It is time to initiate a new wave of serious public oversight of how the United States Senate conducts its business.
When a child is encouraged by grown ups to commit very costly fraud on the public, the authorities must act. The Senate has become the balloon boy of American politics. Enabled by its leadership to grab and hold as much secret personal power as possible, the Senate has floated away from its moorings. It is time for the authorities, read "American People," to intervene. Whether healthcare or foreign policy or judicial appointments or military spending, I cannot think of an important political problem in this country which is not being adversely affected by the US Senate rules allowing "anonymous holds" or "silent filibusters."
Emptywheel talks about the frustration around the Obama administration judicial appointments in "Stare Indecisis: Obama’s Inaction On Judicial Nominations". The writer blames the administration for not being bold enough in fighting for their nominees. I blame the Senate "anonymous hold" rules for allowing any member of the august "upper chamber" to hold indefinitely any nomination, with or without cause, with no public or private consequences whatsoever.
This is the same set of rules that would allow a Sen. Lieberman or any other puppet of the insurance industry to single-handedly kill health reform in spite of the public demand for change. This is intolerable. It is time to shine the light on Senate rules, prevent legislative action that is shielded from public view and begin chopping away at the undemocratic secret power that has been grabbed from the American people and held in the shadows of Capitol Hill for the benefit of the select few.
My suggestion is simple. Do not settle for anonymity in public policy. Whether you are a politician, a member of the press or, above all, a voter, do not be satisfied with "anonymous" action in the the people's Senate. Demand accountability. Ask the next question. Insist on transparency. Do let them just say "a member" or "a senator" has put a hold on any legislation or nomination without pursuing it like a blue tick hound chases a 'possum up a tree and holding that member responsible for his or her behavior. If one member is anonymous, every Senator should be held accountable for that behavior until the hold is lifted. If we continue to allow this systemic opacity in our public life the bad guys win.
I still believe my best idea to preserve the Republic is the dissolution of the US Senate. Since that will take a while to organize, we need to remain vigilant in monitoring the Senate rules and bad behavior.