Depending on Civic Illiteracy

People know what impeachment is. They probably didn't before 1998, but someone was shining the President's Willie and even Access Hollywood covered it, so impeachment got tossed into the cultural lexicon (in completely the wrong way, of course; it means something vague like "when meanies want to get rid of the President because they don't like him").

What people know little about is the machinery of the Congress, the whole business of cloture votes and filibusters and open rules and motions to recommit. They have no idea that the Republicans are systematically gumming up the works and Democratic leaders aren't doing a good enough job of informing the public, nor is liberal talk radio focused on it, and even if they were it's not a big enough megaphone and nobody involved in it is having illicit sex (except David Vitter). So the President can make wild, simple claims like "Congress isn't passing their spending bills on time" when last year's Republican Congress didn't pass a SINGLE spending bill. Republicans have a faith in the essential ignorance of the American citizen, and so they think they can obstruct with impunity:

I wonder how many Americans understand that you can’t pass legislation in America with 50% of the votes in Congress? How many of them understand that, outside of budget resolutions, you need 60 votes in the Senate? That a filibuster isn’t a matter of Jimmy Stewart talking himself ragged for hours on end, but of merely declaring an intention to filibuster? And that this is done for all but the most routine matters? With the result that the 60-vote minimum is no longer reserved for occasional high-profile issues, but has been institutionalized for virtually all legislation of any consequence?

I figure maybe 2%.

As Steve Benen says, the GOP thinks it can play this gambit, obstructing every effort at progress (on Iraq and on everything else) and then blaming the Democrats for not getting their agenda passed. The only time this could break down is if the Democrats or their allies do a better job of explaining this tactic in broad terms. 9/11 families writing a letter is a good start (although it should be a press conference):

Dear 9/11 Families and Friends,

The bill implementing many of the remaining 9/11 Commissions recommendations is stalled because Senate Republicans have blocked an important ‘next step’. It is called a conference, where the House and Senate hammer out their differences on bills and is therefore a cornerstone of our democratic legislative process.

The bill in question, (S.4), is called Improving America’s Security Act. When enacted, it will improve security on the home front. It is long overdue for passage and as a consequence, American lives remain at risk.

Please voice your strong opposition to this partisan stall tactic. Call, email or fax Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office. Tell him to stop blocking the Conference on S.4. Tell him to let the bill move forward!

I just heard the President in his sham press conference lament about how hard it is for the Iraqis to pass legislation. At the same time he's yelling at Democrats for not getting laws passed. This is ridiculous and the obstructionism must be exposed.