I came across an article on Senate rules, and how they could be changed. The article covers quite about of historical information about the internal rules of the Senate, and how they have changed over time. It’s interesting to consider how rules about how the Senate conduct business, which aren’t subject to much public debate, affect us all. I’m a big fan of the idea of letting bills and nominees come up for a vote. It’s not that I really want the slim majority party to run wild, but rather I want to have a voting record to base my vote on. With rules and practices that prevent bills and nominees from coming to a public vote, we have less information to work with when it’s time to vote. How can you say “vote for candidate XYZ, they successfully prevented a vote from taking place by invoking an esoteric Senate rule.”

It’s also interesting to consider from an organizational perspective how practices whether written or not can shape the institution’s ability to perform its role. I would think any large institution, which isn’t a strict dictatorship, faces this same issue in one way or another.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL OPTION TO CHANGE SENATE RULES AND PROCEDURES:
A MAJORITARIAN MEANS TO OVERCOME THE FILIBUSTER

Don’t get me wrong, thinking that I want 51 republican senators to control the Senate and run rough shod over the minority. I simply want visibility into the process. The rules and machinations which prevent votes on issues cover up the actual records of elected officials. In regards to the tyranny of the majority, I would be quite pleased if laws, especially those expanding the scope of the federal government, had to be passed by a 2/3 majority. Then no one party could control anything. That would require a constitutional change, of course.

[Link Courtesy of Powerline]

The judge ruling that the U.S. Government must charge or release Padilla is both a triumph for democracy and the rule of law.

I have no tolerance for terrorists nor for Presidents who lock people up indefinitely. This notion, might explain why I savaged President Lincoln in an essay in my 9th grade civics class.

[Link courtesy of Joel, who doesn't yet have his own blog.]

Saturday Jeannie and I went to see a live performance of A Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul. The show was great. It was a lot of fun to see this radio show, which I’ve listened to for so long, performed in person. If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Garrison Keillor in person, you really should see him. My favorite quote from this love themed show was this.

After the show we headed over to the St Paul Grill for a nice quiet dinner. The earliest reservation I could get was 8:30 P.M. so we sat in the bar until our table was available. The bar was full; the only place to sit with room for two together was a table for five. I figured someone might sit down with us, which would be fine with me, as I like meeting interesting people. A few minutes later a threesome composed of elegantly dressed women, asked us if they could sit with us.

After a little small talk I learned that I had the pleasure of sitting with the mayor of Burnsville, Elizabeth Kautz and city council member Teresa Daly who recently ran for congress, albeit unsuccessfully, against incumbent congressman John Kline. It was fun to have even a relatively short conversation with such interesting and passionate people.

Here is an interesting first person account of Iraqi Out-Of Country Voting.

I love voting. I hope this election forms the basis of a democratic and peaceful tradition in Iraq. I hope it wasn’t propaganda.

Can I get a parrot?

The idea that a parrot can outlive it’s owner and keep parroting the owner umpteen years later is a funny concept to me.

Jay Leno was making fun of Dan Rather’s uphemisms. Here are some of the best ones.

• Beat him like a rented mule.
• You’d rather wear a gas suit to fire.

I voted!

I so love voting. It the only civic duty I feel emotional about. I feel so happy to have the ballot in my hands. I can look at each little bubble and throw the bums out. I can ask myself, “Am I better off now, or four years ago.” I can write-in Mickey Mouse, if I choose. I love voting.

I actually get a little choked up about voting, it makes me so happy. I am so thankful to our founding fathers that started up this fine republic. While they weren’t quite ready for the enfranchisement of everyone, they let free, land-owning, men vote, which was a good start. It was an idea good enough to gain momentum.

I took my son Matthew to vote tonight. I remember my dad taking me to vote at my elementary school, on an old-time voting machine with levers and curtains. I sure do enjoy being able to pass on my cultural values to my children, the same way my dad did.

The turn-out tonight must have been good at my precinct as all the “I Voted” stickers were gone by 6:00 P.M.

I hope it’s a clear victory for someone.

BTW, there were no lines at my precinct.

I love voting. Every time I get a ballot I find myself practically overwhelmed with giddiness. I love the idea of being able to throw out “the man” every few years.

I am fortunate to live in a state with very high voter turn out. Still every year, at least 20% of the eligible voters simply don’t show up to the polls. To me this is unconscionable. Who are these people. Is there some way these people can be punished?

With tongue firmly planted in cheek some creative individuals have taken some logical steps to deal with the non-voters among us. (Since this is a little racier than the usual blog material, I’ll put the rest into the extended entry.)

Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a snippet from a recent email exchange I had with a member of my wife’s family. I don’t usually make private conversations public, but this really does represent how I feel.

It’s amazing to me what short shrift the constitution gets in the Presidential race. This amazing document defined the President’s role and responsibilities, the role of the federal government, and the limits the role of government can play in an individual’s life, yet the candidates don’t even spend five minutes discussing their views about this document. Sometimes I think politicians are embarrassed about that document, wishing those guys hadn’t written it down.