* Filibuster Compromise: Morning Thoughts

If you haven't read it yet, read the post that I wrote last night shortly after learning about the deal. I haven't really changed my mind on any of those points. This morning, however, I'd like to make a more basic point. (I am assuming, by the way, that there were only 49 votes on the Democrat side and that if no deal was brokered, the nuclear option would have prevailed).

Main Winner: Big business.

Main Loser: Fundamentalist Religion.

Why? If the Republians had gone nuclear, the Democrats could have and would have singnificantly slowed down the pace of legislation in the Senate. Because most congresscritters are currently OWNED by big business, most legislation these days is for the benefit of big business (cf. the bankruptcy bill). Big business doesn't care about a couple of judges (although it does love Brown and Owen who are toadies to big business), but a nuclear shutdown of the Senate would have been very bad news.

I think it's pretty obvious that fundamentalist religion was a loser here, and you don't need any analysis from me on that score.

So where does that leave the citizens; you and me? I don't know. I guess we're better off. I don't like having to choose between big business and the fundies, but if they are going to have a showdown, I'll root for the corporations. After all, my economic stake is tied to big business, and I bet yours is too. But more important than who prevailed in the fight is the fact that there was a fight at all. I think that the citizens (and certainly progressive citizens) benefit from open warfare between the business side of the establishment and the fundamentalist religion side of the establishment. Since they are the two main pillars of the Republican party, any fighting at all increases the chance that the alliance will break and that the power of both will diminish.
- posted by David @ 8:33 AM