113th Congress Thread

[All-American]

Mike Lee just made an interesting observation about the color of paper. Why is it called a "white" paper? Legal analysis typically isn't done on orange or green paper. So why specify that the paper is white?

This is exactly the kind of thing our congress needs to investigate. This filibuster is already paying dividends.

[YOhio]

Barrasso (R) Wyoming gets in on the action!

[YOhio]

By my count this makes 10 senators who have participated in the filibuster (10% of the Senate).

[YOhio]

Barrasso is the first senator to drone on and on about his state. Good grief. Is he working for the Wyoming travel counsel? Embarrassing performance for the Cowboy state.

EDIT: The Texans did as well, but that's to be expected (and ignored).

[Coach McGuirk]

does this get called to recess at some point till morning? It is quite entertaining.

[All-American]

When the wyo guy talks, I start liking drones more.

[YOhio]

does this get called to recess at some point till morning? It is quite entertaining.

No. He's got to keep the floor or he loses it completely. It has been surprisingly entertaining. I've had it on a separate monitor all day and it makes for great background noise.

[The_Douger]

No. He's got to keep the floor or he loses it completely. It has been surprisingly entertaining. I've had it on a separate monitor all day and it makes for great background noise.

So they just have to sit there?

[All-American]

So they just have to sit there?

No. They have to stand.

[YOhio]

While Senator Paul has been filibustering the following 12 GOP Senators spent the evening at dinner with President Obama:
Graham- SC
Corker - TN
Ayotte - NH
McCain - AZ
Coats - IN
Coburn - OK
Burr - NC
Johanns - NE
Toomey - PA
Johnson - WI
Hoeven - ND
Chambliss - GA

Two of the Senators at the dinner also participated in the filibuster (Toomey and Chambliss).

[YOhio]

No. They have to stand.

Who can forget this memorable performance?

[YOhio]

Here's a good article by Salon on a few of the more memorable filibusters of the past century.

But perhaps the most famous filibuster in Senate history — aside from the fictional Jimmy Stewart rant in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” — was delivered by a more unsavory character for a baser goal. As the AP reported: “Fortified with a good rest, a steam bath and a sirloin steak, Sen. Strom Thurmond talked against a 1957 civil rights bill for 24 hours and 18 minutes (you can read the whole thing here) — longer than anyone has ever talked about anything in Congress before or since. Republican Sen. William Knowland called the speech “cruel and unusual punishment.”

Thurmond told no one what he was doing and his staff started to worry when he began collecting whatever he could find to read from his office. Thurmond came armed with throat lozenges and at one point ducked into the coatroom to scarf down a sandwich while another senator asked him a question. A staffer waited with a pail just off the floor in case there was a bathroom emergency. The civil rights bill passed anyway.

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/06/the_greatest_filibusters_of_all_time/

[YOhio]

He's at 10 hours!

[All-American]

Five longest filibusters ever:

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/tp/Five-Longest-Filibusters.htm

[YOhio]

Interesting fact. Today is the first day that Ted Cruz has spoken on the floor of the Senate. What a cool and unique way to jump right in. Now he's reading tweets that have been printed (cell phones are prohibited on the Senate floor).