Obstruction: Republicans Middle Name

When the U.S.Senate was created,the most populous state had twelve times the amount of the smallest state.Today that number is seventy times as Wyoming Senators represent 272,000(less than a NYC councilperson) while California's represents 18,481,000.It just so happens that the best represented states(smaller in population) are the most conservative.In late September 2010,forty Republican senators elected to block debate on a measure,recommended by President Obama,Robert Gates, and Mike Mullen(Joint Chiefs of staff),to end the military seventeen-year "Don't Ask,Don't Tell" policy.These senators represented only 33 percent of the U.S. population.Under current Senate rules,it is possible for senators representing just 11 percent of the population to prevent the passage of legislation supported by senators representing the other 89 percent or fifty-nine senators from the thirty most populous states.(Alterman)

This is just the beginning of the problems facing Americans with disproportionate representation. The average age of a U.S. senator is sixty-nine while the median age of Americans is just over thirty-five.Women are the majority of the U.S. population but only 17 percent of the Senate is female.African American,Hispanic and Native Americans represent 33 percent of the population but only have four senators from these ethnic groups(4%).Most senators are millionaires while 71% of the American families make under $50,000 a year.As a result, elderly white male millionaires do quite well when it comes to legislation but underrepresented groups suffer.(Alterman)

Today,the most common tool of obstruction is a treat to filibuster to prevent votes on popular legislation.Democrats used to block civil rights legislation in the 1940's and 50's by speaking on any topic for long periods of time.Three-fifths of the Senate is needed to block a filibuster(60 senators).The treat of a filibuster is enough today to shelve legislation.The average senator only spends about 1 percent of their time on the Senate floor..it's an inconvenience today.The threat of filibuster has grown from 10% in the 1970's to about 70% today.Since the Democratic takeover of both houses in 2006,Republicans have more than doubled the 130"cloture" motions Democrats had managed to force during the Bush years.

Another fossilized rule is that any senator can freeze any bill merely by placing a personal hold on it.The party leadership merely has to agree with the procedure.As of September 2010,only half of President Obama's federal nominees for jobs have been confirmed and 102 out of 854 judgeship's remain vacant(go to hightowerlowdown.org for more on this issue).Of the 81 judicial nominations President Obama sent to the Senate,only 30% were approved,largely due to single senator holds placed on individual nominees.This was only half the number Bush got approved in the previous administration.On April 20,2010,Senator Claire McCaskillD-MO)took to the floor to try to lift the holds on 56 separate federal nominees.Jon Kyl(R-AZ) objected to every last one of them.

More from "Kabuki Democracy" by Eric Alterman.