http://you-are.us/2005/11/07/coyners-dig-on-frist/ we are you Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:33:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 http://you-are.us/2005/11/07/coyners-dig-on-frist/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Michael Wed, 09 Nov 2005 19:15:47 +0000 http://you-are.us/?p=29#comment-12 Hendrick Hertzberg has a nice short piece on government procedures, by way of discussing Alito's nomination, in this week's <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/content/articles/051114ta_talk_hertzberg" rel="nofollow">New Yorker</a>. There he goes into the absurdity of the current mantra regarding "up and down" votes. Hertzberg also addresses the self-serving way in which the Republicans use Senate and Congressional procedure to block what they oppose and then decry those procedures when they get in their way. Frist's petulant outrage at Reid's legitimate procedural move is a part of this tendency to deny and decry the basic rules of government. Filibusters, closed door meetings, and the like have their place in a democratic republic. They prevent the majority from running away with things. No one should be attacked for availing himself or herself of the established rules to guard minority interest--particularly when the matter of minority interest is as important as <em>war</em>. Good for Reid. Good for Coyners. Good for democracy. Hendrick Hertzberg has a nice short piece on government procedures, by way of discussing Alito’s nomination, in this week’s New Yorker. There he goes into the absurdity of the current mantra regarding “up and down” votes. Hertzberg also addresses the self-serving way in which the Republicans use Senate and Congressional procedure to block what they oppose and then decry those procedures when they get in their way. Frist’s petulant outrage at Reid’s legitimate procedural move is a part of this tendency to deny and decry the basic rules of government. Filibusters, closed door meetings, and the like have their place in a democratic republic. They prevent the majority from running away with things. No one should be attacked for availing himself or herself of the established rules to guard minority interest–particularly when the matter of minority interest is as important as war. Good for Reid. Good for Coyners. Good for democracy.

]]> http://you-are.us/2005/11/07/coyners-dig-on-frist/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Blake Tue, 08 Nov 2005 20:28:57 +0000 http://you-are.us/?p=29#comment-11 I heart Conyers... and not just because he was atop Nixon's enemies list. He's been amazing the past two years. I heart Conyers… and not just because he was atop Nixon’s enemies list. He’s been amazing the past two years.

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