More on the 60 Vote Threshold Myth

by: Matt Stoller

Fri Jun 27, 2008 at 12:47

Senate Democrats have tried to fix these glaring injustices, but Republicans have responded by filibustering over seventy bills in a single year - a record of obstruction unmatched in American history.

And Josh Orton and Matthew Yglesias disagree.  They argue that final vote tallies are misleading, and that once you whip to 60 votes many more Senators break for a bill so they can add modifications.  That's somewhat true.

Still, if Tom Coburn can hold up 100 bills on his own, or if Russ Feingold can spark a debate about the President by offering a censure resolution, perhaps we might consider that the 60 vote threshold is only one and a very narrow way of thinking about the Senate.  It also happens to be a persuasive way to convince liberals to back conservative candidates like Kay Hagan, who has not come for net neutrality or FISA, and Ronnie Musgrove, who is featured on MyDD's Road to 60.