Why 60?

     Many of the same Republicans who talk about a return to the first principles of the Founding Fathers are quite willing to subvert the Constitution whenever it suits their purposes.  If you read the Constitution, you will note that most actions taken by Congress require a majority vote.  Quick reminder:  a plurality is more votes than anyone else; a majority is 50% plus one.  

     The Founders did resort to an extraordinary majority on certain occasions.  The Constitution did not go into effect until nine of the thirteen states approved, constitutional amendments required approval by 3/4s of the states, and vetoes could only be overridden by a 2/3rds vote, to mention three examples.

     Today 57 U.S. Senators voted to overturn “don’t ask, don’t tell” and allow gays to serve in the military.  The Senate has 100 members, so 57 is way more than half.  Nevertheless, under present Senate rules, 60 Senators seem to be needed for any law to be approved.  We are not talking about a “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” type filibuster.  Just about every damn action in the Senate requires 60 yes votes.

     This is not part of the Constitution.  This is not something the Founding Fathers decreed.  This is a problem of current Senate rules, and why the Senate adopted them when the Democrats had the votes to change those rules is beyond my understanding. Forget small-d democratic rule.  This is rule by minority, and it undermines the legitimacy of the U.S. Senate.