A Grumpy old man's pontifications!

I don't understand why the Democrats keep insulting the American people with their rants that the current government shutdown is the Republicans fault because they have "control" of both houses. Evidently, they assume none of us are aware it takes 60 votes to pass anything. We learned this in 7th-grade civics, Mr. Schumer.

Back in the days of the movie "Mr. Smith goes to Washington", a Senator could block any bill indefinitely simply by holding the floor by speaking. It was called a filibuster. In 1917 the Senate decided to stop this with the “Cloture Rule” which could stop a filibuster with 2/3 vote. That was reduced in 1975 to 60 out of the 100 Senators.

If a party has the House, the president, and a 60 vote majority, then they have control . . . if the party’s own 60 votes can hang together. President Obama had this control — President Trump and the Republicans do not.