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• Monday, March 31, 2008 01:41 PM

  Fester is still probably the voice of unreason

  Fester: "No system is perfect, the Senate held up civil rights reforms until LBJ slammed it through, and I believe the maelstrom of public support was a major factor in the Senate Iraq war vote."

  Kate:Thank you for the voice of reason here. Yes, LBJ DID slam the civil rights agenda through - just as Hillary Clinton posited (and was subsequently gutted for so doing, though she spoke a plain truth). And yes, her vote on the Iraq resolution undoubtedly reflected the sentiments of a great many voters in the state which took the brunt of 9/11.

  Actually, I picked those to two examples to show

  1) The Senate, led by the dixecrats repeatedly blocked (filibustered) civil rights legislation during the 1950's. The role of AA's in WWII demonstrated to themselves and others that they deserved more equality. Slower incremental change sooner probably would have been better for US society than the big bang from LBJ. It certainly would have been better for the democratic party as a big chunk of dixiecrats became Republicans. This is an example of the Senate ignoring the will of the people, in a manner against the best interests of the country, IM!HO.

  2) The Iraq war vote (again IM!HO) is an example of the Senate not acting as the cooling vessel imagined by the Founders against the passions of the moment. In this case, the Senate failed by rubberstamping the President, and once again acted against the best interests of the US.

  James Madison explained that the Constitution's framers considered the Senate to be the great "anchor" of the government. To the framers themselves, Madison explained that the Senate would be a "necessary fence" against the "fickleness and passion" that tended to influence the attitudes of the general public and members of the House of Representatives. George Washington is said to have told Jefferson that the framers had created the Senate to "cool" House legislation just as a saucer was used to cool hot tea.

  http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Senate_Created.htm

  —Uncle Fester Read Uncle Fester's other letters
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