by Joseph DeMaio, ©2021
(Mar. 18, 2021) — Lord Acton said it best, back in 1887: “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The longer explanation of that observation is that as a person’s or organization’s power increases, their moral sense diminishes, sometimes incrementally, sometimes exponentially. In more colloquial terms, this explains the modern variation on the theme, revealing why a dog licks itself: because it can.
Faithful P&E readers, one of the few remaining mechanisms to restrain the accelerating juggernaut of congressional Democrat corruption now spreading through the Congress and thereafter across the nation is that quirky device called “the filibuster.” A relatively accurate and succinct description of the device can be found here. The filibuster is commonly referred to as “talking a bill to death” and is normally used by the minority “out-of-power” party to oppose (and sometimes actually kill) legislation proposed by the majority “party in power.” It is usually reserved for extraordinary times and circumstances. Yes, Virginia, these are extraordinary times.
While originally requiring those engaging in “talking a bill to death” to actually take to the Senate floor and verbalize opposition, that antiquated requirement has been discarded. Now, under Senate Rule 22, the only way to stop a filibuster is to invoke “cloture.” But under the same rules, cloture requires 60 votes, not a simple majority, to cut off debate and end the filibuster. Absent cloture, the filibuster continues unless the party-in-power concedes.
The Democrats in the Senate want to eliminate or at minimum radically “reform” the filibuster. The current push is precipitated by the Democrats’ desire to ram through, while they can, the intentionally-mislabeled and decidedly not bipartisan “For the People Act,” H.R.1. An argument can be made that H.R. 1 is perhaps the worst threat to the constitutional Republic envisioned by the Founders since 1787. A better, more descriptive title for the bill would be the “For the Permanent Neutering of the GOP Act.”
Look at it this way: elimination of the filibuster in the current political environment would allow congressional Democrats in the Senate to ram through any and all of their radical agenda preferences. While not yet actually proposed, these hypothetical bills are not beyond the possible: immediate citizenship for perhaps 30 million illegal aliens residing here: done; approval, as a matter of “an urgent public health crisis,” of the repeal of the Second Amendment: done; elimination of citizenship requirements for “anyone present in the nation, without regard to their immigration, citizenship or residency status” to vote in presidential and congressional elections: done; imposition of a one-time 80% income tax surcharge on anyone who was registered as a Republican, Independent or non-Democrat on Nov. 2, 2020: done. The list could go on, but you get the point: power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.
No way, you say? Think again. Under the guise of the Wuhan Covid-19 pandemic, any number of your constitutional rights have been either adversely impacted, restricted or outright eliminated, all with the tacit approval of the Supreme Court. Quite apart from the naked unconstitutionality of the foregoing examples, if any of them were passed by the Senate after the elimination of the filibuster and thereafter signed into law by Joe (“I-don’t-know-what-I’m-signing” Biden, all the Democrats would need to do would be to immediately pack the Supreme Court with three to five new radical justices, and… voilà…, that which was unconstitutional yesterday is perfectly constitutional today. Chief Justice John Roberts would beam…, and probably appropriate to himself the writing of the majority opinions. Is… this… a… great… country… or… what?
Hey, if the Democrats were smart – the term “cunning” may be a more accurate descriptor – they would have started that process already. Oh…, wait…, my bad: that process is already oozing forward in the White House Legal Counsel’s Office. The project is under way with the help of former Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. mouthpiece and former Perkins Coie lawyer Bob Bauer. Wow…, the fairness and independence of that commission should bring a deep (state) sigh of relief to everyone…, no?
And so, P&E readers, Lord Acton’s observation from 134 years ago is now blossoming before your eyes. It is not a pretty sight. In fact, it is about as ugly and disgusting as it gets. The unrestrained power now being wielded by the marionette-masters manipulating the Goofball-in-Chief’s strings is fermenting into absolute power. The sad part about what is happening on Capitol Hill now is that the Democrats show zero signs of changing or relenting on their licking habits. Worse, they seem to be enjoying them.
Quite aside from the corruption associated with that process, it now presents a clear and present danger to the survival of the Republic. Write, call, email or if at all possible visit your Senators and urge them to preserve the filibuster. Do your part to save the nation.