The Democrats' filibuster problem

There are plenty of times when I get annoyed with Mitch McConnell. Similarly, there are lots of times when I thoroughly enjoy Kim Strassel's column. In Ms. Strassel's latest column, Ms. Strassel highlights Sen. McConnell's Tuesday speech in which Sen. McConnell essentially warned the Senate as a whole that eliminating the filibuster won't speed up the Senate. Ms. Strassel notes what would happen if the filibuster were eliminate when she wrote "There are even more creative ideas, but these tools alone would be enough to paralyze the institution. The Senate convenes. Quorum call. The presiding officer asks for consent to forgo reading yesterday’s journal. Republicans object. Roll call vote. The officer asks for consent to speed through 'morning business.' Republicans object. Democrats move to get on an issue. Point of order. Roll-call vote. Quorum call. Republicans object to the motion. Roll-call vote. A speech. Quorum call. Etc., and so on, until adjournment." Mitch McConnell laid out what would happen in a filibuster-free world in this speech:

The filibuster isn't the problem, and the Senate isn't "broken." All that stands in the way of legislation is a Democratic majority unwilling to compromise on any aspect of a radical agenda.

Democrats don't need to eliminate the filibuster. They need to eliminate their radical agenda. The Democrats' climate change agenda is killing jobs and communities. Climate change is real, though it isn't the existential threat that Democrats insist it is. Democrats also run the risk of upsetting moderate Republicans:

Democrats may be betting that moderate Republicans would be uncomfortable exercising these tactics, especially in matters of more routine business. Then again, it takes only one Republican to object or to issue quorum calls. And don’t underestimate how bitter even moderate GOP members would be if their "bipartisan" friends across the aisle join the effort to dismantle minority rights.

Look at how Lindsey Graham changed when his Democrat friends turned on Justice Kavanaugh. That's why the Democrats' attempt at immigration reform is DOA in the Senate. Had they tried working with GOP senators on the Pelosi Payoff bill, they might've built some goodwill. Democrats chose to throw that option off the roof. If Chuck Schumer decides to nuke the filibuster, he'll live to regret it. Unfortunately for us, that wouldn't be the first time he'd make a foolish decision on filibusters. This one, though, will hurt him the most.