MSM: Republicans Choke Off Debate When They Fight Against Cloture, But Before Reid Was In Charge, Republicans Choked Off Debate By Invoking Cloture

Does cloture on a Senate bill un-democratically choke off necessary debate or not?

You won't be surprised to learn that, by the MSM's lights at least, it depends on which party is voting for cloture or which party is fighting cloture.

Whether trying to keep debate alive or moving to close debate, Republicans are always depicted as "ending" or "killing" debate, whereas Democrats -- again, whether pressing for cloture or railing against it -- are always depicted as keeping debate -- the genius of American politics, of course -- alive.

I expect a certain amount of flip-flopping from politicians on this. I'm not surprised, nor terribly bothered, that what Harry Reid once railed against as un-American he now finds a convenient and efficient method of getting things done. Nor am I surprised that Republicans, who, when in the majority, frequently stopped the endless debate to finally get a vote on a bill now see unfairness in the same tactic.

But the media -- which is supposed to be nonpartisan and neutral -- should be using the same headlines and same terminology to describe the precise same action no matter which party is taking it, right?

Apparently they disagree. Cloture is bad when Republicans vote for it, but a good thing -- in fact, contributing to further debate -- when Democrats want it.

posted by Ace at 02:51 PM

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