Eulogy to the filibuster

In his article, Key lawmaker in Nixon ouster dies, Denver Post 5/8/05, NYTimes writer, Michael T. Kaufman inadvertently illustrates the fallacy of the filibuster when eulogizing former Rep. Peter Rodino (D-NJ). While I disagree with Kaufman’s claim that events surrounding the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon in the Summer of 1974, “lift(ed) (Rodino) to glory”, preferring to characterize Rodeno’s prominence (at the time) as being “lifted to infamy”, I concur with the article’s historical accuracy.
When the House Judiciary Committee voted out Articles of Impeachment, it did so with six to seven Republicans voting their consciences’ and after all the facts were made known, all Committee Republicans joined with Democrats in unanimous disapproval of Nixon. There was no attempt by Republicans, to protect their agenda or even their President, through the use of Parliamentary Procedures or similar delaying tactics. They heard the testimony and then voted (up or down) on the future of the Presidency. If Republicans had not crossed party lines, Nixon would not have resigned and the subsequent trial would have eroded Congressional comity and further divided our Nation. Republicans showed then that they placed the Country’s best interests ahead of agenda politics and while their party suffered a huge loss, they maintained the integrity of the institutions of Government and the best traditions of our Democracy.
Fast-forward to today and we no longer find Democrat majorities in Congress. The stage of controversy now is in the Senate and the issue is judicial confirmations. If those nominees currently being filibustered were wrong for this Country and truly out-of-the-mainstream, there’s no reason to think that Republicans would not, once again, defy their President and vote with the Democrat minority…if only they were allowed that opportunity.
Had Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn) not just lectured Pres. Clinton about immoral behavior, but voted for his removal from office, maybe others in his party would have joined him and with Vice President AlGore then running in 2000 as the incumbent, the selection of judicial nominees would probably have been in the hand of Democrats today. Perhaps this time around, monolithic obedience to MoveOn.org and Ralph Neas is ultimately, not a winning strategy for Senate Democrats either. Filibustering is preventing votes on the merits (evidence) of these nominees, eroding the comity of the Senate and is further dividing our Nation.
In the Biblical story of Sodom & Gomorrah, if not for finding just ten honest men G-d would have destroyed mankind forever. Where would Civilization be, were it not for Christopher Columbus standing up for his convictions? And it was in the middle of concerted air attacks on southern Britain, when Winston Churchill said, ”Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few”.
In the summer of ’74, while Republicans did the right thing but ended up losing their President, they retained their dignity, their autonomy and lived to win another day. The question today is, are there six-seven Democrat Senators who will stand up to the Ultra-Liberal Special Interest groups, do the right thing and vote cloture on these nominees - even though it may result in (their) ratification to the Bench. Now that would be a real memorial to the dignity and fairness of Rep. Rodino!