Tuesday, February 07, 2017

Filibuster

ABC News is reporting that Senate Democrats iintend to filibuster President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos.  There is another link here.

I don't have a dog in this hunt, it matters not one whit to me who is finally confirned as Education Secretary.  Frankly, I don't think that we need a US Department of Education.  That's something better done by the states and local school districts.

But, as part of the nominating process, I'm glad to see that the Senate Democrats are engaged in vigorous floor debate.  The "filibuster" has lost all of it's depth and rigor since someone adopted the idea that a filibuster could occur by simply threatening one. TH US Senate is supposed to be the greatest debating society in the world, and if you want to filibuster, then stand up on your hind legs and talk until the larynx gives out.  That's what it's about.

I applaud the Democrats for this activity, simply because it's part-and-parcel of the debate.   Even if I think they're wrong, )and I generally think that Democrats are wrong about everything), it's good procedure.  There is nothing like a good debate, even if your arguments are doomed to failure.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i agree with ya.....what the heck do we need a national board of education for!?!??! But, if that white elephant is too big to kill; then lets make it useful. Lets demand that they create a sensible standard of education. Stuff like the three "R's" and civics and recess.
Heh, sounds like I just created a curriculum without their help!

Steve

Anonymous said...

SENATOR AL FRANKEN: DeVos ‘fundamentally incompetent’ to lead Education Dept.

“During her hearing, Ms. DeVos proved beyond a shadow of a doubt not only that her ideology is fundamentally incompatible with the mission of the Department of Education, but that she is fundamentally incompetent to be its leader,” Franken said Monday from the Senate floor.

“This is not a job for amateurs,” the former “Saturday Night Live” comedian added.
Got this off Instapundit. I like the crack in the facade....Ms. DeVos "is...fundamentally incompatible with the mission of the Department of Education"
Ms DeVos is for school choice. If you don't want your kiddos to be subjected to main stream indoctrination; then you have the right to place your kid in a school that you deem more aligned with your "mission".
Al Franken just said that the mission of the DOE is to indoctrinate your children in the "isms" of the progressives.
Steve