When was the last time the Senate actually had a real filibuster?

[closeupready]

I can't honestly recall a single time. I recall dozens and perhaps hundreds of threats, but never an actual filibuster.

[LakeSamish706]

1. Why filibuster when you have someone like Reid who caves anytime it gets close? n/t

[closeupready]

8. Yeah, that's exactly what I mean.

If he doesn't want to fight, get someone who does, IMO.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. If you mean the Jimmy Stewart kind, almost never.

Mostly because they only exist when both sides decide that they want to put on a spectacle. Contrary to popular belief, a filibuster does not have to entail talking for hours on the Senate floor.

[TheWraith]

3. Exactly. It's NOT like Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. nt

[Hamlette]

4. Reid made them do it a couple years ago, it was a disaster

had the cots set up in the halls, media made it look silly for the DEMS to have insisted on a real filibuster instead of making the GOP look silly for filibustering.

Can't remember the issue but it wasn't that long ago.

[hedgehog]

5. We must avoid filibusters at all costs because they cause

swine flu.

[closeupready]

9. lol

:D

[KharmaTrain]

6. Indirectly Last December...

The last "grind 'em out...read the phone book" filibuster I can recall was Strom Thurmond during the debates over the 1964 Voting rights bill.

To keep boooshie from passing any recess appointments, the Democratic leadership kept the Senate in session on breaks...in essence doing a mini Filibuster as it blocked booooshie from sneaking John Bolton back to blow up the UN.

The rules of the Senate have changed...it used to be 2/3rds to bring cloture but is now 3/5ths or the "magic" 60. It was a lot tougher to shut down a vocal minority with 66 than with 60. So the parties came up with other ways to play games...legislative holds and bogging bills down in committee or with endless ammendments. Not only is Reid scared of filibusters, he shies away from many issues where he knows McChinless and his cohorts will try to gum things up with all sorts of tricks.

The threats are usually nothing more than red meat for the partisans. It makes a Senator sound "strong" when they huff and puff, but then they all go out for drinkie drinkies...it's just a big boy's club.

[Truth2Tell]

7. Here...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,156686,00.html

Associated Press

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Last True Filibuster 13 Years Ago

WASHINGTON — It was a Senate filibuster that did justice to all the celluloid versions and spirited talkathons of bygone years. New York Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (search) chattered, crooned "South of the Border," answered questions from a visiting colleague around 3 a.m., recited names and controlled all Senate business for 15 hours, 14 minutes.

The issue was parochial for the Republican just weeks before a tough re-election contest in a Democratic-leaning state - the fate of a small typewriter company in Cortland, N.Y.

The year was 1992.

George Bush's father was president. Microsoft was shipping Windows 3.1 to computer owners. Johnny Carson hosted his final "Tonight" show. And it was the last time that a senator pulled an all-nighter in the 20th century tradition of Senate filibusters.

More...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,156686,00.html