Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat!

The news that the GOP Senate minority is the most obstructionist ever is being met by the predictable response that Democratic Senators fillibustered some Bush nominees in the last session and so it's a pot/ kettle situation. It would certainly appear that way, especially if one was laboring under some sort of major head trauma or in the late stages of mad cow disease. Otherwise; not so much.

I've been spending the last several months pretty much taking the Democratic party to task and I stand my resolution that the party, especially the party leaders, are absolutely worthless. That said- the idea that the actions of both parties surrounding fillibusters while in the majority are somehow equivalent makes me want to bang my head against my desk. In fact, hold on a second....

Okay, back.

Just to review yet again- the nuclear option was basically a plan by Republican leaders to break the senate's own rules in order to stop minority Democratic fillibusters of Bush nominees. The Republicans were able to avoid throwing the Senate into disarray by breaking the rules only by the "wise" compromise agreement by the Gang of 14 that the Democrats would stop fillibustering and Bush would get all of his nominees voted on. This led to general unhappiness among the bases of both parties as the Democratic base recognized we'd been shafted once again and the Republican base still wanted blood and to kill the fillibuster forever.

In the current situation the roles are reversed and the base of the Democratic party is again very unhappy that the will of the majority of Americans is being thwarted by the determined radicals on the other side. The difference here - which is hugely telling of what sort of people are attracted in general to both major parties - is that the Democratic base isn't crying for an end to the fillibuster. The Democratic base is screaming because the Democratic leadership is refusing to make anyone but Democratic Senators (Chris Dodd) actually fillibuster.

Republicans were angry with their party because they wouldn't break the rules. Democrats are angry with their party because they won't force the other party to FOLLOW THE RULES. That's the difference.