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Will Tea Party Turn Senate Into Fight Club?

Senate may not be able to get anything done, critics fear

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 2, 2010 9:17 AM CDT
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(Newser) – At a recent Senate Republican Conference, Wisconsin Senate candidate Ron Johnson pointed to Jim DeMint and announced, “I’m coming to join the fight, not the club.” Johnson, like DeMint, plans to throw up roadblocks in front of any legislation that doesn’t meet his approval, and he’s not alone. Many Tea Party candidates have promised to do the same—Rand Paul, for instance, says he’ll block any spending bill that doesn’t help balance the budget.

At least some Tea Partiers will win, and that might be enough to destroy the Senate, one Rutgers professor tells the Wall Street Journal, because the rules of the institution rely on collegiality. “The Senate is fundamentally a 'unanimous consent' institution,” agrees one Congressional Research Service specialist; unanimous consent is needed to end discussion of a bill, allow a vote, or limit time spent on a bill. But the Tea Partiers contend that consent and collegiality are parts of the problem, since they allow earmarks and special interest provisions to flourish.

What I'm encouraged about most is that I don't have to be the contentious person all by myself any longer, says Jim DeMint, pictured here at a CPAC event.
"What I'm encouraged about most is that I don't have to be the contentious person all by myself any longer," says Jim DeMint, pictured here at a CPAC event.   (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Rand Paul has promised to block any spending measures that don't help balance the budget.
Rand Paul has promised to block any spending measures that don't help balance the budget.   (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 40 comments
J Moore
Oct 27, 2010 5:59 PM CDT
red_ox, your comment made me laugh, until I began to cry, because what you say is so true.
acerbus80
Sep 2, 2010 9:39 PM CDT
This reminds me of a conversation i had with my neighbor years ago, in which he stated he loved it when congress did nothing but fought and got nothing accomplished. His idea was basically that the less congress did, the better off we were as a nation. At the time I argued with him about it, but more and more I am tending to agree with his reasoning. This fits in pretty well with his philosophy, of which I now support to an extent.
piankeshaw
Sep 2, 2010 4:04 PM CDT
All the claims at being "outsiders" have quickly dissipated once taking the oath of office. I don't suspect that Teabaggers will be any different. Ultimately, he who pays the piper calls the tune.

 
filibuster • Ron Johnson • Jim DeMint • Rand Paul • Tea Party

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