, Columnist
Making Senators Orate Won’t Blunt the Filibuster
Can obstructionism be deterred by forcing politicians to give long speeches? The question answers itself.
Only in Hollywood.
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Oy, Frank Capra. We’re back to chattering about the “talking” filibuster — the idea that filibusters should be performed by senators giving marathon speeches on the Senate floor, just as James Stewart did in Capra’s 1939 movie classic, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." The latest revival is from West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, who on Sunday said that he might consider a filibuster reform that would “make it a little bit more painful, make him stand there and talk.”