http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57544861/is-the-u.s-senate-broken/?tag=AverageMixRelated
The U.S. Senate is broken. Shattered into a million pieces. The one-time World’s Greatest Deliberative Body is now home to the world’s most annoying political logjam.
But that’s not the bad news, according to CBS News “60 Minutes.” Nearly all the 22 incumbents up for re-election this year are favored to win another term.’
The dysfunction will continue.
“60 Minutes” conducted an interview Sunday with U.S. Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, the body’s majority and minority leaders respectively. They call themselves “friends,” but they act like they despise each other.
Oh, for the days when Republicans and Democrats would reach across to each other, to work out deals in back rooms and then announce their compromises in public. Legislation got passed, the country moved forward.
Reid took note of the more than 200 filibusters he has battled from the Republican minority during his time as majority leader. He said the late Lyndon Johnson, the one-time Democratic leader in the Senate, had to deal with exactly one filibuster during his time as leader. He implied his “friend” McConnell is responsible for the obstruction.
The interview with these two men suggests that nothing will get done in this political climate, no matter who wins the White House on Tuesday. If voters re-elect President Obama, which is looking more likely as the hours tick down, Republicans will be madder than ever that they couldn’t defeat a president still struggling to correct the nation’s economic course. And if Mitt Romney wins the election, imagine the fury Democrats will exact on his administration as he tries to get legislation enacted.
Yep, the system is broken. I’m beginning to like Sen. Tom Coburn’s remedy, which he expresses in the “60 Minutes” broadcast. Throw every one of the senators up for re-election out of office and start over with new faces.
Of course, it’s easy for him to say. You see, Sen. Coburn – an Oklahoma Republican – isn’t up for re-election this time around.