60% + 60% +1 = 100% domination

Hillary Clinton is campaigning for Al Franken (yes, the same Al Franken who is Stuart Smalley, who is a leftist radio wonk from the failed Radio Free America) telling the people of Minnesota that Al might just be number 60.

 

She tells the good voters there that as long as there are fewer than 60 democrat senators, the republicans can block anything the democrats try to do (just like the democrats could and did do when they were in the minority, just like the republicans can and do now).  Al can be number 60.  Get out and vote.

 

According to Senate rules you need 60 votes to bring a cloture vote—or force a vote, for those of us who speeka de inglish.  If you have 41 Senators, you can block a vote.  This is how the democrats blocked judiciary nominees until John McCain and 13 other senators (a  group the junior senator from Illinois was invited to join, an invitation which was declined by the allegedly post-partisan-able-to-work-across-the-aisle junior senator, consequently a group which Barack Obama was not counted) known as the Gang of 14 broke the filibuster.

 

This is something that John McCain has FINALLY picked up on—Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barack Obama…  no checks, no balances.

 

How much damage can a filibuster proof majority in the senate do in 2 years (2 years being the next possible chance to turn over at least 1 house in Congress)?  I don’t know…  and I’m not really willing to find out, either.

 

And what happens if there is a 2/3 majority in BOTH houses?  Why, that gives them enough votes to propose constitutional amendments.  Yes, they’ll still need 2/3 of the states’ legislatures to ratify the amendments to change the constitution, but again, that’s not a risk I’m willing to take.

 

One thing I do know, John McCain won’t be able to get away with much on his own in DC.  Especially with a significant majority of opposition voices in the congress—possibly a veto proof margin.  But he WILL be able to rhetorically steer the ship into more moderate waters than where Nancy and Harry will prefer to steer.  They will have to moderate, or he will skewer them.  If Barack wins, there is no need for any kind of moderation at all.