief Justice Roberts are calling for bipartisanship in the New Year.

Is Jon Stewart the next Edward R. Murrow? No.

The abuse of the filibuster is just a symptom of a much wider problem.

For the first time in 35 years, the Senate may finally be on the verge of reforming the filibuster.

Bernie Sanders took to the floor of the Senate yesterday to rail against President Obama’s tax cut deal. It was history in the making, but it’s not clear that it actually accomplished anything.

Several smart center-left commentators argue that President Obama is not triangulating. At least one argues there’s no such thing.

The pending compromise between the two parties on taxes and other policies underscores the fact that enhanced minority power (in this case, the filibuster power) helps contribute to fiscal irresponsibility.

Would returning to indirect election of Senators really have a significant impact on the growth of the Federal Government? Probably not.

They aren’t going to stop, but the cliches that pass for debate sure are tiresome (plus some musings about the tax cut extension debate).

Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley wants to fix the filibuster by making Senators actually filibuster. It’s a good idea.

The Pentagon has spoken. Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell would not cause any real harm to the military, they have said. Now, the ball is in the court of the United States Senate.

There is a simple mathematical equation that explains why deficit reduction is so difficult.

With Democrats set to maintain their majority in the Senate, some on the left are pushing for filibuster reform. However, it seems unlikely that Harry Reid has the votes to change a long-standing Senate rule.

If South Carolina’s Jim DeMint has his way, the Senate won’t be conducting any business unless he approves of it.

Under what conditions might we see filibuster reform?

The Democratic Party seems to have decided that the best way to begin the final leg of the midterm election campaign is with a legislative cave-in of epic proportions.

The effort to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell suffered a setback in the Senate today that likely delays any further moves on the issue until after the midterm elections.

One Republican analyst thinks that President Obama could learn a few leadership lessons from Vito and Michael Corleone. In order to do that, though, the President would need to stop acting like the weakest of the Corleone brothers.

The prospect of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell before the November elections is in doubt thanks to a threatened filibuster led by Arizona’s John McCain.

Are we nearing the point where presidents won’t be able to fill Supreme Court vacancies?

Topics include the WikiLeaks episode and its fallout, the DISCLOSE Act, filibuster reform, and the possibility that the economy has already recovered as much as it’s going to.

Much to the disappointment of Ezra Klein and others, it’s unlikely that Democrats will have the votes necessary to change the filibuster when the 112th Congress convenes.

Remember when Democrats thought changing the rules to abolish filibustering was an outrage against the Constitution? They’re older and wiser now.

Congress and the White House are starting to stake out sides in the upcoming battle over extending the Bush tax cuts.

Not surprisingly, Elena Kagan finished her testimony without giving any real ammunition to the Republicans.

As Elena Kagan’s confirmation hearings begin, Senate Republican’s seem to have very little to hold against her.

Senator Robert Byrd has died at 92, after years of poor health.

Mitch McConnell says he’s open to a filibuster of the Elena Kagan nomination, but he has a very limited idea of what a “filibuster” actually is.