IntroSpectortion

Of course everyone is abuzz about Arlen Spector's change of parties. One thing that struck me was what Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, said about how this is dangerous because it potentially allows one party unfettered control. This is true in a narrow sense, but I'm presuming any thoughtful Republican understands that had their party not decided to take a position of absolute obstruction, this probably wouldn't have happened.

The Senate is normally a collegial place, and the mechanisms are there to encourage the parties to work together. There's a tool called the filibuster that the minority party can use to stop legislation that it feels is essential to stop by requiring 60 votes instead of the traditional majority. It's been around as long as I can remember, but since the Democrats took control of both houses of Congress, the Republicans have made it a policy to threaten to filibuster virtually every piece of legislation.

This policy has only hardened since Obama's election, and now has extended to many presidential appointments as well. You just have to wonder what Spector, who is by nature a compromiser, would have done had the Republicans made a serious attempt to work with the majority instead of just trying to obstruct. I guess we'll never know.